Imagine Names Steve Reynolds CEO To Replace Retiring Tom Cotney

Cotney becomes non-executive chairman of the board

Imagine Communications is announcing a corporate leadership transition as CEO Tom Cotney has decided to retire, effective March 31, 2025. To lead the next chapter of Imagine’s journey, company President Steve Reynolds has been appointed CEO, effective immediately. The two executives will work closely to continue the company’s strong momentum and growth, while also ensuring a seamless leadership transition.

Imagine’s Steve Reynolds: “This leadership change is not going to change the way we work or our commitment to upholding the high standards that define Imagine.”

Though stepping down as CEO, Cotney will remain a key part of Imagine’s future trajectory, assuming the title of non-executive chairman of the board. In this role, he will support critical customer commitments, advise the leadership team, and serve as a performance coach across all levels of the organization.

“I am excited to take on this new role,” says Cotney. “It allows me to end my career the way I started — basically as a salesman — doing work that is important to me and Imagine, rather than the grind of daily operations. Leading a company with such a storied legacy in the industry has been a privilege.”

Says Eddie Johnson, EVP, Imagine Communications/senior managing director, Gores Group, “Tom’s leadership has been transformative for Imagine. Under his visionary leadership, Imagine has successfully evolved from a hardware-focused organization into a premier software company, achieving steady performance and laying the foundation for continued growth.

“Moving forward,” he continues, “the company will be in excellent hands as Steve takes the reins. He brings extensive industry and company experience to this role and is highly respected both internally and across the global market. Under Steve’s leadership, we will remain focused on putting our customers first, delivering quality products on time and on budget, and continuing the successful path that Tom has put us on.”

Reynolds’s career spans 25 years of technology leadership in media technology, including previous executive positions at Comcast, OpenTV, ACTV, and Intellocity USA. Holding more than 40 patents relating to digital video, advanced advertising, interactive television, and digital devices, Reynolds has been a business and technology leader across many facets of the video and advertising landscape. He has participated in numerous standards-making bodies in the cable and digital-video industries, is a member of SMPTE and SCTE, and also serves as chairman of the board for the Alliance for IP Media Solutions (AIMS).

“The formula that Tom guided us toward over the past six years has been working,” says Reynolds, “and we intend to continue moving toward those same objectives. What we’ve accomplished together has put Imagine in a strong position: debt-free, cash-flow–positive, and operating at an exceptional level of productivity and effectiveness. Our message to the industry is that this leadership change is not going to change the way we work, the level of service we provide, or our commitment to upholding the high standards that define Imagine.”