IMDb founder and CEO Col Needham is stepping down after launching the website 35 years ago, the Amazon-owned company announced Tuesday. Needham will now serve as executive chairman. Nikki Santoro, IMDb’s chief operating officer, will become CEO.
Needham began building the database that would become IMDb in 1990. He remained CEO after selling the website to Amazon in 1998, overseeing major changes such as the rollout of the IMDbPro subscription and an update that allowed professionals to hide their age.
As executive chairman, Needham will continue to “provide strategic guidance, discuss key initiatives and serve as a global ambassador” for the company, according to an IMDb press release.
“(Santoro’s) track record of driving growth and strengthening our products and services makes her the ideal person to lead IMDb into a new era,” Needham said in a statement. . “I look forward to continuing to work closely with Nikki and the talented IMDb team in my new role as we build on IMDb’s legacy and shape the future of entertainment information.”
