Townsend Joins Vizio as Chief Financial Officer

TV maker Vizio has hired former CBS and Showtime executive Adam Townsend as chief financial officer.

Townsend, who had been executive VP and CFO for Showtime Networks, will help Vizio use its leadership in TV hardware to expand its presence within the rapidly growing connected TV marketplace.

He succeeds Ben Wong, who now focuses on being COO and president of Vizio.

Related: Vizio Adds 30 Streaming Channels to SmartCast

“Adam’s exceptional record of financial operational experience within content, advertising, and streaming-based businesses – along with over a decade of media industry analysis – makes him a great addition to the existing talent at Vizio,” said William Wang, founder and CEO, Vizio. “We welcome him to the team and look forward to leveraging his expertise as Vizio pivots from a sole focus on hardware to a new vision for a complete media offering.”

Before his post at Showtime, Townsend held other posts at CBS, including executive VP, corporate finance and investor relationship. He also worked in CBS outdoor ad business and the CBS radio group.

“Vizio is uniquely positioned to capitalize on the rapid shift toward digital video consumption through a powerful combination of hardware excellence, software innovation and data analytics,” said Townsend. “Together with the long-term vision of founder William Wang and the rest of the deeply experienced executive team, we have tremendous tools to maximize the large opportunity in front of us.”

Jon Lafayette

Jon has been business editor of Broadcasting+Cable since 2010. He focuses on revenue-generating activities, including advertising and distribution, as well as executive intrigue and merger and acquisition activity. Just about any story is fair game, if a dollar sign can make its way into the article. Before B+C, Jon covered the industry for TVWeek, Cable World, Electronic Media, Advertising Age and The New York Post. A native New Yorker, Jon is hiding in plain sight in the suburbs of Chicago.