SEATTLE--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Steve Banfield, a former executive at Sony and RealNetworks, has joined Korrio’s executive team of technology, sports and business leaders as its first Chief Product Officer, the company announced today. Banfield will oversee all aspects of the consumer experience with Korrio’s Playflow sports automation platform, serving as the voice of the product in senior management and as a liaison between product development and marketing.
“Steve’s expertise lies in bringing products to market that impact millions of users,” Korrio CEO Steve Goldman said. “He’s held key leadership roles at some of the most innovative technology companies in the world and has a ground-breaking track record in developing cutting-edge digital products. Signing Steve to Korrio will take our team to new heights. We aim to transform youth sports, seamlessly marrying the administrative requirements of club managers and coaches with the sports family’s need for an intuitive online ‘home’ that facilitates communication, organization and community through innovative social tools. Steve is a visionary whose deep understanding of technology and unwavering commitment to the consumer will ensure our product exceeds its goal of being easy, integrated, safe and mobile.”
Chief Product Officers are somewhat rare at technology companies such as Korrio. In elevating this product-oriented role to a senior level, the company creates a strong synergy between its technology and marketing wings, committing to an emphasis on the user experience. As CPO, Banfield will represent the product and consumer, ensuring Korrio’s focus on the continual development and improvement of a high-quality, cutting-edge product that integrates easily with other mobile platforms.
Korrio’s Playflow debuted earlier this year, allowing coaches and team administrators to manage all operations online, including registration, payments, roster creation, scheduling and communication with parents and players. The new product is expected to benefit immensely from Banfield’s expertise.
The Harvard MBA graduate and experienced technology executive said he’s excited to bring his skills and vision to the new company. “I grew up in basketball country but I’ll bring my expertise and passion for sports and technology to streamlining the youth soccer experience,” said Banfield, who studied computer science at Transylvania University in Lexington, KY., before beginning his career as a software engineer at IBM. “Ultimately, I’m a ‘product guy,’ who enjoys launching and growing new products and businesses. I’m excited to help Korrio’s team achieve its mission of delivering the highest-quality, most user-friendly sports automation platform for coaches, administrators, youth players and their families.”
Banfield last served as Senior Vice President of Production and Digital Strategy at Screenlife, a division of Paramount Pictures and creator of the successful Scene It? games for mobile, console, social and DVD platforms. There, Banfield was responsible for launching a variety of new applications and games for the iPad, iPhone and Android platforms.
At Sony, where he served as a Senior Vice President from 2002 to 2007, Banfield built the original media delivery system for Sony Pictures Digital Networks and Sony Connect, later used as the digital content and delivery system for Playstation’s online service. The platform also powered Sony’s eBook store and expanded the Sony Media Software consumer line to support Sony-Ericsson mobile handsets and the Playstation Portable. He also led Sony’s acquisition of the Sonic Foundry’s digital media tools business, which rocketed from eighth to first in the marketplace and achieved a 30 percent revenue growth under the name of Sony Media Software.
At RealNetworks, where he filled various roles between 1998 and 2002, Banfield oversaw four RealPlayer releases, including the original RealOne Platform and RealOne Player, growing the company’s customer base to roughly 300 million unique registered users worldwide. He also led product development and marketing initiatives at IBM, NCR and Microsoft, where he helped develop Windows 95 and served as one of Microsoft’s first multimedia evangelists.
About Korrio
Korrio, founded in January 2009, is the developer of Playflow™, a 21st-century youth sports automation platform. Korrio has a singular focus on kids and sports. The company’s mission is to transform the sports experience and elevate the level at which sports are played by automating the things that get in the way — like registration/payment, team formation, rosters, scheduling, communication, and web hosting. Korrio is easy, safe, integrated, and mobile. Visit us online at korrio.com and watch our Korrio video to learn how to elevate your game.