London-based TV and broadband company Liberty Global has appointed former TiVo CEO Enrique Rodriguez as its executive VP and CTO, starting in late July.

“Enrique is a seasoned executive who will hit the ground running on day one. In today’s technology environment the best CTOs have worked across sectors, platforms and geographies,” said Liberty Global CEO Mike Fries, noting Rodriguez’s C-level experience as an engineer, software developer and operator.

“He has managed multi-billion dollar businesses for companies like AT&T, Microsoft, Cisco and Thomson, and has a long history in digital television as well as the European broadband sector,” Fries added.

“At AT&T, he was responsible for the teams that developed and launched DIRECTV’s successful OTT service, DIRECTV Now. I’m particularly excited to tap into Enrique’s knowledge of video products and platforms as we ramp up innovation in our TV business. He’s the right leader at the right time for Liberty Global,” he said.

Rodriguez will lead Liberty Global’s Technology & Innovation (T&I) team of some 7,500 employees, with an annual operating and capital budget of more than US$5 billion.

Baptiest Coopmans, who has served as acting CTO since January, will remain with the company to ensure a seamless transition for Rodriguez and will assume the position of senior VP, Operations.