The former svp of Universal Pictures and founder and chairman of Inter-Society’s Digital Cinema Forum (ISDCF)will begin his consulting post on Jul 1.

Pierce joined Universal in 1995 and served on a team comprising executives from Universal, Panasonic, Warner Bros and Toshiba that moved the DVD format from concept to launch. Along with Panasonic he earned an Emmy in 1999 for the work.

The executive joined Universal’s theatrical division in 2000 and worked in the digital cinema arena. He has also played an integral role in the Digital Cinema Initiative.

“Technology in our industry is evolving at a dizzying pace,” NATO president and CEO John Fithian said from Barcelona, where he is attending the CineEurope convention.

“It is vital that we have on board someone who understands the complex interplay between craft, technology and business in the theatrical space. Jerry Pierce is that someone.”
  
“I look forward to helping NATO understand and navigate the changes in our industry from new laser light sources, expanded audio experiences and new high frame rate projection technology,” Pierce said.