Former Technicolor Exec Scott Francis Joins THX as Chief Technology Officer (EXCLUSIVE)

THX has a new CTO: The sound quality specialist is slated to announce Friday that it has hired former Technicolor exec Scott Francis as its new Chief Technology Officer. The announcement comes just a week after THX was acquired by gaming accessories maker Razer.

Francis previously worked close to a decade in CTO positions for Technicolor and its subsidiary Premier Retail Networks, overseeing technology licensing and certification programs. Before that, he worked for companies like Macrovision and SuperMac, maker of the Cinepak video codec. “I spend my whole career preparing for this job,” Francis told Variety this week.

THX, which was founded by George Lucas in 1983, is best known for certifying sound systems and displays in movie theaters, More recently, the company has been widening its scope to also license technology directly to consumer electronics manufacturers, and certify new technologies like virtual reality (VR) headsets.

Francis said that there is a lot of work to do for someone like THX in areas like VR, especially because it still is so early for the industry. “There is going to be competing standards and problems,” he said, arguing that consumers may be looking for quality assurance.

But THX is also looking to expand its work in the live music space. The company worked with Beyoncé on her Formation tour earlier this year, certifying venues to calibrate sound systems at each tour venue. Francis said this week that the company was looking to expand the program to other musicians, and maybe even add quality control for live streams of concerts.

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