Netflix reels in former postmaster general as COO
Netflix Inc., in a move to upgrade the distribution system that underlies its business model for online DVD rentals, has hired former U.S. postmaster general Bill Henderson as its new COO, Netflix said today.
"Bill Henderson is about the only person on the planet who looks at our volume of mail as a trickle," said Netflix CEO and co-founder Reed Hastings. "We`ll look for him to extend our current competitive advantages in this area, particularly as our mail volume increases with our forecasted growth to at least 5.65 million subscribers this year and 20 million by 2010-2012."
Netflix currently ships more than one million DVDs a day from 37 distribution centers across the U.S.
Henderson, who succeeds the retiring Tom Dillon on Jan. 23, will be responsible for managing and improving the technology, automation and distribution operations that enable Netflix to send out DVDs from its library of 55,000 titles based on the individual preferences of its more than 3 million subscribers.
Henderson, 58, served as postmaster general of the Postal Service from 1998 until his retirement in 2001. He also served the Postal Service as its COO from 1994 to 1998.
Henderson also serves on the boards of comScore Networks Inc. and consumer database provider Acxiom Corp.
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