Mobile Interactive TV Veteran, Kai Buehler, Named US CEO of Mobile Marketing Company, mms

Mobile marketing company, mobile messaging solutions (mms), said Wednesday that it has appointed Kai Buehler as its US CEO. According to the company, Buehler, who for the past four years has led MindMatics' North American operations, will be tasked with leading its efforts to increase its presence in the US mobile marketing and interactive TV spaces. He will be based out of the company's new Los Angeles office.

Buehler succeeds Larry Jordan, who served as mms's US CEO from February, 2009 through January, 2010, following the company's acquisition from VeriSign. Jordan will continue to serve on the company's strategic advisory board.

In addition to MindMatics, Buehler's resume includes stints in senior roles at plan_b media, Siemens and Droege & Comp. He was co-founder and CEO of plan_b media, a company which produced and distributed mobile entertainment content from offices in New York, Cologne, London and Vienna, and which he eventually sold to MindMatics. As CEO of North America for MindMatics, mms says, Buehler was responsible for integrating mobile interactivity into such shows as "Deal or No Deal," "Big Brother," "Survivor," "Sabado Gigante," and "America's Next Top Model." He holds a master's in business from the University of Paderborn, Germany and a Ph.D in economics from the University of Hong Kong. "We are fortunate to add Kai to mms' management team," mms CEO, Otto Legerer, said in a prepared statement. "His mobile entertainment experience complements the current team well. Under Kai's leadership, the company is well poised to accelerate growth and take over the mobile marketing and interactive television categories in the US."

In related news: mobile interactive video ad network provider, Transpera, has announced the completion of a third-round of financing totaling $9 million. The round was led by BlackBerry Partners Fund, and saw the participation of existing investors, Flybridge Capital Partners, First Round Capital, Intel Capital and Labrador Ventures. Transpera's work includes the free iPhone/iPod touch application for Showtime Networks that was profiled in an article published on itvt.com, October 6th.