BAD HAMBURG, Germany—Maxon, a maker of 2D and 3D design and motion graphics software, has tapped Steve Forde as chief product officer.
Forde will lead Maxon’s global product organization, working closely with Chief Technology and AI Officer Philip Losch to drive product strategy, execution and long-term innovation, Maxson said.
Forde has held senior leadership roles at such companies as Adobe and Amazon, where he led product, engineering and design teams for such large-scale platforms as Adobe After Effects and Prime Video, Maxon said. Earlier in his career, he founded and led two successful startups, including Gridiron Software, where he oversaw the development of Adobe After Effects plug-ins, where he first worked closely with the Maxson team, the company said.
“What drew me to Maxon was the convergence of people, technology and a fundamental shift in how creative content is made,” Forde said. “The proliferation of games, advertising and social media is driving 3D from niche skill set to mainstream job requirement. With the right combination of product innovation and intelligent workflows, it can become accessible to an even broader audience. Maxon is uniquely positioned to lead that transformation, not just by building powerful tools, but by delivering experiences that scale with creators as their needs evolve. I didn’t want to sit on the sidelines while it happens.”
As Maxon’s CPO, Forde will focus on establishing a clear, long-term product vision while scaling its product organization to support global teams, increasingly complex customer needs and sustained enterprise growth, ensuring teams can deliver cohesive, high-quality experiences without losing the creative spirit that has defined the company, it said.
“Steve brings a deep understanding of both where Maxon comes from and where the market is heading,” Maxon CEO David McGavran said. “His ability to connect long-term vision with practical execution makes him an ideal partner as we continue to grow. This appointment strengthens our leadership team and positions Maxon to lead the industry through the next phase of creative evolution.”
A key component of Forde’s mandate is to guide the integration of emerging technologies into Maxon’s products in ways that respect artistic craft and amplify human creativity, the company said. He’ll focus on using technology to remove friction and expand possibilities, the company said, allowing artists to spend more time creating and less time navigating complexity.
Maxon’s products include the Maxon One ecosystem, a comprehensive suite of solutions.
