Creative operations platform XR has appointed John Batter as Chief Executive Officer. Batter, a seasoned executive with deep expertise in entertainment, media, and technology, steps into the role to guide XR’s strategic vision and global expansion as demand intensifies for agile, data-driven creative solutions.
Batter succeeds Chandler Bigelow, XR’s Chief Financial Officer, who has served as interim CEO for the past eight months and will return to his CFO role. Jo Kinsella, formerly XR’s Global President and Chief Operating Officer, has joined the company’s Board of Directors. Batter himself joined XR’s Board in 2022, following its acquisition by Gamut Capital Partners.
“XR powers the modern creative economy, and John’s strategic foresight, proven leadership and operational discipline will be key to accelerating momentum and expanding our market share across the marketing and creator ecosystem,” said Doug Knopper, Executive Chairman of XR. “As brands face growing pressure to do more with less, XR’s platform is more essential than ever—streamlining creative operations, unlocking asset intelligence, and giving customers complete control.”
Batter most recently served as CEO of MarketCast, where he spearheaded the company’s digital transformation, enhancing its research and advertising effectiveness tools for global media clients. Prior to that, he led Gracenote as CEO, transforming the company into a dominant player in entertainment metadata and contextual ad tech before its acquisition by Nielsen in 2017.
His earlier career includes key leadership roles at DreamWorks Animation, where he played a pivotal part in producing blockbuster franchises like Shrek and Madagascar. Batter also launched M-GO, a streaming video service backed by DreamWorks and Technicolor, which was later acquired by Fandango.
Batter steps into the CEO role at a pivotal moment for XR, as brands and content creators face increasing complexity, compressed timelines, and mounting pressure to deliver measurable impact. XR’s platform is designed to address these challenges—helping companies optimize creative workflows, gain asset-level intelligence, and make every marketing dollar count.
“There’s never been a more critical time for marketers and content creators to take control of their creative,” said Batter. “With rising complexity, tighter timelines and growing pressure to deliver results, XR’s platform and scale are uniquely positioned to help customers move faster, work smarter and maximize every asset and investment. I’m thrilled to build upon the company’s momentum and drive even greater impact across the advertising and entertainment industries.”
Batter’s appointment signals a new chapter for XR as it scales its creative technology platform across industries and geographies, helping the world’s leading brands, agencies, publishers, and studios rethink how creative gets done.
