Veteran tech executive to lead Panopto's next chapter of innovation and global expansion

PITTSBURGH, April 15, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Panopto, the leading AI-powered video learning platform, today announced the appointment of Stephen Laster as Chief Executive Officer. A proven technology and product leader, Laster brings more than two decades of executive experience driving digital transformation and innovation across education and enterprise software.

Laster joins Panopto from D2L, where he most recently served as President. His career spans senior leadership roles at McGraw-Hill Education, Ellucian, Harvard Business School, and Babson College where he has led large-scale teams, developed category-defining products, and built platforms that have redefined how millions of learners and professionals experience education. At Panopto, Laster will lead the company's next chapter as it scales its platform and continues to enable AI-powered video across learning, training, and communication environments around the world.

“Panopto is uniquely positioned at the intersection of video, knowledge management, and education,” said Laster. “I am thrilled to join a company with such a strong foundation, an exceptional team, and a powerful mission. As video becomes increasingly critical to how organizations learn and operate, Panopto is poised to play an even greater role in enabling success for its customers.”

Panopto's enterprise-grade, open platform is trusted by leading global institutions and organizations – including Duke University, Kimberly-Clark, Harvard University, HubSpot, Nikon, Oxford University, Qualcomm, and Stanford University – to harness video at scale for skill building, training, onboarding, compliance, and knowledge sharing. As a key player in the learning tech ecosystem, Panopto leads the way in leveraging AI, advanced search, and deep integrations to power the future of visual learning.

“Stephen is a proven operator who combines deep technical expertise with a sharp focus on customer impact,” said Sejal Pietrzak, Executive Chair at Panopto. “His track record of building world-class technology organizations and his passion for delivering exceptional product experiences make him the ideal leader to guide Panopto into its next phase of growth.”

With this appointment, Panopto continues its commitment to building industry-leading video technology that elevates how people learn and communicate in today's digital-first world.

About Panopto

Panopto is a global leader in AI-driven video learning, revolutionizing how universities and enterprises capture, share, and expand knowledge. Trusted by 22 of the world's top 25 universities and more than 1,600 organizations, Panopto's advanced video management platform and innovative AI tools make it easy to transform text to video to create, store, manage, and deliver engaging, accessible learning experiences. Discover the future of video learning at Panopto.com

Contact: 
Alexis Borucke, VP of Marketing
alexis.borucke@panopto.com

A photo accompanying this announcement is available at https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/96bb0880-f43e-486a-9935-0fd7da293e9b