Col Needham: Difference between revisions

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Needham started the [[IMDb|Internet Movie Database]] (IMDb) in 1990 while working as an engineer at [[Hewlett-Packard]] (HP) in [[Bristol]].<ref name="nyt 1"/><ref name="imdb bio 1">{{cite web|url=https://www.imdb.com/name/nm1000000/bio|title=Col Needham Biography|publisher=[[Internet Movie Database|IMDb]]|date=|accessdate=18 October 2012}}</ref><ref name="Variety">{{cite web|url=https://variety.com/2025/digital/news/imdb-col-needham-ceo-nikki-santoro-1236277656/|title=IMDb Founder Col Needham Steps Aside as CEO, COO Nikki Santoro Promoted to Chief Exec|first=Todd|last=Spangler|website=[[Variety (magazine)|Variety]]|date=21 January 2025|access-date=21 January 2025}}</ref> The site evolved from what was initially his personal film database which became an online bulletin board made from simple records, kept on a succession of early computers and contributed to by several people, all of whom Needham outlasted.<ref name="imdb name 1">{{IMDb name|1000000}}</ref>
Needham started the [[IMDb|Internet Movie Database]] (IMDb) in 1990 while working as an engineer at [[Hewlett-Packard]] (HP) in [[Bristol]].<ref name="nyt 1"/><ref name="imdb bio 1">{{cite web|url=https://www.imdb.com/name/nm1000000/bio|title=Col Needham Biography|publisher=[[Internet Movie Database|IMDb]]|date=|accessdate=18 October 2012}}</ref><ref name="Variety">{{cite web|url=https://variety.com/2025/digital/news/imdb-col-needham-ceo-nikki-santoro-1236277656/|title=IMDb Founder Col Needham Steps Aside as CEO, COO Nikki Santoro Promoted to Chief Exec|first=Todd|last=Spangler|website=[[Variety (magazine)|Variety]]|date=21 January 2025|access-date=21 January 2025}}</ref> The site evolved from what was initially his personal film database which became an online bulletin board made from simple records, kept on a succession of early computers and contributed to by several people, all of whom Needham outlasted.<ref name="imdb name 1">{{IMDb name|1000000}}</ref>


By 1996, with the success of IMDb's first film-related [[advertising campaign]] (for ''[[Independence Day (1996 film)|Independence Day]]''), Needham had quit HP to work on IMDb fully as a paid employee.<ref name="LAW 1">{{cite web|url=http://www.laweekly.com/content/printVersion/38770|title=Do You IMDb?|work=[[L.A. Weekly]]|first=Nikki|last=Finke|date=5 August 2004|accessdate=19 October 2009}}</ref><ref name="imdb 2">{{cite web|url=https://www.imdb.com/user/ur1000000|title=Col Needham's user profile – Internet Movie Database|publisher=[[Internet Movie Database|IMDb]]|date=|accessdate=26 October 2014}}</ref> In 1998, IMDb was acquired by [[Amazon (company)|Amazon]].<ref name="guardian 1">{{cite news|url=https://www.guardian.co.uk/film/2013/may/12/six-degrees-col-needham-imdb |title=Six degrees of IMDb founder Col Needham This man has seen 8,524 movies. How does he know? Because he invented the Internet Movie Database – the indispensable cinema encyclopaedia – and put Bristol on Hollywood's map |first=Catherine |last=Shoard |newspaper=[[The Guardian]] |date=12 May 2013 |archivedate=14 May 2013 |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20130514020714/http://www.guardian.co.uk/film/2013/may/12/six-degrees-col-needham-imdb |url-status=dead }}</ref> In 1999, Needham won two [[Webby Awards]] for IMDb.<ref name="WA 1">{{cite web|url=http://www.webbyawards.com/webbys/current.php?season=3#webby_entry_movie|title=3rd Annual Webby Awards Nominees & Winners|publisher=[[Webby Awards]]|date=|accessdate=19 October 2009}}</ref>
By 1996, with the success of IMDb's first film-related [[advertising campaign]] (for ''[[Independence Day (1996 film)|Independence Day]]''), Needham had quit HP to work on IMDb fully as a paid employee.<ref name="LAW 1">{{cite web|url=http://www.laweekly.com/content/printVersion/38770|title=Do You IMDb?|work=[[L.A. Weekly]]|first=Nikki|last=Finke|date=5 August 2004|accessdate=19 October 2009}}</ref><ref name="imdb 2">{{cite web|url=https://www.imdb.com/user/ur1000000|title=Col Needham's user profile – Internet Movie Database|publisher=[[Internet Movie Database|IMDb]]|date=|accessdate=26 October 2014}}</ref> In 1998, IMDb was acquired by [[Amazon (company)|Amazon]].<ref name="guardian 1">{{cite news|url=https://www.theguardian.com/film/2013/may/12/six-degrees-col-needham-imdb |title=Six degrees of IMDb founder Col Needham This man has seen 8,524 movies. How does he know? Because he invented the Internet Movie Database – the indispensable cinema encyclopaedia – and put Bristol on Hollywood's map |first=Catherine |last=Shoard |newspaper=[[The Guardian]] |date=12 May 2013 |archive-date=14 May 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130514020714/http://www.guardian.co.uk/film/2013/may/12/six-degrees-col-needham-imdb |url-status=live }}</ref> In 1999, Needham won two [[Webby Awards]] for IMDb.<ref name="WA 1">{{cite web|url=http://www.webbyawards.com/webbys/current.php?season=3#webby_entry_movie|title=3rd Annual Webby Awards Nominees & Winners|publisher=[[Webby Awards]]|date=|accessdate=19 October 2009}}</ref>


In 2017, Needham removed message boards from IMDb, stating that they "are no longer providing a positive, useful experience for the vast majority of our more than 250 million monthly users worldwide".<ref>{{Cite news |last=Pulver |first=Andrew |date=2017-02-06 |title=IMDb shuts down its message boards |url=https://www.theguardian.com/film/2017/feb/06/imdb-shuts-down-message-boards |access-date=2024-11-20 |work=The Guardian |language=en-GB |issn=0261-3077}}</ref> In 2025, he stepped down as the CEO of IMDb and handed over to Nikki Santoro, then shifted to the role of executive chairman.<ref name="Variety"/>
In 2017, Needham removed message boards from IMDb, stating that they "are no longer providing a positive, useful experience for the vast majority of our more than 250 million monthly users worldwide".<ref>{{Cite news |last=Pulver |first=Andrew |date=2017-02-06 |title=IMDb shuts down its message boards |url=https://www.theguardian.com/film/2017/feb/06/imdb-shuts-down-message-boards |access-date=2024-11-20 |work=The Guardian |language=en-GB |issn=0261-3077}}</ref> In 2025, he stepped down as the CEO of IMDb and handed over to Nikki Santoro, then shifted to the role of executive chairman.<ref name="Variety"/>
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{{DEFAULTSORT:Needham, Colin}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Needham, Colin}}
[[Category:British Internet celebrities]]
[[Category:British Internet celebrities]]
[[Category:British technology company founders]]
[[Category:Businesspeople from Manchester]]
[[Category:Businesspeople from Manchester]]
[[Category:Amazon (company) people]]
[[Category:Amazon (company) people]]

Latest revision as of 02:23, 30 October 2025

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Colin Needham (born 26 January 1967) is an English computer scientist who founded the Internet Movie Database (IMDb). He was its chief executive officer from its creation in 1990 until 2025, when he stepped down and instead took a role as its executive chairman.

Early life

Needham was born on 26 January 1967 in Denton, Lancashire.Template:Efn[1] He attended Audenshaw School and Clarendon Sixth Form College in Hyde, Cheshire,Template:Efn and graduated from the University of Leeds with a BSc (Hons) in computer science in 1988.[2]

Career

Needham started the Internet Movie Database (IMDb) in 1990 while working as an engineer at Hewlett-Packard (HP) in Bristol.[1][3][4] The site evolved from what was initially his personal film database which became an online bulletin board made from simple records, kept on a succession of early computers and contributed to by several people, all of whom Needham outlasted.[5]

By 1996, with the success of IMDb's first film-related advertising campaign (for Independence Day), Needham had quit HP to work on IMDb fully as a paid employee.[6][7] In 1998, IMDb was acquired by Amazon.[8] In 1999, Needham won two Webby Awards for IMDb.[9]

In 2017, Needham removed message boards from IMDb, stating that they "are no longer providing a positive, useful experience for the vast majority of our more than 250 million monthly users worldwide".[10] In 2025, he stepped down as the CEO of IMDb and handed over to Nikki Santoro, then shifted to the role of executive chairman.[4]

Personal life

Needham married Karen Gaskin in 1989. They live in Filton with their twin daughters.Script error: No such module "Unsubst".

Notes

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References

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External links

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