{{Short description|Canadian businessman (1957–2025)}} {{Use mdy dates|date=January 2026}} {{Use Canadian English|date=January 2026}} {{Infobox person | name = Rob Burgess | honorific_prefix = | honorific_suffix = | image = Robert_Burgess-e1462301613308.jpg | alt = | caption = Burgess in 2015 | birth_name = Robert Kenneth Burgess | birth_date = {{birth date|1957|08|29}} | birth_place = | death_date = {{death date and age|2025|12|21|1957|08|29}} | death_place = Woodside, California, U.S. | known_for = Former CEO of Macromedia and Alias Research | alma_mater = McMaster University | boards = {{ubl|Alias Research 1991–1995|Macromedia 1996–2005|Adobe Systems 2005–2019|NVIDIA 2011–2025}} | spouse = Jane | children = 3 }}

'''Robert Kenneth Burgess''' (August 29, 1957 – December 21, 2025) was a Canadian executive in the technology industry. He was the chief executive officer of Macromedia from 1996 to 2005 and chairman from 1997 to 2005. Prior to that, he was CEO of Alias Research from 1991 to 1995.

== Early life and education == Burgess grew up in Toronto, Canada and graduated from McMaster University with a bachelor of commerce degree in 1979. He was awarded the Wayne Fox distinguished alumni award from McMaster University's DeGroote School of Business in 2001, and in 2014 he received an honorary doctorate of laws.<ref name="DeGroote" />

== Career == From 1984 to 1991, Burgess worked in key executive posts at Silicon Graphics (SGI), a startup in the then emerging field of 3D computer graphics.<ref name="DeGroote">{{cite web |url=https://www.degroote.mcmaster.ca/profiles/rob-burgess/ |title=Dr. Robert Burgess |work=DeGroote School of Business |publisher=McMaster University |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240722161213/https://www.degroote.mcmaster.ca/profiles/rob-burgess/ |archive-date=July 22, 2024 |access-date=January 4, 2026}}</ref> He started as a sales engineer, opened up Silicon Graphics Canada, and ran that division until 1990 when he became vice president of applications and moved to Silicon Valley.

In 1991, Burgess returned to Toronto to become CEO of Alias Research, a 3D software company.<ref name="MacromediaPR">{{cite press release |url=http://www.macromedia.com/macromedia/proom/pr/1996/burgess.html |title=Rob Burgess Named President of Macromedia |date=August 28, 1996 |location=San Francisco, California |work=Macromedia |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/19990910150832/http://www.macromedia.com/macromedia/proom/pr/1996/burgess.html |archive-date=September 10, 1999 |access-date=January 4, 2026}}</ref> Under his guidance the Alias team orchestrated a financial turnaround and became the leader in high end 3D software, and went on to develop Maya which emerged as the standard in computer animation software. On March 1, 2003, Alias was given an Academy Award for Technical Achievement by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences for their development of Maya software.<ref name="MayaOscar">{{cite news |url=https://www.macworld.com/article/1008800/oscar.html |title=Maya gets Oscar for Technical Achievement |date=January 13, 2003 |last=Sellers |first=Dennis |work=Macworld |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20260104170910/https://www.macworld.com/article/157549/oscar.html |archive-date=January 4, 2026 |access-date=January 4, 2026}}</ref>

In 1995, Alias was purchased by Silicon Graphics for $460 million, and Wavefront Technologies for $180 million.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.nytimes.com/1995/02/08/business/company-news-an-unusual-acquisition-in-software.html |title=An Unusual Acquisition In Software |date=February 8, 1995 |last=Fisher |first=Lawrence M. |work=The New York Times |page=D4 |issn=0362-4331 |url-access=subscription |access-date=January 4, 2026}}</ref> Burgess integrated Alias and Wavefront with Silicon Graphics and became president.<ref name="DeGroote" />

Burgess became the CEO and chairman of Macromedia in 1996.<ref name="ColdWind">{{cite news |url=https://www.sfgate.com/business/article/cold-wind-from-the-north-invigorates-macromedia-2972818.php |title='Cold Wind From the North' Invigorates Macromedia |date=December 14, 1998 |last=Evangelista |first=Benny |work=SFGate |publisher=San Francisco Chronicle |url-status=live |access-date=January 4, 2026}}</ref> He held this position until 2005 when the company was sold to Adobe Systems for $4 billion, which was the fifth largest software acquisition at the time.<ref name="AdobeBuy">{{cite news |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2005/04/18/technology/adobe-to-acquire-macromedia-in-34-billion-stock-deal.html |title=Adobe to Acquire Macromedia in $3.4 Billion Stock Deal |date=April 18, 2005 |work=The New York Times |issn=1553-8095 |url-access=subscription |access-date=January 4, 2026}}</ref> Burgess joined the Adobe board at that time and served until 2019.<ref name="NVIDIA">{{cite web |title=Rob Burgess |url=https://www.nvidia.com/en-us/about-nvidia/board-of-directors/rob-burgess/ |work=NVIDIA |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20260104173628/https://www.nvidia.com/en-us/about-nvidia/board-of-directors/rob-burgess/ |archive-date=January 4, 2026 |access-date=January 4, 2026}}</ref>

Under Burgess' tenure, he led Macromedia's transformation from a CD-ROM based multimedia company to become the market leader in computer animation and multimedia authoring for the internet. While he was chairman and CEO, the vector animation product Flash became the worldwide standard for multimedia authoring and playback and was available on 99% of "mature market" desktop web browsers by 2010.<ref>{{cite web |title= Flash content reaches 99% of Internet viewers |url=http://www.adobe.com/products/player_census/flashplayer/ |work=Adobe Systems |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110429032324/http://www.adobe.com/products/player_census/flashplayer/ |archive-date=April 29, 2011 |access-date=January 4, 2026}}</ref>

Burgess also served on the board of directors of NVIDIA (NVDA), which he joined in 2011.<ref name="NVIDIA" />

==Death== Burgess died in Woodside, California on December 21, 2025, at the age of 68.<ref name="GlobeObit">{{cite web |url=https://www.legacy.com/ca/obituaries/theglobeandmail/name/robert-burgess-obituary?id=60437287 |title=Robert Kenneth Burgess |date=January 3, 2026 |work=The Globe and Mail |via=Legacy.com |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20260104173927/https://www.legacy.com/ca/obituaries/theglobeandmail/name/robert-burgess-obituary?id=60437287 |archive-date=January 4, 2026 |access-date=January 4, 2026}}</ref>

== References == {{reflist}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Burgess, Rob}} Category:1957 births Category:2025 deaths Category:McMaster University alumni Category:American chief executives in technology Category:Silicon Graphics people Category:Businesspeople in the computer industry

{{Canada-business-bio-stub}}