MONTREAL - Rodeo FX recently welcomed Paul Salvini as its new chief technology officer. A respected innovator in computer graphics and a key figure behind the creation and evolution of SideFX's Houdini, Salvini brings a combination of deep technical expertise, entrepreneurial vision and industry insight. His arrival comes as Rodeo FX continues its investment in next-generation tools, scalable pipelines and forward-thinking R&D.
As CTO at SideFX, he helped shape one of the VFX industry's most popular and widely-adopted tools. While there, he began teaching engineering and computer science in the evenings at the University of Toronto. It was there that he started working with local technology entrepreneurs to help transform technology ideas into Canadian companies.
When he left SideFX after more than 15 years, he served as CTO at Christie Digital before turning his attention full-time to helping startups as CEO of the Accelerator Centre and AVP/research at the University of Waterloo. He returned to the visual effects industry as CTO of Dneg, where he helped define the company’s technology agenda, including early investments in artificial intelligence and realtime technologies.
“Technology should always serve the artist,” says Salvini. “That philosophy guided our work on Houdini, and it’s a vision that resonates strongly with the culture at Rodeo FX. The studio’s dedication to empowering artists while embracing cutting-edge technology makes this an incredibly exciting moment to join the team.”
“Paul is a rare leader who understands the deep connection between technology, business and creativity,” adds Sébastien Moreau, president & founder of Rodeo FX. “His philosophy — placing technology in service of artists — aligns closely with Rodeo FX’s DNA, making this a natural and strategic addition to the leadership team.”