Rochester, N.Y. - Chris Lyons, a well-known executive and publisher in the graphic arts industry, has joined Kodak as Global Segment Director to ensure the company's solutions address customers' specific application needs. Recognizing that each major market segment demands a targeted, unique approach to deliver the right integrated solutions and capture the exciting growth and revenue opportunities, Kodak selected Lyons for his broad experience and expertise in virtually every key segment.

Lyons' position at Kodak was created to oversee activity in the six primary segments of the graphic arts industry: commercial print, publishing, packaging, data-driven printing, enterprise, and photo products. Within these segments, Lyons is responsible for maximizing investments in marketing, advertising, messaging, and online activity around the world.

"The segment approach to the market makes a lot of sense today," observed Lyons. "Printers and marketers need a partner who understands the trends and challenges in each area-one who brings expertise and solutions that will help them succeed and grow their businesses. I'm excited to join Kodak and to direct our activities in these various segments and ensure that we are serving the needs of our customers."

Lyons has been an active participant in most of these segments himself throughout his 20-plus years in the graphic arts industry, and brings a wealth of practical experience to his new position. He began in the Directory Business of RH Donnelley, and then moved to North American Publishing Company as Associate Publisher of Printing Impressions magazine. From there, he left to launch Printer's Periscope, the first online business-to-business portal company in the world, which was later sold to Reed Elsevier. Lyons joined Reed Elsevier and served in numerous executive positions, ultimately overseeing the following industry media brands: Graphic Arts Monthly, Converting, Quick Print Products, World Leaders in Print, Access China, and the Graphic Arts Blue Books, as Group Publisher. In 2000, he joined Women's Marketing Inc., the largest insert publishing company in the world, as COO. He later joined Scholastic Publishing as Vice President of the children book publisher's clubs division. In 2003, Lyons founded Package Design magazine and RFID Product News. In 2008, those brands were sold to ST Media Group of Cincinnati, Ohio, and Lyons joined ST as a Group Publisher. He assumed his new role at Kodak in May 2010.

"Chris's experience makes him a perfect fit for this new position," said Chris Payne, Director and Vice President, Business to Business Marketing, Kodak. "We needed someone with a good foundation and understanding across these segments. Under his guidance, the segment leadership will design integrated solutions and develop resources that directly address the opportunities of the six major segments."