Cloud Computing With a Chance of Mobile: Weather Channel Adds Former Quattro CEO to Board

In an interesting move, the Weather Channel Companies has added Andy Miller to its board.

While such adds are not usually the biggest of news, the appointment of the high-profile former CEO and co-founder of mobile advertising firm Quattro Wireless as a director is an interesting early move by new CEO David Kenny.

The longtime digital and advertising exec just got there himself, and is likely to double down on mobile efforts at the media company interested in many fronts (fronts? weather? get it?!?). (Kenny also serves on the board of Yahoo.)

It makes sense, given that so many more people will be increasingly accessing all kinds of weather info — including video — on their mobile devices rather than the Web. Expertise in mobile advertising, then, will be key.

Miller, as you might recall, sold Quattro to Apple for $275 million in 2010, and became its head of mobile advertising before leaving that post last year. At Apple, he headed up the iAd division, which is the mobile advertising network for the iPhone, iPod touch and iPad.

He is now at the venture firm Highland Capital Partners.

Here’s the official press release:

THE WEATHER CHANNEL COMPANIES APPOINTS ANDY MILLER TO ITS BOARD OF DIRECTORS

ATLANTA — March 8, 2012 — The Weather Channel Companies (TWCC) today announced the appointment of Andy Miller to its board of directors. Miller, a general partner at Highland Capital Partners, is a mobile expert and visionary entrepreneur who led mobile advertising at Apple and was the co-founder and CEO of Quattro Wireless.

“Andy is the ideal choice to be the first outside director on our board, and we will benefit from his vast knowledge of mobile and his perspective gained from years of experience successfully starting and growing companies,” said David Kenny, chairman and CEO, TWCC. “As a leader in mobile with potential for tremendous growth globally, Andy’s contributions will help guide as we grow mobile and our entire digital portfolio.”

“I have watched The Weather Channel’s progress in the digital space for years, both as part of my work and as a consumer and have believed in the strength and potential for this business,” said Miller. “I am certain that the opportunity to work with the company as it builds new products and sets it sights on global expansion will be a rewarding one.”

As a general partner at Highland Capital Partners, Miller is focused on identifying and working with the most promising technology companies in Silicon Valley. He currently represents Highland on the boards of Digg, Game Closure and Impermium. Miller joined Highland from Apple Inc., where he reported directly to Steve Jobs and was vice president, mobile advertising. At Apple, he headed up the iAd division, the mobile advertising network for the iPhone, iPod Touch and iPad line of mobile devices.

Previously, Miller was the co-founder and CEO of Quattro Wireless, the mobile advertising company that was acquired by Apple in 2009. Prior to that, he had responsibility for business development, sales and strategy for what became North America’s dominant mobile aggregator, mQube, which was acquired by VeriSign in 2006. Miller has also held the position of CEO of WatchPoint Media, an MIT Media Lab interactive TV spinoff, that was sold to Goldpocket/Tandberg Television in 2003.

Miller has a bachelor’s degree from Union College and a J.D. from Boston College Law School. He lives in the Bay area with his wife and two boys. An avid baseball fan, he is a co-owner of the Colorado Rockies Advanced Single A franchise, the Modesto Nuts.