After a storied career at Dolby and then Via Licensing, Heath Hoglund joined Sisvel at the start of 2026 to take on a new role for him and the company. In an exclusive interview with Joff Wild, he explains the move and why he is so excited about the future

Heath Hoglund has a room with a view and he loves it. The Minnesotan, who became Sisvel’s first-ever Chief IP Officer in early 2026, is currently spending time in the firm’s Barcelona office. “It’s at the top of an iconic tower with incredible views of the sea and the city, including Gaudi’s Sagrada Familia cathedral. I can monitor the work being done on that from my desk,” he enthuses.

The Catalan capital has made a positive impression. “It’s a fantastic city,” Hoglund says. But on his current visit, it’s work that is mostly on his mind. “Any new job presents a steep learning curve,” he explains. “I am immersing myself in the Sisvel programmes.”

One of these is the new Wi-Fi Multimode pool. Hoglund is a big fan: “I was lucky to be here when it launched – that was exciting to watch.” It has all the ingredients of what makes for a successful programme, he continues: “I have long been a believer in multigenerational pools. They are the best way to build a sustainable ecosystem because they offer a long-term path to monetisation for licensors, while providing reliability on royalties for licensees adopting the technology.”

Hoglund joined Sisvel on 7 January after a stellar career as VP of IP and Standards at Dolby and then as President of Via Licensing. At both organisations, he built a global reputation for developing industry-leading licensing programmes. Hoglund describes this modestly as “a good ride” but says it was time to move on: “I always thought my career would take me elsewhere. I enjoy the entrepreneurial side of this business, and I wanted to do more of that and maybe less of the administrative stuff that came with the roles I had.”

The Sisvel difference

What attracted him to Sisvel, Hoglund explains, was the opportunity to get creative “inside a company that is truly independent, has the freedom and flexibility to take on opportunities wherever they appear and, importantly, has a track record for successfully doing so”. This is the Sisvel difference, you might say.

A key part of that difference is the people, starting with CEO Mattia Fogliacco. “Anyone who knows Mattia will know how easy he is to work with,” reports Hoglund. “I have experience of this from when the Sisvel AV1 and VP9 pools were being formed. At times, things were difficult and we did not agree on everything; but on a personal level, it was always positive.”

Others, too, have made their mark: “Jukka Nihtilä [Chief Business Development Officer] is someone I was familiar with for many years when he was at Nokia; while both Nick Webb [Head of Licensing] and David Muus [Head of Programmes] have established really strong global credentials. I am super-grateful to be able to call on their expertise and their brilliant teams. In just a few weeks at the company, I have seen a drive and a level of knowledge that are truly motivating.”

Then there is Sisvel Tech. “It is unique in the industry and a resource I know I will be calling on frequently,” says Hoglund. “Having the ability to deeply understand a relevant technology at any given moment is a major advantage.”

Priorities

Asked what he will bring to the CIPO role, Hoglund identifies a combination of skill sets: “First of all, having practised as an attorney, I have a deep understanding of the mechanics behind prosecution, transactions and litigation. I am also very familiar with building and managing teams. Then there’s my hands-on experience of licensing negotiations and closing deals with some of the biggest companies in the world.”

In terms of priorities, one key goal for Hogland is to ensure that Sisvel is as well placed as possible to achieve positive outcomes. “We have been excellent at seizing opportunities and acting quickly. That is not going to change,” he explains. “But what I have always looked for are structures that pay regular dividends. I don’t like one-time deals so much, as they cannot be repeated. Something like Wi-Fi is the opposite of this, of course. It offers the prospect of multiple generations – 9, 10, 11 and counting – and that promises sustainable success.”

Getting a pool’s positioning right can be a challenge, but also a lot of fun. “One of the parts of building programmes that I enjoy the most is the creativity it takes to coordinate with and find a common solution for companies that have very different interests,” says Hoglund. “The listening, the understanding and the problem solving are intellectually stimulating.”

During his career, Hoglund has developed an extensive network of contacts across the market. He will now be renewing multiple old acquaintances: “I am excited that I will be working with many of the patent owners I have got to know over the years. I am looking forward to finding new ways to support them and their businesses, so they can invest in further R&D.”

Because Sisvel has been active for over 40 years, it has a sophisticated skills and systems infrastructure to support the creation of best-in-class pools. Its approach is further informed by an understanding that programmes developed without taking on board the needs of licensees are far less likely to enjoy a positive trajectory.

“You must appreciate the nuances of the market you are working in and hear what it’s telling you,” Hoglund stresses. “Don’t preach to potential licensees about your offering; listen to what they tell you about their needs. Going to market with rigid expectations of how a programme will work creates immediate friction. You must always have some measure of flexibility.”

Building for success

Looking at the foundations that underpin a successful pool, Hoglund identifies four essential elements: it must cover a compelling proportion of the relevant patent stack; there should be licensors involved that are seriously prepared to enforce their rights, if necessary; it needs a high-quality team managing and licensing the programme; and a well-organised, flexible back-office operation is non-negotiable.

Sisvel is ideally positioned on all these fronts and offers additional advantages, Hoglund believes: “To my knowledge, no other patent pool administrator can call on something similar to Sisvel Tech. More widely, there is the breadth of experience and expertise acquired over the 40-plus years the company has been in existence. The Sisvel team is talented and committed, with very strong leadership at the top. That makes a huge difference.”

Anticipating what the future may bring is another crucial aspect of ensuring sustained success. One subject that consistently comes up in this context is AI. The technology will inevitably have a major impact on patent pools and licensing more generally, suggests Hoglund, but the trick is to identify how. “It can already help us to understand landscapes and the relative strengths and weaknesses of portfolios – and it is only going to get better on both fronts,” he acknowledges. “I am sure that it will create a lot of opportunities and I am looking forward to spending some time on working through exactly what these might be.”

Pool fundamentals are less likely to be revolutionised, Hoglund believes: “They will still largely be predicated on the need to have standardised interfaces that ensure interoperability between connected devices. We are on the path to more of these, though, so the ability to develop pools is only going to grow.”

It’s not just verticals that are proliferating; the number of market participants and their geographical scope have also substantially increased. “If you look at the earliest pools – Sisvel’s MP3, the first MPEG LA ones – just small groups of companies were involved,” Hoglund recalls. “Now there are many orders of magnitude more entities participating in creating standards and they have a far wider spread. We have seen both technology development and consumption expand into new parts of the world.”

Put this all together and Hoglund can’t help but be optimistic. “Sisvel has a bright future. There are going to be more opportunities to build successful patent pools,” he states. “Investing in people and technology will drive that success. I am confident we will do it. That’s why I’m here.”

Joff Wild is Sisvel’s Chief Communication Officer

Quickfire

What are you finding most enjoyable about Barcelona?

The food is awesome! Though I am still getting used to the very late dinners.

What is your favourite cuisine?

Indian, but I have not tried it here yet.

Which sports teams do you follow?

The Minnesota Vikings and the San Francisco 49ers (American football); I’m looking forward to the Super Bowl! I also root for the Minnesota Twins and the San Francisco Giants in baseball but do not follow the sport. My middle son is a runner and my youngest plays soccer and rugby, so I enjoy those sports as well.

What are your favourite TV shows?

I’m currently watching season 16 of Jet Lag (available on YouTube and Nebula) and plan to watch season 8 of Drive to Survive (Netflix) when it comes out next month. I am also a fan of classic comedies like The Office. An all-time favourite is Jury Duty (Netflix), which made me laugh so hard I cried.

What piece of advice would you give 18-year-old Heath Hoglund?

I have no regrets. So, I’d say: “Look forward, not back!”