With CEO gone, MakeMusic seeks successor

Recently the Eden Prairie software firm's first-quarter loss widened. CFO will be interim CEO for Karen van Lith.

June 15, 2012 at 3:00AM
FILE -- Karen van Lith is shown at the MakeMusic headquarters in Eden Prairie in September 2011. She is out as CEO after a year on the job.
FILE -- Karen van Lith is shown at the MakeMusic headquarters in Eden Prairie in September 2011. She is out as CEO after a year on the job. (Jenni Pinkley — DML -/The Minnesota Star Tribune)

After a year on the job, MakeMusic President, CEO and director Karen van Lith is out, the Eden Prairie software firm announced Thursday.

Without further explanation, board Chairman Robert Morrison said in a statement, "On behalf of MakeMusic, I would like to wish Ms. van Lith the best in her future endeavors."

The company said Chief Financial Officer Karen VanDerBosch will act as interim CEO as the board searches for a replacement for Van Lith.

Morrison said that during Van Lith's tenure, "MakeMusic made progress towards fulfilling its strategic direction, enhancing the company's technology architecture, and extending its core product value into new product innovations and platforms."

However, in a May 1 earnings statement, the company reported a first-quarter loss of $840,000 compared with a net loss of $180,000 a year earlier. Net revenue was $4.2 million compared with $4 million a year earlier.

In 2011, the company reported net income of $4,000 compared to $1 million a year earlier.

MakeMusic creates and markets software to assist in the composition, teaching and performance of music.

As of last year, MakeMusic had been through four CEOs in five years.

David Phelps • 612-673-7269

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