Seattle-based smart product builder Mason has hired Brian Hook as its chief technology officer.
Hook, who was announced Tuesday as CTO, and Mason CEO Nancy Xiao both worked at Oculus in the past. Xiao led product development for Oculus Home before joining Mason in 2019, while Hook was at Oculus and joined Facebook, now Meta, when the tech giant acquired Oculus in 2014. According to his LinkedIn page, Hook worked on Oculus again from 2017 to 2019.
“We’re thrilled to welcome Brian as a key partner in driving the seismic next phase of technical innovation and overall company growth at Mason,” Xiao said in a news release. “His strategic leadership, business acumen, and wealth of hardware and software expertise will be key to expanding our product roadmap and device portfolio, which we believe will help Mason aggressively scale to its next level of growth."
A spokesperson said Hook is Mason's first CTO. Hook spent close to eight years at Meta, where his most recent role was senior director of engineering for Facebook app commerce and marketplace, according to his LinkedIn page. He also was the head of software for Portal. He was a senior software engineer at Oculus when Facebook acquired the company.
Nancy Xiao was previously the president at Mason but switched roles with her brother, Jim Xiao, the founder and previous CEO, in August. Jim Xiao founded the company in 2016.
Mason's software and hardware helps clients create smart devices like donation kiosks, remote patient monitors and mobile point-of-sale products. Its clients include Alacrity Care and TempTRIP. The company raised a $25 million round in 2019 that was led by Coatue Management. In addition to its Seattle headquarters, Mason has a performance center in Tukwila.
“I look forward to the opportunity to contribute to Mason’s vision of enabling customers to build smart and sustainable products," Hook said in a news release. "This is a role I have been building my entire career towards.”
