Globecast Ups Sylvain Merle to Chief Operating Officer

Globecast has promoted Sylvain Merle to Chief Operating Officer, effective immediately. He will replace Philippe Fort, who previously held that role for 16 years before announcing his retirement earlier this year. Merle joined Globecast in January 2017 as CTO, ensuring that the company’s technical and economic approach with clients is aligned with the latest industry developments. He will continue to carry out that role.

In his new post, Merle is responsible for driving operations globally across distribution, contribution and media management to ensure the highest level of service for Globecast customers. He will also ensure the company is correctly structured to provide end-to-end services for customers, continuing to develop Globecast’s technical infrastructure and operations to precisely align with customers’ requirements.

“With Sylvain’s extensive experience in broadcast architecture, nonlinear distribution, IPTV and IT — and as Globecast moves further into the world of IP, technology virtualization and cloud-based media management services for media preparation and localization, cloud playout, and VOD logistics — we feel he’s the best choice to continue to push us through our next development phase,” says Philippe Bernard, CEO at Globecast. “The technical underpinnings of our industry are changing and this promotion will ensure our customers reap the full benefits. Philippe Fort brought a wealth of knowledge and technical know-how to our organization during his tenure and we’d like to sincerely thank him for that.”

Merle added, “It’s an honor to assume Philippe Fort’s important role at Globecast, especially at a time of such exciting change as broadcasters and others harness the power of IP to deliver linear and non-linear video content to consumers. I’m grateful to Philippe for working so closely with me these past few months to make sure we can continue to deliver the high caliber of service that our clients expect.”

Before joining Globecast, Merle was with the beIN MEDIA GROUP, where he worked as the company’s Technical Director for several years. Prior to that, he held several high-level technical positions at major organizations including FOX International Channels, TV5Monde, and Thomson Broadcast Systems.