Ken Aagaard, Past SVG Chairman

Ken Aagaard is a consultant following a long career in the industry at various networks and remote production service providers. He was also founding chairman of the Sports Video Group and is currently chairman of the SVG Sports Broadcasting Fund. 

Kevin Ancelin, VITEC, VP, Worldwide Broadcast Sales

Bill Bell, NBC Sports Washington, Executive Producer of Live Events

Bill Bell has served as NBC Sports Washington’s executive producer of live events since 2004, overseeing the network’s portfolio of live-event coverage, highlighted by Washington Capitals, Wizards, and Redskins games.

During his 33-year tenure with NBCSW, Bell has served in a variety of production roles and has spanned nearly every sport and event in the Washington/Baltimore region, as well as the OIympics. In 1997, he was named the network’s senior producer and director and was named to his current role in 2004. A multiple Emmy Award recipient, Bell was inducted into the NATAS National Capital Region Silver Circle in 2018.

A Philadelphia native, Bell is a graduate of Kutztown University in Pennsylvania.

Tab Butler, MLB Network, Senior Director, Media Management and Post Production

Tab Butler joined the MLB Network in June of 2008 as part of the Engineering and IT Department, chartered with the facility build-out and the January 1, 2009 MLB Network launch. Currently, Butler manages the Media Management team, software development, and post production engineering and operations for the MLB Network. He oversaw the migration of the NHL Network to the MLB Network broadcast facility in 2015, utilizing the MLB Network production core infrastructure, which utilizes the latest IT technologies.

Butler has a unique background in problem solving and convergence within the broadcast media space, with over 26 years of experience in network TV broadcast operations, and 11 years of sales and marketing management with IT and broadcast manufacturers. He specialized in sales to broadcast networks, station groups, government, and global 2000 clients. Butler spent 18 years at the NBC Network. He worked for NBC News, NBC Sports, and NBC Operations and Technical Services. Butler received two Emmy Awards while at NBC, and seven Emmy Awards and one Edison Award while at MLB Network. In June of 2012, the DIAMOND System, which is an in-house developed enterprise wide media asset management system, led by Butler, was nominated for a Sports Technology Emmy.

While in manufacturing, Butler has worked in various capacities for Tektronix (Grass Valley), EMC, VideoBank, SeaChange International, and IBRIX.

Mary Ellen Carlyle, Dome Productions, SVP and GM

Mary Ellen Carlyle began her career in 1985 with The Sports Network (TSN) and joined Dome Productions as an original employee back in 1989 in the role of manager of operations. As senior vice president and general manager at Dome, Carlyle currently leads one of North America’s largest production services companies with its integration of mobile production, host broadcast services, master control, crewing, and transmission services all under the corporate umbrella.

As evidence of Carlyle’s commitment to the future, she has been instrumental in leading the way in the roll-out of 4K production in North America. Under Carlyle’s guidance, Dome Productions became the very first production mobile vendor in North America to launch 4K with an NBA Toronto Raptors broadcast live to the home in Canada on January 20, 2016. Since that day, Dome has gone on to facilitate over 900 4K live sports and entertainment broadcasts, including 4K HDR.  Carlyle is also spearheading Dome’s involvement into the esports video gaming space, where Dome is definitely at the forefront of this fast growing sector.

Carlyle has accumulated a wealth of knowledge and experience over the past 34 years while overseeing Dome’s mobile and production facilities, engineering, technical management, live signal distribution, and personnel. Her dedication, passion, and expertise has been evident on a number of prestigious international events, such as the 2010 Vancouver Winter Olympics, 2008 IIHF World Hockey Championship (Quebec City and Halifax), and many IIHF World Junior Hockey Championships in North America.

Carlyle played a key role as project manager on several Government of Canada Host Broadcast events, including the most recent 2018 G7 Summit held in June in Charlevoix, Quebec, produced and broadcast in 4K HDR.

Carlyle was also Dome Productions’ project manager for the 2015 FIFA Women’s World Cup in Canada, where Dome played a significant role in support of mobile production, venue engineering, and domestic transmission. She also successfully negotiated an exclusive mobile production contract with Host Broadcaster for a supply of production mobile facilities and engineering services for the 2015 Pan Am and Parapan Games in Toronto.

Gordon Castle, Eurosport, SVP, Technology and Operations

Gordon Castle joined Eurosport as SVP of technology and operations in January, 2018. He is in charge of developing, defining, and implementing the long-term technology strategy of Eurosport, Discovery’s leading sports brand. Prior to joining Eurosport, Castle held senior positions at telecommunications company Ericsson, latterly as head of strategy development, portfolio, and capital & resource allocation. He has over 25 years of experience working in the media industry which has included roles such as director of entertainment media and communications at PricewaterhouseCoopers; SVP and head of CNN technology responsible for the News Group’s technology strategy, implementation, and training; as well as serving as an SVP – senior technology fellow at Turner Broadcasting.

An American by birth, Gordon is based in Paris, France.

Jason Dachman, SVG, Chief Editor

Jason Dachman oversees all aspects of SVG’s North American editorial operations, including the thrice-weekly SVG Insider newsletter and SVG’s annual print publications. A member of the SVG team since 2009, Dachman also serves as program director for SVG’s RSN Summit, Sports Content Management Forum, Sports Graphics Forum, and TranSPORT event. Prior to joining SVG, he spent three years covering local sports for The Patriot Ledger in Quincy, MA, and two years on the production staff of SiriusXM Satellite Radio’s The Ron & Fez Show. Dachman began his career in the Sports Information Department at Northeastern University in Boston, where he also earned a B.A. in media communications and cinema studies.

Mike Davies, Fox Sports, SVP, Technical and Field Operations

Mike Davies manages all day-to-day aspects of live broadcast operations and oversees the integration of new and emerging technologies for Fox Sports and Fox Sports 1. With over two decades of experience in sports television, Davies specializes in technical production and innovation for large sporting events. As the head of field and technical operations, he manages a highly talented team of individuals responsible for the thousands of live sports broadcasts yearly at Fox, including the technical execution of Super Bowls XLII, XLV, XLVIII, LI, and LIV. In addition to technical design and oversight, Davies also works within the Fox Sports Lab, a designed approach to exploring technical partnerships to enhance the viewing experience.

Previously, Davies oversaw Fox Sports broadcasts of the Daytona 500, the US Open, the MLB All Star Game and World Series, and the productions of various live VR events.

Before joining Fox Sports in 2006 as director of field operations, Davies was with HBO Sports for 10 years. He has won multiple Sports Emmy Awards for his work with both Fox Sports and HBO including technical team remotes for NASCAR, MLB, and NFL coverage, as well as long form sports programming. He currently serves as chairman for the Sports Video Group.

Aldo DiCuffa, NBA, SVP, Programming Management

As senior vice president of programming management in the Content department at the National Basketball Association, Aldo DiCuffa manages all aspects of non-game programming with the league’s national television partners ESPN/ABC, TNT, and NBA TV.  He also facilitates the development and execution of content in support of deals with new media partners and licensees, works to expand the NBA’s global reach while overseeing content staff based in regional offices around the world, and is responsible for managing the league’s game presentation and global ad operations functions.

Joining the NBA in 1991, DiCuffa started his career in production, where he produced network television specials for NBC and ESPN. Later in business operations, he played a key role in the launch of the NBA’s digital partnership with Turner Sports in 2008. Since moving into his current role, DiCuffa has spearheaded programming and licensing deals with multiple networks, including HBO, Disney XD, Cartoon Network, Univision, CBS Sports Network, BET, MTV, and Food Network. DiCuffa has also lent his content expertise to numerous successful launches, including a new distribution partnership with Rakuten (Japan), the NBA Sundays primetime game viewing initiative (EMEA), and the opening of the new NBA Experience at Disney Springs attraction. He is a four-time Sports Emmy Award-winner, earning recognition for his work on NBA promotional campaigns and for his work with NBC during the 1996 and 2000 Summer Olympics.

A graduate of Boston University with dual degrees in broadcasting and film and psychology, DiCuffa resides in Westwood, NJ.

Paul Duda, Fox Sports Freelancer, Lead Operator for Replay

Paul Duda is a replay supervisor for Fox NFL’s “A” show for the last 15 years. He has 35 years of sports television experience, covering all major sports for national and international clients. Some of the highlights include NFL Super Bowls, the MLB World Series, the NHL Stanley Cup, the Olympic and International Basketball Championship, U.S. Open Golf, and the Daytona 500. Duda has received multiple Emmy awards as part of team technical recognition.

Andreas Eriksson, Telstra, Head of Telstra Broadcast Services

Andreas Eriksson is head of Telstra Broadcast Services and leads Telstra’s engagement with the global media and entertainment industry. Prior to joining Telstra, Eriksson was the managing director of Piero, Ericsson’s Sports Graphics business, which was recently sold to Ross Video. At Ericsson, he also held positions including VP of strategy and portfolio management for Ericsson Broadcast and Media Services in Stockholm, and senior director of Ericsson Broadcast and Media Services in APAC, based out of Sydney. Eriksson also spent several years in the Ericsson Hosting Services business, where he led the sales management department and was the head of the TV & Video Services business.

Eriksson has a Master of Science in management and industrial engineering.

Thomas Fletcher, Fujifilm, Director of Marketing

Thomas Fletcher is currently the director of marketing at Fujifilm. He is an accomplished entrepreneur in the motion picture and broadcast sports industries having created Fletcher Chicago in 1987 and sold the business in 2014.

Fletcher is actively involved in the following organizations: Production Equipment Rental Group (PERG), American Society of Cinematographers (ASC), and Society of Operating Cameramen (SOC).

Fletcher is a graduate of the University of Illinois (Champaign) and also holds a Certificate in Business Administration from the University of Illinois (Chicago).

Johannes Franken, HBS, Head of Digital

Heading HBS’ digital operations, Johannes Franken has been overseeing the development of customisable white label sports apps. He has also been overseeing the launch of a 360° virtual reality experience for a major sports event, as well as a social media production plan that garnered content items regularly receiving millions of views. Before joining HBS in 2012, Franken worked for v3 consulting GmbH, specialising in management and IT-consulting, as head of production management for Plazamedia, and in the New Media Department of Infront Sports and Media in 2005.

Phil Garvin, Mobile TV Group, Founder and CEO

Phil Garvin is the founder and CEO of Mobile TV Group (MTVG), responsible for the production of over 4,000 live events a year and the main provider to regional sports networks. He is also the president of Colorado Studios which is an audio/video manufacturing facility specializing in building mobile units and supporting live video transport. Garvin has built his businesses around his experience as a creative producer and technologist. By combining both skills, he has been able to offer cost-effective production solutions that are unique in the industry.

A graduate of Yale University, Garvin started his career as a photographer, publishing multiple books and producing various documentaries before moving into television in the mid-70s. In 2001, he co–founded HDNet with Mark Cuban, the first all high-definition national television network. He was its general manager for twelve years. Garvin also serves on the board for various technology start ups.

MTVG has led live 4K HDR productions in the U.S. covering the PGA Tour, NBA, NHL, UFC, college football, entertainment, and corporate events for many of the top Fortune 500 companies.

Mo Goyal, Evertz, Senior Director, International Business Development, Live Media Production

Mo Goyal has been with Evertz since 2005, with roles that include product manager and product marketing. He is currently responsible for international business development for live media production which includes Evertz’ Software Defined Video Networking (SDVN) IP solutions and DreamCatcher production suite.

Prior to Evertz, Goyal’s previous work experience includes: developing software for small to mid-size IP data routers, creating an IPv6 forwarding engine for a 10GbE network processor for large core routers, and introducing Ethernet services on Nortel optical transport products. He graduated with a degree in computer engineering from McMaster University in Hamilton, Ontario, Canada and has been a member of the Professional Engineers of Ontario since 1996.

Dan Grainge, NEP Broadcast Services, President, U.S. Specialty Capture

Dan Grainge is the president of U.S. Specialty Capture. Prior to this position, Grainge was CEO and president of Fletcher Group, an NEP Broadcast Services Company offering specialty capture services. When Fletcher Group was acquired by NEP in October 2018, Grainge joined the NEP Broadcast Services senior management team.

Since joining Fletcher in 1990, Grainge has played a key role in keeping the Fletcher name and brand synonymous with leading-edge broadcast technology. With nearly 30 years of experience in the sports broadcast industry, Grainge and the Fletcher team have been awarded 14 Emmys for a multitude of firsts. These accomplishments range from the application of robotic camera systems to using the first high-speed camera in a live sports event ever.

Before joining Fletcher, Grainge worked as a freelance cameraman for numerous broadcasters, one of the most notable being CNN.

Hamish Greig, CTV OB, CEO

Hamish Greig’s career in broadcasting began in his native Edinburgh with BBC Scotland in 1973. In 1975, he went to his mother’s home town of Gibraltar and spent seven years with GBC, where he was part of the engineering team moving GBC from black and white to color.

Greig’s next stop was South Africa and joining SABC, where he covered all major sports and light entertainment productions. From 1983, he also covered golf on The Sunshine Tour. In 1987, Greig joined CTV and was promoted to CTV’s chief technical officer in 1996.

Greig is deeply involved in the smooth running of CTV’s golf and cricket contracts. Onsite, he has led the talented technical team to deliver complex and challenging productions such as The Open, the Summer and Winter Olympics, multi-venue host FIFA World Cups, and Ryder Cups.

In January 2018, Greig was promoted to CEO and is honoured to be chosen to lead CTV into an exciting future.

Linda Hannan, The Switch, Sales Director

Since joining The Switch in 2011, Linda Hannan has worked extensively with entertainment, esports, and gaming customers such as Blizzard Entertainment, Nintendo, Sony PlayStation, and many others to bring live matches and events from locations worldwide for encoding via The Switch, and streaming to multiple social media platforms, such as Twitch, YouTube, Facebook, and Twitter, along with direct peering to content delivery networks.

Hannan specializes in digital media and OTT offerings of The Switch, working with Apple, Facebook, LinkedIn, Microsoft, Yahoo, and other enterprise customers to provide worldwide fiber, satellite transmission, encoding, and streaming for live product launches, press events, and other major public facing and internal events.

Hannan’s extensive background in production, fiber transmission, and streaming enables her to customize content acquisition and delivery solutions over The Switch’s international network.

Ken Kerschbaumer, SVG, Executive Director, Editorial Services

Ken Kerschbaumer is co-executive director of editorial services for the Sports Video Group and SVG Europe. He was a co-founder of SVG along with Paul Gallo and Marty Porter in 2005 and has been writing about how sports networks and leagues use video and audio technology to deliver a quality TV experience since 1991. Kerschbaumer began his career in 1991 at Television Broadcast magazine before joining Cahners where he was founding editor of Digital Broadcasting magazine. In 2000, he joined Broadcasting & Cable magazine as senior editor of technology where he covered all aspects of broadcasting, cable, and internet content creation and distribution.

Robert Kis, TV Skyline, Managing Director

After studying German literature and history science, Robert Kis started his professional career as a freelance producer. In 2001 he joined Plazamedia and became the head of project management. Kis has been the managing director of TV Skyline since 2011.

Gerhard Lang, Vizrt, Chief Technical Officer

Gerhard Lang has worked in software development for the broadcast industry for almost twenty years. He started with Vizrt as the Head of R&D in Austria and in 2005 moved on to lead the advanced development of Vizrt. In 2019, Lang became the CTO for the Vizrt Group. Prior to his career in the broadcast industry, he worked in the fields of numerical methods in geomechanics and later in traffic simulations. Lang gathered experience in these areas over many years working in Australia, Canada, Korea, China, and finally Germany before returning to Austria to join Vizrt.

Deon LeCointe, Sony Electronics, Senior Manager, Sports and IP Solutions

Deon LeCointe is the senior manager for sports and IP solutions at Sony Electronics Professional Solutions of America. In his current role, LeCointe oversees all sales and marketing activities for sports video production which includes sports networks, mobile production trucks, sports venues, professional leagues, and collegiate conferences. In addition, he also manages Sony’s NMI IP for production technology and the PWS-4500 production and replay server.

LeCointe received both a bachelor’s degree in electrical engineering and a master’s degree in electrical and computer engineering from the University of Miami where his focus was on wireless communication and electro-optics.

LeCointe joined Sony in 2007 and has since worked in a number of roles related to post-production workflow technologies, A/V codecs and compression, IP video transmission, 4K production, product switchers, and content management systems for broadcast and news.

Per Lindgren, Net Insight, Co-Founder and CTO of Media Networks

Per Lindgren is CTO of media networks at Net Insight and is a founding member of the company. Over the the last few years, he spearheaded the development of Sye, the low latency OTT streaming platform that was recently acquired by Amazon. In addition, Lindgren is an inventor of more than fifteen patents.

Previously, he was an assistant professor at the Swedish Royal Institute of Technology and holds a Ph.D. in telecommunications from the Swedish Royal Institute of Technology (KTH) in Stockholm.

Bill Morris, CTV OB, COO

Bill Morris is the chief operating officer of CTV Outside Broadcasts, one of the largest providers of broadcast entertainment and sport facilities in Europe and the flagship of Euro Media Group in the UK. As COO, Morris has responsibility for the operational delivery of its output as well as overseeing the day-to-day activities of a large television outside broadcast facility with a truly international footprint.

As a technical producer, Morris has an extensive resume of large-scale international broadcast operations. His role running the artistic and cultural broadcast of The London 2012 Opening and Closing Ceremonies was founded upon 35 years of experience in international high-end programme acquisition and delivery. He was the Emmy Award winning technical supervisor of the 50th Super-Bowl in San Francisco, repeating this role in Atlanta in 2019. A veteran of many state occasions, he was the ITN ceremonial route technical producer for the wedding of HRH Prince Harry to Meghan Markle.

Starting as a runner straight from university, within two years Morris became the youngest technical manager in the outside broadcast industry. He joined Visions (Now NEP) in 1987 and was later appointed deputy managing director. In 2000, Morris was invited to join CTV Outside Broadcasts and set about building their entertainment and live events portfolio.

A long-standing voting member of BAFTA and a fellow of the Royal Institution, Morris contributes time and resources to charitable pursuits and to the challenge of encouraging young people to follow a career in the technical side of life within the industry that he loves.

Michelle Munson, Eluvio, Co-Founder and CEO

Michelle Munson is the co-founder and CEO of Eluvio, a software company based in Berkeley, CA pioneering new technologies for a content-centric internet. Eluvio’s Content Fabric is an open, high performance software network for management and distribution of large form content (video) in ways never before possible, realizing quality, efficiency, provability, personalization, and monetization. Munson previously founded Aspera in 2004 and led the company as CEO until May 2017, including through its acquisition by IBM in 2014. She created the Aspera FASP transport technology, an Emmy-award winning technology used in the digital media supply chain for high-speed, low-cost, secure digital content transport, replacing satellite and traditional tape-based delivery technologies.

Munson holds several patents and is a frequent speaker in the areas of content networking, machine learning, block chain, and cloud infrastructure. She is the recipient of the 2019 David Sarnoff Medal for technology innovation with a lasting impact in film and television, the 2016 Charles Swartz awardee (also won by Ray Dolby, the founder of Dolby Technologies), and is a SMPTE Fellow. In 2016, she was named the IABM Woman Entrepreneur of the Year and TV NewsCheck Woman of the Year, and in 2017, she was named one of the Most Influential Women in Business by the SF Business Times. She also serves on the Board of Avid Corporation.

Munson was the 2019 Kansas State University College of Arts and Sciences Commencement Speaker and the 2006 Alumnus of the Year for the College of Engineering. She holds dual B.Sc. degrees in electrical engineering and physics from Kansas State University, was a Goldwater Scholar for achievement in science and mathematics, and later she was a Fulbright Scholar at Cambridge University where she received a postgraduate diploma in computer science.

Steve Myers, iRacing, EVP and Executive Producer

Steve Myers is the executive vice-president and executive producer at iRacing.com, the world’s premier online racing service and original eSports racing game.

Myers currently oversees development and partnerships at iRacing. His career at iRacing dates back to Papyrus Racing Games, the predecessor of iRacing, where he was initially hired as a software tester in 2000. He quickly rose through the ranks and was promoted to producer on the companies cult classic NASCAR title, NASCAR Racing 2003, which is still regarded as one of the most iconic racing games of all time.

After Papyrus Racing Games was shuttered, Myers was the first employee hired by Dave Kaemmer (founder of Papyrus Racing Games) and John Henry (principal owner of the Boston Red Sox, Liverpool Football Club, and Roush Fenway Racing) when iRacing was formed in 2004. He was intimately involved in developing the overall vision for iRacing and building the company that would turn that vision into reality.

Myers currently manages the development team which includes software engineers,  vehicle dynamics engineers, and content producers. His team is tasked with producing the most realistic racing simulation on the market. New business and partnerships also falls under Myers responsibilities where he has developed and fostered relationships with the largest and most recognizable racing and automotive brands from around the world including NASCAR, IMSA, World of Outlaws, USAC, IndyCar, Ford, GM, Toyota, Porsche, Ferrari, and BMW.

iRacing’s NASCAR partnership is one of the longest and most successful relationships Myers has been involved in. Originating in 2009, the NASCAR presence has consistently grown on iRacing and now features the top level esports series, the eNASCAR Coca-Cola iRacing Series, which is the only officially sanctioned NASCAR esports series and has a $300,000 prize pool.

The subscription-based iRacing service was launched to the public in 2008 and has grown to over 400,000 accounts with members from over 140 countries. The company has seen double-digit growth for the past three years and continues to innovate and roll out new content and push the envelope on what is possible in the online racing world.

Grant Nodine, NHL, SVP, Technology

Grant Nodine started his career working as a systems librarian at Editel. He moved on to working as a web developer on sites like Rodale Press’s MensHealth.com. He later co-founded a web development firm called Mercury Seven where he worked as the firm’s chief technologist. Nineteen-plus years ago, Nodine arrived at the NHL where he has been involved in building a technology infrastructure that supports NHL.com and all 30 of the team’s websites, numerous systems to produce and deliver streaming media, and many other large technology implementations.

Brandon Potter, Fox Sports, Director, Post Production

Brandon Potter signed on as director of post production at Fox Sports in October 2016, where he is jointly responsible for managing the day-to-day resources of the post production operations with a focus on developing efficient and innovative workflows with production, graphics, and technical operations teams. His group oversees content workflows from inception to archive, working between remote and studio productions, and providing a large role in production support including features, ENG crews, feed management, file transfers, production integrations, and broadcast management. Potter led many of the media workflows for the 2019 FIFA Women’s World Cup in France, as well as the 2018 FIFA World Cup in Russia.

Alessandro Reitano, Sky Deutschland, VP, Sports Production

Alessandro Reitano joined Sky Deutschland in 2008 and took overall responsibility for sports production in 2015. He was one of the main driving forces behind the development of new technologies and innovations in the field of sports production.

The first Sky 3D sports production started in 2010, followed by the first UHD test recording in 2012.

In 2015, Reitano brought the innovative Free-D technology to Germany, which was used in the DFB Cup Final and the UEFA Champions League Final.

He was also responsible for the first VR live test, which was successfully implemented at the DFB Cup final in 2016.

From the idea to its completion in July 2017, Reitano led the construction of the new Sky Sport HQ broadcasting center in Unterföhring near Munich, which set new standards in studio technology and efficient/effective production processes.

In addition to his role as VP of sports production at Sky Deutschland, Reitano has also acted as chairman of the Sports Video Group Europe (SVG Europe) since May 2019.

Dave Shaw, NFL Media, VP, Production

Dave Shaw plans and executes the logistics and budget for NFL Media, including NFL Network and digital platforms. He oversees all production operations, engineering, master control operations, and commercial traffic operations for NFL Network, NFL NOW! OTT channel, and NFL.com, including operational, engineering and production strategies, budgeting, technical facilities, staffing, transmission, space planning, production management, and full operations. Shaw coordinates broadcast operations with programming, production, engineering, and operations by bridging communication, operations standards, and policies with NFL Films, NFL Master Control, NFL Network Studios, and NFL Corporate.

Roger Singh, Nutanix, Director of Business Development for Media and Entertainment

Roger Singh is the director of business development for media and entertainment at Nutanix. Singh has over 15 years of experience architecting workflows and infrastructure solutions across post-production, distribution, news, sports, and entertainment environments for media companies like NBCUniversal and A&E Networks.

Singh has spent the last several years helping film and broadcast clients transform their businesses through modernization of workflows, infrastructure, and cloud.

Pat Sullivan, Game Creek Video, President and Founder

Pat Sullivan is president and owner of Game Creek Video, the largest independently owned mobile production company in the United States. Game Creek provides remote production trailers to clients including ESPN, the YES Network, MASN, NESN, CBS, ABC, NBC, HBO, and Fox Sports.

Sullivan is part of a team that manages strategic planning and corporate sales for Game Creek Video. In the 25 years since Game Creek was founded, the company has grown from two mobile units to 56 production and support units. Game Creek has the largest fleet of 1080p and 4K capable trucks in the United States. In addition, the company launched the first IP-based remote production facility in the world in 2014 and has now helped facilitate over 100 live 4K productions for various clients.

Sullivan was inducted into the Sports Broadcasting Hall of Fame in 2015 and was selected as the New Hampshire High Tech Council’s Entrepreneur of the Year in 2016.

James Stellpflug, EVS, SVP, Markets

James Stellpflug has three decades of industry experience in facility design, engineering integration, and production operations of live event TV production. With a Bachelor of Science degree in broadcast technology management (engineering emphasis) from the University of Wisconsin Platteville, Stellpflug has been involved in transformations of the media industry regarding SD to HD and beyond, file-based workflows, and new multimedia delivery methodologies. Since 2000, Stellpflug has spent time helping EVS grow market share and solutions enabling live production to transform in multiple market verticals including live sports.

Larry Thorpe, Canon U.S.A., Senior Fellow, Imaging Technologies and Communications Group, Professional Engineering and Solutions Division

Larry Thorpe joined Canon U.S.A. in February 2004. In January 2015, he was awarded the 2014 Engineering Emmy Charles F. Jenkins Award for lifetime achievement by the Academy of Television Arts and Sciences. In October 2015, Thorpe was a recipient of Honorary Membership in the Society of Motion Picture and Television Engineers (SMPTE).

Prior to joining Canon in 2004, Thorpe worked for Sony Broadcast Company. From 1984 to 2003, he was responsible for HDTV market development and from 2001 to 2004, he was senior vice president of content creation systems. Thorpe received the NAB 2000 Television Engineering Achievement Award and the Montreux 2000 Gold Medal Award for Digital Cinematography.

Thorpe also worked for RCA’s Broadcast Division from 1966 to 1982, where he developed a range of color television cameras and telecine products. In 1981, he won the David Sarnoff Award for his innovations in automatic studio color cameras. He holds ten patents based upon his work at RCA. From 1961 to 1966, Thorpe worked in the Designs Department of the BBC in London, England.

Thorpe is an IEE Graduate (1961) of the College of Technology in Dublin, Ireland and received his Chartered Engineer (C. Eng.) and MIEE distinction in 1965.

Ronny van Geel, Grass Valley, Director of Product Management

Ronny van Geel is the director of product management, as well as a member of the Management Team, at Grass Valley Cameras in Breda, The Netherlands. He heads a very enthusiastic team of product managers, being responsible for the strategic product roadmap definition and realization.

van Geel enjoys changing the rules of the game, opening doors that everybody tells him to keep shut and looking at ideas/solutions from a non-traditional angle.

In 1999, van Geel started his broadcast career at the R&D department of Philips DVS. His first project was developing the AnyLight algorithm, together with the Emmy Awarded teams at the Philips Research Laboratories. The next step was developing the PCB and FPGA implementation of the AnyLight algorithm. After that, he worked on imager pulse patterns, processor boards, and the camera architecture. This gave him a solid basis for judging picture performance as well as camera technology.

In 2005, van Geel became product manager of the LDK 8000 Elite series, being the link between the customer’s (latent) wishes and R&D.

In 2010, he became director of product management, being responsible for the broadcast camera portfolio, as well as the strategic roadmap. Together with his team, van Geel defined the strategy, of which the results are now known as the LDX Series. van Geel is proud of the fact that it’s not only based on technical parameters to distinguish itself from the competition. In the definition and business model, there are more non-technical aspects than meets the eye and it all starts with a clear definition of a dot on the horizon to focus on.

Matt Volk, NBC Sports Washington, VP of Content Strategy

As vice president of content strategy, Matt Volk oversees NBC Sports Washington’s video/audio production, programming planning, and digital and social media content and platforms.

Volk joined NBCSW in October 2018 from ESPN, where he spent 15 years in strategic content, acquisition, and planning roles. He most recently served as ESPN’s director of programming and acquisitions, overseeing content strategy across linear, digital, audio, print, and social platforms. Prior to ESPN, Volk spent three seasons as a coaching and football operations assistant for the New England Patriots.

A native of Wayland, MA, Volk graduated from Bowdoin College in Maine.

Chris Wagner, OTT Advisors, Principle

Chris Wagner is a technology expert who partners with investors, executives, and entrepreneurs to grow their professional brands, revenues, and customers. After spending more than a decade in the video internet streaming industry, Wagner has developed an uncanny ability to start-up new technology businesses and enhance existing enterprises through digitally enabled services. He co-founded internet start-up NeuLion and helped grow the business to $100 million dollars, which sold to Endeavor for $250 million in cash.

Wagner’s ability to creatively apply technology to business opportunities has given him a front row seat with management teams, boards, and the internet industry. His passion for technology and how to apply it to enable business success has created a network of followers interested in his views and how he might add value to their teams.

Shane Warden, ATP Media, CTO

As chief technology officer, Shane Warden is responsible for keeping ATP Media at the leading edge of media technology and excellence, pushing the boundaries of production, distribution, content management, and sports data to enhance quality, service, and value for the global broadcast partners and the ATP Tour.

Warden has over 28 years of experience in technical and operational management covering all aspects of sports media and broadcasting from outside broadcasts, studios, post-production, transmission, and distribution, as well as media asset management (MAM / DAM), sports data, and digital OTT. He has held senior management positions within private and FTSE listed organizations and his reputation in technology and sports media has lead him to become an advisor to many technology and software manufacturers across trending industry challenges. Warden currently sits on the SVG Europe Advisory Board, as well as the SVG Americas Asset Management Advisory Board.

In his role as CTO for ATP Media, Warden leads the Business Services vertical, holding overall responsibility for technical strategy and innovation, international distribution, and connectivity. He is also responsible for all aspects of workflow, content management, and the collaborative digital workplace.

Mike Werteen, NEP Broadcast Services, President

Mike Werteen is president of NEP Broadcast Services, responsible for the company’s broadcast services business globally. Werteen joined the company in 2008 as VP of sales of U.S. Mobile Units operations when NEP acquired NCP. He was promoted to co-president of the company’s U.S. Mobile Units Division in 2014. Promoted to his current role in 2017, Werteen oversees teams in the U.S., UK, Australia, Europe, Middle East, and Asia Pacific region. He supports and advocates for each division and is a key resource for NEP clients worldwide.

Prior to joining NEP, Werteen served as general manager of NCP after a long career in television. A 33-year industry veteran, he started in 1984 with an internship at WFMZ, a local station in Allentown, Pennsylvania. After graduating with a Bachelor of Science in telecommunications from Kutztown University, Werteen was immediately hired full-time by WFMZ. He quickly worked his way up from production assistant to director for the station’s newscast within six months and went on to assume increasing responsibility. His rich experience and understanding of the broadcast industry has been an asset to NEP as it continues to grow and lead the way in technology and innovation.

Werteen served as part of the Board of Directors for the Alliance Group for six years and is part of the Sports Broadcasting Hall of Fame Selection Committee for the Sports Video Group.

Rob Willox, Sony, Director, Marketing, Imaging Products & Solutions

In his current role as marketing manager of Sony Electronic’s Media Solutions business, Rob Willox is responsible for marketing and development of broadcast, sports, and production systems and solutions. Willox has been deeply involved in Sony’s studio and ENG efforts for over 20 years, working closely with customers and industry partners to advance imaging technologies.