Thomas Edwards, AWS, Principal Solutions Architect

Thomas Edwards is a principal solutions architect at Amazon Web Services (AWS), specializing in media and entertainment. Before joining AWS, he spent 20 years working for broadcasters PBS, Fox, and Disney on satellite systems, digital TV, and advanced video projects.  He explores, proves out, evangelizes, and standardizes media technology.

Edwards holds an M.S. degree in electrical engineering from the University of Maryland. He is a board member of the Video Services Forum and the Streaming Video Alliance. Edwards is also a SMPTE Fello and was awarded the SMPTE Workflow Systems Medal for his work on live IP production technology.

Paul Briscoe, TAG Video Systems, Chief Architect

Chief architect at TAG Video Systems, Paul Briscoe’s career includes 14 years of building production systems at CBC and 20 years as R&D manager at Leitch Technology (Imagine today). Brisco’s unique abilities cross the intersection of product and R&D to help TAG develop the most forward-looking and effective solutions available.

Brent Brown, Pac-12 Networks, Remote Technology Manager

Brent Brown is the remote technology manager for Pac-12 Networks. In this role, he is responsible for all technical aspects of their 850 remote productions, while also acting as the on-site tech manager for the networks’ featured football and championship events. Prior to taking this role, Brown was the senior production manager for Pac-12 Networks. He made the jump to sports in 2013, previously working in news as an operations manager, director, TD, and camera operator.

Roger Charlesworth, DTV Audio Group, Executive Director

Roger Charlesworth is an independent consultant on media production technology. His primary focus concerns the integration of mainstream information technology and the challenges of change management in re-engineering traditional television production workflows. As an industry expert on multi-channel audio production for television, Charlesworth also serves as executive director of the DTV Audio Group. DTVAG is concerned with promoting best practices for production and distribution of audio for digital television and related media. It brings together network operational and engineering management and staff alongside key vendors and manufacturers to facilitate practical application of existing and emerging television audio standards for loudness management, personalization, accessibility, and advanced surround.

Ryan Cole, Activision Blizzard Esports, Senior Technical Manager, Global Broadcast

Ryan Cole oversees the production technology, transmission, and logistics for Activision Blizzard Esports. As senior technical manager, global broadcast at Blizzard Entertainment, Cole primarily focuses on the technological advancements of the Overwatch League, Call of Duty League, and BlizzCon. Prior to joining Blizzard, he spent most of his career with Major League Gaming (MLG) and Electronic Sports League (ESL) managing numerous large-scale esports productions worldwide. During his tenure at MLG and ESL, Cole was responsible for multiple production studio and event environments for major esports clients including Riot Games, Electronic Arts, Activision Blizzard, and Microsoft. In his current role, Cole is focused on scalable, cost-efficient cloud technology products that boost fan experience and engagement. Cole has been committed to driving esports innovation and breaking the boundaries of technology for over 15 years.

Brandon Costa, SVG, Director of Digital

Brandon Costa covers the sports video production industry with a focus on live streaming, over-the-top (OTT), social media, and other digital distribution technologies and platforms. He also directs SVG’s internal digital strategies launching the company’s video outfit, ‘SVG On Demand,’ designing and overseeing its mobile application, ‘SVG Mobile,’ and serving as executive producer and host of The SVG Podcast. Costa serves as program director of networking events serving the SVG College and SVG Digital communities. Prior to his time at SVG, Costa spent five years producing digital content for MLB Advanced Media.

Michael Cronk, Grass Valley, VP, Advanced Technology

Michael Cronk is vice president of advanced technology for Grass Valley. Cronk guides the critical development of Grass Valley’s next generation core technologies for both cloud and on-premise topologies including Grass Valley’s new Agile Media Processing Platform (AMPP). Cronks serves as chairman of the board for the Alliance for IP Media Solutions (AIMS) – an organization dedicated to the promotion of open standards and specifications for the media and entertainment industry.

Cronk previously served as senior vice president of strategic marketing between 2014 and 2016, driving Grass Valley’s product roadmap and strategy.

Cronk rejoined Grass Valley in February 2013 as senior vice president of marketing and product line management where he was instrumental in the turn-around of the company prior to its acquisition by Belden. He was also with the company between 1989 and 2008 and held a number of growing roles over that period including general manager of the server and news business, as well as vice president of marketing. During his previous tenure with the company, Cronk led the identification and implementation of Grass Valley’s expansion strategy into the adjacent markets of news and sports entertainment.

Cronk holds both bachelor’s and master’s degrees in electrical engineering from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.

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.

Robert Erickson, Grass Valley, Strategic Account Manager, Sports and Venues

A member of the Grass Valley team since 2008, Robert Erickson has more than 19 years of experience in the broadcast and IT markets with previous roles covering systems engineering, television station management, broadcast network design, and RF transmission systems. Throughout his career, his focus has been on designing and maintaining infrastructure and playout systems based on new and emerging technologies for both existing and greenfield broadcast facilities.

In his current role, Erickson is a participant in the Alliance for IP Media Solutions (AIMS) and advocates for proper implementation of current and emerging broadcast standards on live production equipment. He spends much of his time engaging with customers to educate them on emerging IP technologies and trains internal staff on how IP technology drives different system designs. Erickson also designs and manages IP POC (proof of concept) systems for customers worldwide, testing and implementing solutions based on a diverse product line that includes cameras, servers, routers, multiviewers, various processing nodes, and VM-based software solutions.

Erickson is an active participant and frequent presenter in many of the major industry associations, including the Society of Broadcast Engineers (SBE), Society of Television Engineers (STE), Society of Motion Pictures and Television Engineers (SMPTE), and Hollywood Post Alliance (HPA).

Kristian Hernandez, SVG, Associate Editor and Social Media Manager

Kristian Hernandez handles day-to-day construction of the SVG Insider newsletter, oversees all social media content distribution, and covers various sports technology topics for Sports Video Group. In addition, he is the program director for the annual SVG Venue Summit and the Teams Summit.

Before joining SVG, Hernandez served as co-founder of CHC-TV, the first student-run television studio at Chestnut Hill College in Philadelphia, PA. While at CHC, Hernandez produced a daily sports show named “On the Hill with Hernandez” — covering all men’s and women’s athletics for the college. Also, Hernandez spearheaded the college’s newspaper, “The Griffin”, as its sports editor. Hernandez graduated with a B.A. in communications. Born in Brooklyn, NY, he currently lives in Queens, NY.

Ken Kerschbaumer, SVG, Co-Executive Director, Editorial

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.

Chris Lapp, Cisco Systems, Technical Solutions Architect, Media and Entertainment

Chris Lapp is a technical solutions architect for media and entertainment at Cisco Systems, where he provides thought leadership and technical insight into the media vertical. Although a recent hire at Cisco, Lapp brings with him over 10 years of experience in the broadcast industry. He is an active SMPTE member currently serving as membership director for 2020 and is also involved in standards participation.

Prior to joining Cisco Systems, Lapp has worked on many IP deployments all over the world while working at Diversified and Evertz Microsystems.

Lapp graduated from South Alberta Institute of Technology in Canada from the Broadcast Systems Technology program.

Renaud Lavoie, Riedel, SVP, Technology

Renaud Lavoie is a technology enthusiast, an entrepreneur, and an inventor who contributed to the 38 patents of Embrionix (now part of Riedel Communications). An engineer by profession, he started his career in telecommunications, while teaching at Ecole de Technologie in Montreal. After having worked at Miranda for seven years, Lavoie founded Embrionix, which grew quickly and drastically (recognized by Deloitte, Fast50 in 2016).

Lavoie’s vision is to change the broadcast world by simplifying IP infrastructures and using miniaturized products to reduce the footprints of installations. He continues to pursue this vision now that Embrionix has joined forces with Riedel Communications. Lavoie’s previous role at Riedel was as managing director of Riedel Montreal, where he kept an eye on the technology for the MediorNet IP product line. Now, he serves as SVP of technology.

Deon LeCointe, Sony Imaging Products & Solutions – Americas, Director, Networked Solutions

Deon LeCointe is the director of networked solutions in the Imaging Products & Solutions – Americas division at Sony Corporation. He oversees Sony’s IP product portfolio along with Nevion’s real-time IP media networks and virtualization solutions to build a power-packed solution and services offering designed to help customers plan, implement, and manage their IP environments. LeCointe works with television networks and broadcasters to design and build equipment that delivers live content to millions of homes around the world. He leads a team of solution architects, engineers, and marketing professionals that oversee development, sales, and marketing of products designed for news, sports, and entertainment.

After graduating from the University of Miami with a B.S. in electrical engineering and an M.S. in electrical and computer engineering in 2007, LeCointe joined Sony and has taken on a number of roles involving post-production workflow technologies, A/V codecs and compression, IP video transmission, 4K production, and content management systems for broadcast and news.

LeCointe has overseen the deployment of IP systems at CNN Studios at Hudson Yards in New York and Telemundo Studios in Doral, Florida. He also led the deployment of slow-motion video capture and replay systems for Sunday/Monday/Thursday Night Football, the Super Bowl, the NBA Finals, and the World Series.

Matt Mello, EEG, Sales Associate

Matt Mello is the most recent addition to the sales force at EEG, but comes from a background of broadcast production and media management environments. In his experience at EEG, he’s found a great fit in working with clients across the entire spectrum of the media production field, from small local government organizations to entire broadcast groups.

Dan Miall, BirdDog, Co-Founder and CEO

Dan Miall has been CEO of BirdDog since co-founding in 2016 and has been passionate about designing transformational digital production workflows for broadcast video, AV, and postproduction throughout his career. Prior to BirdDog, Miall successfully co-founded a successful video products distribution business, Blonde Robot. This came after extensive experience globally at Avid designing, training, and delivering broadcast and post systems for some of the world’s largest media organizations. Always passionate about customer workflows, Miall continues to push product design within BirdDog.

Roberto Musso, NDI – A Division of Vizrt Group, Senior Product Manager

Roberto Musso is senior product manager for NDI, a division of Vizrt Group. Musso has an extensive background in technology having worked for various companies including Wang Laboratories, Sigeco, and NewTek in positions ranging from technical support to quality assurance in research and development. He designed and built an NDI/Dante audio-based Ob-van which is currently used in production in Italy for the Volleyball Premier League and European Champions League. As senior product manager, Musso oversees and drives the plans and execution for product strategy and new product launches.

Kevin Parks, Zixi, Senior Director, Field Engineering

Kevin Parks is a senior media technology executive with over 20 years of experience developing and deploying solutions for major media companies including Comcast, Disney, Viacom, and others. Parks leads the Zixi Field Engineering team as part of Zixi’s Customer Success organization that maintains best-in-class service for Zixi customers. Prior to joining Zixi, Parks lead sales engineering teams at Comcast Technology Solutions, at Disney Streaming Services, and at Vubiquity.

Todd Scrutchfield, NEP Group, VP of Product Management, Virtual Production

A twenty-year veteran of production and events, Todd Scrutchfield began as a scenic and lighting designer working in theater. Captivated by the creative potential of technology, his love of design quickly grew to include digital lighting, automation systems, and video technology. It is here where Scrutchfield really began to connect with the TV and film industry. Since then, he has remained at the cutting-edge of production technology helping to develop some of the largest events in the world. Scale is no issue. On two occasions, Scrutchfield’s team has set the Guinness World Record for largest projection mapping exhibit.

Over the past five years, Scrutchfield’s focus has migrated from production to virtual production where he has worked with the pioneers in the field to develop what is today, the common workflow for exhibits, events, and productions using mixed reality and augmented reality in virtual applications, as well as the use of large-scale LED volumes. Today, Scrutchfield works as a product developer creating the very tools and technology that are driving the industry of virtual production forward as a critical part of the much larger world of broadcast and live events.

Greg Shay, Telos Alliance, Chief Technical Officer

Greg Shay is the CTO of The Telos Alliance, focused on improving the state of the audio art for radio and television applications. He holds an M.S.E.E from Case Western Reserve University.

Since the early 90s, Shay has been researching and developing digital audio networking technology. Joining Telos Systems in 1997, he was an inventor of technology that became Livewire, the world’s first fully‐integrated IP‐Audio networking system for broadcast.

As one of the leaders of the AES subcommittee, Shay helped define the AES67 networked audio standard and works to promote networked‐audio interoperability to broadcast professionals around the world. For this, Shay was awarded a Technical Emmy for in 2019.

Rob Szabo-Rowe, The Switch, SVP, Engineering and Product Management

Rob Szabo-Rowe brings more than 25 years of senior executive management experience to The Switch across the technology, media, and telecommunications sector. In his role at The Switch, he takes the strategic lead in the creation and delivery of best in-class products and services across the company’s entire live production and transmission portfolio, driving growth and innovation – including MIMiC, the on-demand cloud-based production-as-a-service offering. He previously served as executive vice president and general manager of live production and infrastructure for Snell Advanced Media (SAM), responsible for the company’s live broadcast solutions and its migration to IP. Previously, Szabo-Rowe held roles as CTO for Cambridge Positioning Systems, and vice president of network design and technology for Aerial Communications (now part of T-Mobile).

Kent Terry, Dolby Laboratories, Office of the CTO, Senior Manager, Audio Technology

Kent Terry is a senior manager in the Office of the CTO at Dolby Laboratories. He has been with Dolby since 1992 working on technology and standards for broadcast audio. Terry was part of the Emmy-award winning teams that developed Dolby Digital and Dolby E, both key to the success of multichannel digital audio in the ATSC broadcast system. He has helped develop many audio standards and is active on SMPTE and AES standards committees, more recently focused on standards for audio in emerging IP infrastructures for broadcast.

Peter Walker, Calrec Audio, Senior Product Manager

Peter Walker, senior product manager for Calrec Audio, has been in the broadcast audio industry for more than 20 years. With a background in electronics, he gained extensive experience as a customer support engineer, working with operators and engineers globally. At Calrec, Walker uses his field experience to produce equipment, features, and functionality that improve efficiencies and solves problems for broadcasters, enabling them to do more with less effort.

Robert Welch, Arista Networks, Principal Engineer

Robert Welch is a principal engineer at Arista Networks, working with customers and partners on innovative solutions to business challenges. With over 30 years experience in IT, Welch takes into consideration the technical, organizational, and strategic aspects of each project. The media and entertainment industry is a passion as his family has been in the media and entertainment industry since the 1930s.

Peter Wharton, TAG Video Systems, Director, Corporate Strategy

As director of corporate strategy at TAG Video Systems, Peter Wharton’s experience includes 20 years of news and live event coverage and engineering at ABC and Fox Networks. He was also involved in the launch of a satellite based CDN at PanAmSat, has 16 years of product development experience at Miranda (Grass Valley) and BroadStream Solutions, and has developed cloud migration strategy for several broadcasters, networks, and technology vendors. Wharton’s broad experiences in live events, playout, technology development, and cloud enables TAG to develop new solutions for a constantly changing media landscape.