Jim Akimchuk, BitFire, CTO

Jim Akimchuk began his career over 20 years ago as a production truck engineer, and that mindset has guided his work developing specialized solutions for television professionals ever since. It was in the early stages of his career, while working in Public Access television where funds were scarce and ingenuity and resourcefulness were paramount, that Akimchuk developed his engineering style. He carries that same drive and creativity today as CTO of BitFire.

Akimchuk has diverse backgrounds, from broadcast engineering and software development, to law enforcement and dive rescue, and he has a passion for bringing his wide-ranging experience together in new and creative ways to address seemingly insurmountable challenges. Akimchuk thrives in any high-pressure environment, where he brings calm to the chaos by leveraging his experience to confidently solve problems. Always looking toward the future, it is his mission to maintain a startup-like agility and culture, supporting and improving BitFire’s ability to lead the industry forward into a world where professional transmission and production are more reliable, available, and scalable than ever before.

Tom Buffolano, The Switch, Head of Business Development, College Sports

Tom Buffolano is head of business development, college sports at The Switch. A seasoned expert in the sports broadcasting and entertainment industry, his experience spans business development and partnerships, sales and marketing, rights acquisition, programming and production, distribution, and monetization. Buffolano holds decades of experience growing businesses and driving new partnerships at leading media companies, including MTV Networks, CBS College Sports, LTN Global Communications, and LiveU. He co-founded and was chairman of the SVG College Sports Summit and College Sports Media Awards. Beyond his professional achievements, Buffolano serves as a member of the Board of Directors for the National Blood Clot Alliance.

Brad Cheney, Fox Sports, VP, Field Operations and Engineering

Brad Cheney manages technical and operational planning for baseball, boxing, and college sports along with transmission services and advanced-technology projects for Fox Sports.

Cheney is a leader in new technology approaches, including IP-based live and post-production centers, IP over RF, UHD, HDR, and UAS systems. His work includes innovative production approaches and executions for in-ground audio, robotic cameras, and home run productions.

Cheney is a six-time Emmy winner and previously worked for MLB Network, the Late Show with David Letterman, Game Creek Video, and Cox Sports.

Ghislain Collette, Haivision, VP, Product Management

Ghislain Collette has over 20 years of experience in video networking, working in broadcast, cable distribution, and streaming industries. Prior to Haivision, Collette served as a project engineer at Videotron, designing and coordinating the deployment of multi-million-dollar projects. He also worked at Miranda Technologies / Miranda Media Networks where he served as product manager for the transport and multimedia products. 

Collette holds a bachelor’s degree in electrical engineering from University of Sherbrooke (Canada).

Ben Grafchik, BitFire, VP, Business Development

Ben Grafchik is a dynamic professional with a keen ability to identify client needs and deliver effective solutions. A well-rounded leader with a strong technical foundation, he has developed comprehensive production and sales strategies, worked closely with broadcast leaders, executed cutting-edge projects, and implemented effective marketing plans. Inquisitive by nature, Grafchik has a penchant for identifying effective and unique technologies all with the desire to provide a packaged solution for his clients.

He holds an undergraduate degree from UNC-Chapel Hill where he was a member of the varsity swim team, and a graduate degree from Georgetown University. Prior to joining BitFire, Grafchik served as director of business development at Phoenix-based Sneaky Big, and as a business development manager at SportsMedia Technology (SMT). Before entering the world of broadcast television, he served on the coaching staffs for both the men’s and women’s varsity swim programs at Duke and Georgetown University.

A mediocre golfer who has recently become a father, Grafchik resides in Raleigh, NC where he is committed to developing BitFire’s position in the market, leading with confidence and curiosity.

Jérémy Guevel, Haivision, Sales Business Development

Jérémy Guevel has seven years of experience in the broadcast video transmission industry. He has assisted major international broadcasters and production companies in their strategies to implement bonded cellular transmission into their contribution workflows. Guevel has worked with major telecommunications providers, as well as private 5G providers in the implementation of ultra-low latency video workflows.

Guevel holds an engineering degree from the Brest National School of Engineering as well as a master’s degree in optronics from the Warsaw University of Technology. He currently serves as senior sales engineer for Haivision North America and is based in Montreal, Canada.

Tim Jackson, Globecast, SVP, Sales and Marketing, The Americas

Tim Jackson is the senior vice president of sales and marketing for the Americas at Globecast, a leading global provider of media management services to broadcasters, programmers, platform providers, and distributors. A 30-year industry veteran, Jackson has worked for a variety of companies in the television and media distribution industries including IDB Communications, Discovery Communications, PanAmSat, Intelsat, and Ateme. At these companies, he has worked in many areas ranging from television operations and engineering, to sales and marketing, and business unit management.

Jackson holds a B.A. in broadcast and cinematic arts from Central Michigan University and a Master of Business Administration from the University of Michigan.

Emeka Okoli, Zixi, VP, Customer Success and Solutions

Emeka Okoli is a passionate advocate of Zixi’s customers and products. As vice president of customer success and solutions, he leads customer care, pre-sales technical consulting, and solutions delivery.

Prior to Zixi, Okoli was the CTO and vice president of product and information systems at WARM2Kids, a charitable foundation. He developed a unique method of broadening technology outreach in inner cities and suburbs across the United States. Okoli’s model was recognized and achieved significant grants from Microsoft and others. He was also previously at Polycom as IS manager and a pre- and post-sales manager at MeetU. In the mid-90s, Okoli co-founded OHC, a technical support service provider, as well.

Okoli holds a bachelor of science degree in computer science (Magna Cum Laude) and technology and a master’s degree in management, information technology from Northeastern University.

Stephen Repass, Ross Production Services, Vice President

Paul Spinelli, Sinclair Broadcasting Group, Director, Distribution and Network Systems

Paul Spinelli is the director of distribution and network systems for Sinclair Broadcast Group (SBG). Previously, he had been the director of engineering, starting in 2014. Prior to this he served as the engineering manager of Sinclair Television Group’s corporate facilities. He has held various operations and engineering positions with SBG for the past 12 years. Before his time at Sinclair, he spent time working at WBOC, PSAV, and QVC.

Spinelli is active in many broadcast-related technical organizations such as the ATSC, Society of Broadcast Engineers (SBE), and the Avid Customer Association (ACA). He has been an SBE certified member and an Avid certified support representative for the past 10 years.

Spinelli has expanded SBG’s linear and file-based acquisition and distribution strategies and technologies. He attended Salisbury University on Maryland’s Eastern Shore where he earned a B.A. in communications, B.A. in theatre, and played football. He remains active in the Salisbury University Maroon & Gold Club to support fundraising efforts for student athletes.

Tim Stevens, Verizon Business Group, Global Leader, Strategic Innovation for Sports, Media & Entertainment

Tim Stevens is Verizon Business Group’s global leader of strategic innovation for sports, media, and entertainment. Leveraging a deep understanding of business operations, technology, industry trends, and competitive landscape, Stevens is responsible for marketing strategy, product positioning, market intelligence, and business development. Prior to joining Verizon, he held senior technology roles at Newsweek, Viacom/ MTV Networks, Showtime, and New Line Cinema.

Brad Wall, LTN, CTO

An industry pioneer with a proven track record spanning more than 25 years, Brad Wall has held roles at world-leading organizations including ABC and Disney. Awarded several patents for his innovative cloud media initiatives, Wall has implemented large-scale broadcast, OTT, and digital media projects that drive transformation.

Adam Whitlock, ESPN, Director, Remote Traffic Operations

Adam Whitlock oversees the daily operation of ESPN’s Remote Traffic department, which is responsible for the acquisition of all live event contribution transmissions for ESPN linear and digital networks, both domestic and international. Since joining ESPN in 2001, Whitlock has provided transmission planning and on-site support to a variety of remote event productions including the Super Bowl, World Cup, World Series, X Games, and NBA Finals, as well as Monday Night Football.

The three-time Emmy recipient also oversees all remote telecom services, managing a voice-over-IP system used to support more than 1,000 remote events annually. In 2014, Whitlock supported the SEC Network launch by designing and implementing a completely fiber-optic video and data network across more than 100 athletic venues within the conference to facilitate unlimited campus productions and ESPN Remote Operations events. In 2019, he launched another conference-wide fiber optic video and data network in support of the ACC Network.

Whitlock is currently focused on seasonal sports and live-from-home production workflows while overseeing more than 70,000 satellite, fiber optic, and IP based transmissions annually.