Wednesday, April 29th, 2015

Track II: Salon II, Live Webcast from this Room

3:50 PM - 5:00 PM

Video Everywhere - Technologies & Platforms - Enabling the Next Generation of Over-the-Top TV

Robert Forsyth, Chief Innovation Officer, Worldnow

Dan Sweeney, Western Division Vice President, The Allant Group

Xavier Kochhar, President and CEO, The Video Genome Project TM

Josette Bonte, Chief Strategy Officer, CTM: Institute for Communication Technology Management, Marshall School of Business, University of Southern California

Steve Ehrlich, Business Development, Hewlett Packard

Perry Weinstein, Business Director, Accedo

Jonathan Hurd, Director, Altman Vilandrie & Company, Moderator

television and has worked all aspects from studio technician to technology lead, including the construction of three television facilities. His design and development of Worldnow’s video systems is second to none and he is a driving force behind Worldnow’s success as a technology provider. Most recently for Worldnow, Robert designed and developed the patent-pending Studio Gateway platform to simplify workflow complexities involved in publishing to the linear and digital world. Studio Gateway is the only media logistics engine that unifies the content supply chain between linear studio systems and digital content management systems to seamlessly publish and distribute content to all screens at once from on-air to desktop, mobile, and Connected TV. It does this bi-directionally, instantly and simultaneously. Studio Gateway’s media logistics engine is CMS agnostic; therefore, it can be licensed separately or fully integrated into Worldnow’s modular end-to-end platform. Studio Gateway’s unique approach to bridging the linear and digital worlds results in a much more seamless, tighter, and cost-effective solution. Studio Gateway includes a Remote Field Publishing mobile app, which can publish content from mobile devices directly to web properties as well as route content directly to linear broadcast editing systems. Studio Gateway has been recognized for its superior technology and product innovation, winning the 2015 BIG Innovation Award presented by the Business Intelligence Group, as well as the 2014 News Technology Award presented by Broadcasting & Cable.  Prior to Worldnow, Robert spent 17 years with Allbritton Communications in several roles, including Director of Operations and Engineering and Digital Media Lead, where he built the front and back ends for all of Allbritton’s Internet properties. Robert has won over two dozen awards for his work in advertising, including numerous Addy and regional Emmy awards.

Dan Sweeney, Western Division Vice President, the Allant Group, an advertising and marketing data integration analytics company focused in media and other verticals.  Dan is responsible for business development reaching into the Cable MSO, studio, network, OTT, consumer electronics, and broadcast industries.  Allant customers include Comcast, NBCU, Charter, and Suddenlink among others.  Previously Dan was Vice President, Sales and Marketing, Solekai Systems, working for customers including Ultraviolet, Time Warner, DirecTV and TiVo.  Dan was also sales and marketing chief at meta data and entitlement software company Cauldron Solutions (now Grab Media), and ITV multiplayer gaming company Buzztime.   A telecommunications veteran, Dan also held senior level positions at Gemstar-TV Guide International (now Rovi), Cooke Cablevision and Showtime Networks, Inc.  Dan is currently the Co-Chair, Digital Media Group for CommNexus in San Diego. During his career in the digital video industry he has held several committee and chair positions within CTAM, NATPE and the ITA.

Josette Bonte, the Chief Strategy Officer, USC CTM: where she is in charge of industry relations and overseeing the Institute's research programs. Bonte, an industry veteran and expert in digital media and filmed entertainment, spent the first 11 years of her career as a film and television industry executive in Hollywood, and the past 17 years in the fields of telecom, interactive television, broadband content, and online games. Bonte joins the CTM from Cisco where she served as Executive Digital Media Strategist for the Internet Business Solutions Group's Global Media & Entertainment Practice. Prior to Cisco, Bonte was the Vice President of Digital Media at Cookie Jar Entertainment-producers of acclaimed children's TV series, including Arthur, Caillou, Zaboomafoo, The Doodlebops and Johnny Test. She also served as Vice President of Content and IPTV for Ovum, working on IPTV content deployment strategies with service provider clients including AT&T, Verizon, France Telecom, and BT. A telco TV pioneer, in 1994 Bonte joined then US West (now CenturyLink) as Head of Strategic Marketing, Entertainment, and Interactive services, where she participated in the company's early interactive media and video-on-demand trials, soon becoming the company's liaison to the Hollywood entertainment industry for content strategy. In the late 1980s, Josette served as Executive Director of Unifrance Film, where she represented the French motion picture and television industries in Hollywood. She subsequently founded EuroScreen Partners, a film production and distribution company where she served as CEO. Bonte has an M.F.A from the UCLA School of Film and Television, and a Ph.D. in telecommunications and new media from the Sorbonne. She is the author of the best-seller book La Television a la Carte aux Etat-Unis.

Xavier Kochhar is the CEO of Structured Data Intelligence (SDI), a company whose mission is deeply rooted in the belief that the world's data should be accessible for all to use. The company is behind the Video Genome Project (VGP), which has successfully mapped (catalogued, categorized, analyzed) the hundreds and hundreds of elements (metadata) within 7.5 million+ records of professionally produced video content-film, television shows, and series, and online video. The VGP is the largest, broadest and most granular structured database of video content in the industry. The VGP and the underlying SDI structuring technology have had massive implications not only for video content curation tools (such as search, recommendation, and personalization), but also for developers, publishers, content providers, marketers, and users all over the world who utilize any form of video content. Additionally, SDI's Insights division provides analytical lens tools which it layers on top of its structured databases so that its customers can glean actionable insights relating to video content that are used to drive business decisions. Prior to SDI, Mr. Kochhar was Managing Partner of MediaLink, a strategic advisory firm operating at the intersection of the media, advertising, and technology communities. In this role, he managed and executed upon the strategic planning and business science advisory services for the company and guided clients across of number of practice areas including digital strategy, strategic partnerships, marketing communications, media reviews, organizational management and restructuring, and revenue development. As one of the early executives and part of the original leadership team at MediaLink, Mr. Kochhar helped to build the firm into the media and advertising industry's preeminent strategy and implementation firm. His clients included many top Fortune 100 advertisers, digital media and entertainment companies and publishers, as well as dozens of the fastest growing VC-backed start-ups in both Silicon Valley and Silicon Beach, including many of today's top online video studios and distribution platforms. Mr. Kochhar also worked closely with premium venture capital and private equity firms as they sourced and analyzed deals in the media, ad-tech, and content sectors. Mr. Kochhar joined MediaLink from The Walt Disney Company, where he served as one of three corporate executives within Disney©'s Corporate Alliances group dedicated solely to the procuring and developing of new, mutually value-creating strategic relationships between outside corporations and the myriad assets across all the divisions of The Walt Disney Company. By sitting in Corporate atop Disney, his role had an ability to and necessitated the pulling of resources from the respective divisions within the company Studios, Theme Parks, Consumer Products, and Media Networks (ABC, ESPN, and the various Disney cable assets) in order to work with third-party B-to-B and consumer brand companies in various aspects of strategic and/or tactical relationships. These relationships included marketing, media buys, sponsorships, promotional activity, purchasing, corporate development, joint or integrated content opportunities, or co-branded JVs. Before Disney, Mr. Kochhar was a corporate packaging agent at the William Morris Agency in Beverly Hills, the largest and most prestigious talent agency representing the entertainment industry's top creatives and content producers; and a partner for an entertainment marketing company, which extends the brands of top consumer and retail companies into the world of media by identifying and/or generating integrated marketing opportunities based on or around top entertainment properties and franchises. Mr. Kochhar was also a strategy consultant in the Media and Entertainment group for London-based L.E.K. Consulting. He began his professional career in corporate finance, after graduating from U.C. Berkeley's Haas School of Business, working as investment banker for Tucker Anthony Sutro, where his focus was mergers, acquisitions, and private placements of emerging growth and middle market companies.

Perry Weinstein, Business Director, Accedo; Throughout his career, Perry has served in various business and product roles to provide solutions that enable digital media strategy for some of the world's largest entertainment companies. As Business Director for Accedo, a company widely regarded as the market leading developer of advanced multi-screen OTT services, Perry is helping Content Providers, Broadcasters and Operators deliver next-generation user experiences on every screen. Previous to Accedo, Perry led the launch of multiple business units for two major entertainment technology vendors. As VP of Business Development for Thomson Technicolor, Perry helped the company launch an Anti-Piracy business unit. In this role, Perry worked with the MPAA and all the major studios to win approval of content protection and tracking technologies that are in wide use today. Civolution would eventually acquire the business unit from Thomson Technicolor. Prior to that, Perry led the launch of Harris Corporation’s Digital Asset Management practice (HRS:NYSE). As both the Product and Business lead, Perry helped Broadcasters and Operators move from analog to digital workflows, then assisted them in extending those same workflow efficiencies into their global enterprises. Both of the business units Perry helped launch would eventually claim market-leading positions in their respective domains. After successfully launching two business units, Perry swung for the fences by working for and launching several start-ups of his own. He founded Melinky, a "social consumption" music service that leveraged the cloud, viral processes and gamification before these concepts were part of the common vernacular. He also served as GM for Dreamer, a Korean tech start-up with a best-of-breed OTT platform that was eventually absorbed by SKT. More recently, he co-founded MOX, a 24/7 lean-back, online music television network. While at Mox, Perry signed content acquisition and production deals with more than 100 artists and produced over 150 premium videos (live performances, festival coverage and music videos) in the field, and from Mox’s own television studios in both Los Angeles and New York. In addition to his work at Accedo, Perry currently serves as an Advisor to multiple companies in various phases of development.

Steve Ehrlich, Business Development, Hewlett Packard: Previously, Mr Ehrlich was the President & CEO of SEE Media focusing on Corporate Strategy and Business Development. Previous to starting SEE Media, Mr. Ehrlich oversaw strategic direction & sales for Verizon Digital Media Services which provided a utility for the media industry. He supported the creation of new business models with cross platform delivery leveraging the network and dynamic advertising technologies with data base analytics. Ehrlich was at IBM for over 20 years where he was leading sales in the Global Media and Entertainment practice. In that position his responsibilities included global oversight of media-related consulting projects including due diligence efforts for mergers and acquisitions, development of business strategies for new technology ventures such as video on demand and broadband with the creation of comprehensive anti-piracy strategies for motion picture studios and trade associations. He also devised plans for companies to offer on demand electronic sell-through for movies, cable television networks, television programming and music. Ehrlich held leading positions at interactive and Internet businesses within IBM where he managed all aspects of new media business, including content, sales, business and technology development, and distribution. While at IBM, Ehrlich successfully launched web businesses of the most visible global brands in sports which included PGA, PGA Tour, NHL, NBA ,USTA and NFL. Ehrlich has worked in both strategic planning and was responsible for the operations, business plans, creative direction and distribution of IBM Sports Division. He rejoined IBM in 1994 as manager, Strategic Planning where he spearheaded strategy and business development for all of IBM's Hosted Services for the media industry interactive/Internet and television businesses worldwide. He created Digital Media on Demand that provided the Digital Presence for Sesame Street and the Museum of Broadcasting. Ehrlich received his master from U.C.L.A. and holds a B.S.M.E. from University of Miami, Florida.

Jonathan Hurd, Director, Altman Vilandrie & Company: Jonathan Hurd joined Altman Vilandrie & Company in 2006. He has more than 20 years of consulting and industry experience in communications, media and related technology sectors. Jonathan's primary areas of expertise include business and marketing strategy, new business creation and launch, integrated consumer and business services, and customer and sales channel segmentation and targeting. Jonathan's experience in the IPTV realm includes customer targeting, partner evaluation, demand modeling, and business case development. With unique insight into competitive trends and consumer perceptions about content and communications services, Jonathan works with clients to develop differentiated video strategies. Jonathan's extensive marketing background enables him to recommend product and marketing strategies that resonate with target audiences as IP-delivered video moves towards broad adoption. Prior to joining Altman Vilandrie & Company, Jonathan was a Vice President with ADVENTIS. Before that, he was a Partner in the Communication, Information and Entertainment practice of Mercer Management Consulting. Jonathan has also served as Vice President of Marketing for a computer peripherals manufacturer, and has held marketing and strategic planning positions at Lotus Development Corporation. In addition, he has served as a software development product manager in industries including financial services, computer peripherals, video game development and management consulting. Jonathan earned a B.S. in Computer Science and Engineering from M.I.T., and an M.B.A. from Harvard Business School.