In July 2021 I took over the role of Chair of the UK Section of the Society of Motion Picture and Television Engineers (SMPTE) alongside my role at BT. I and my team of managers are reinvigorating the UK Section as a community of future-thinking media industry professionals, and encouraging those early in their careers including students, apprentices and graduates to learn and network through SMPTE.

My current position in BT is Head of Futures and Innovation, responsible for leading strategic technical direction in BT's Media & Broadcast business unit. I hold CxO-level relationships with BT’s most significant media customers and suppliers, and lead BT’s engagement with industry forums including SMPTE and the DPP.Over the past twenty years in Media & Broadcast I have developed from being a systems engineer working on medium-size bids to my current role where I lead BT’s technical engagement on the very biggest and most complex deals in the media industry. I have a history of providing innovative and disruptive thinking, enabling BT to win big contracts such as the ITV and BBC media networks. I have worked across a broad range of deals, and this breadth of experience means I have developed a deep knowledge of the end-to-end technologies, workflows, and business processes along the entire media value chain.In each case I have worked collaboratively with the Sales, Technical Consulting and Product Teams to assess the customer situation, analysing customer data and consulting with the customer to develop a viable solution from both a technical and commercial perspective, and handling customer objections as they occur. I have co-ordinated technical trials with equipment vendors, and led large teams of engineers within BT to design, prove and deliver solutions for customers.

The three years I spent with Telenor UK allowed me to deepen the skills in Broadcast systems engineering formed at BT, and to take on more responsibility for both systems and client management.I became systems manager for the Telenor UK multiplex in the BT Tower, responsible for both technically running the multiplex and client management of the eight Broadcast customers whose channels were being carried.In 1999, Telenor UK opened a Broadcast Satellite Earth-Station in Central London. I was responsible for specifying and overseeing the design and construction of the entire base-band installation, comprising routing capacity for 128 television channels, an 8-channel DVB multiplex, multiple-channel standards conversion, broadband IP data routing, and a broadcast control room.

My first year at BT was spent on the Graduate Training Programme, which included managing field trials of a functionality upgrade to BT’s FacilityLine product.After the graduate year, I moved into a full time position, which included the Telenor UK Multiplex project. As such, I was involved in all technical aspects of the BT installation, including system planning, equipment evaluation and testing at BT Labs, and maintenance and upgrades on the live multiplex. The project gave me the opportunity to greatly improve my knowledge of broadcast systems, and enabled me to develop the flexibility required when dealing with demanding customers.