The Judges

Julian Clover, Editor, Broadband TV News and New Television Insider

Julian Clover is a Media and Technology journalist based in Cambridge, UK. He has two decades of combined experience in online and printed media.

Julian is an editor of Broadband TV News and New Television Insider.

An accomplished conference moderator, Julian is a regular chairman at the annual IBC congress in Amsterdam, as well as Anga Cable in Cologne and the Broadband TV News Business Breakfasts. Television appearances include the BBC’s technology magazine Click and the consumer programme Watchdog.

Julian has also contributed to The Channel, the magazine of The Association for International Broadcasting; Cable and Satellite International; Euromedia and the consumer title What Satellite TV.

Between 1998 and 2002 Julian was managing editor at PBI Media where he launched the successful newsletter Inside Digital TV and was responsible for a product portfolio that included Interspace, Cable Europe, Inside Multimedia, Kids TV and Doc TV. He also oversaw the PBI Media Management Report series, contributed to Communications Technology magazine and devised the Euro 50 publication for Cable and Satellite Europe, a collection of profiles of industry leaders.

Prior to joining PBI Media, he spent seven years with Cable and Satellite Europe, the last two as editor. During his time with 21st Century Publishing, and its successor FT Media and Telecoms, he was also editor of Satellite Trader and contributed to Cable and Satellite Express and Television Business International.

He is a committee member of the Broadcasting Press Guild.

Julian is available on a limited basis for writing, conferences and consultancy.

Dr. William Cooper, Founder & CEO, Informitv

Dr William Cooper is the founder and principal consultant at informitv. A specialist in interactive media services across multiple platforms, he advises clients ranging from start-up companies to major corporations, providing a practical operational perspective.

As head of interactive at BBC Broadcast, William operationally managed the successful launch and delivery of landmark interactive services on satellite, terrestrial and cable television across multiple channels and territories. William was responsible for transitioning interactive publication and playout services from a public service cost centre into a profitable commercial subsidiary. This involved managing the migration of services into a purpose-built multimillion pound technical facility in preparation for the subsequent sale of the business for £166 million.

Previously, as head of new media operations, William oversaw the exponential growth of the BBC’s online services. Prior to that, as product manager for the new media division of the Press Association, William led the launch of online syndication services, leading to the creation of a successful standalone business, subsequently acquired by Orange for £98 million.

His previous background includes establishing and managing a multimedia production company.

A regular contributor to international conferences, with papers published at both IBC and NAB, William is a recognised commentator on interactive media and publishes the online news service informitv.com.

William began his career as a broadcast journalist, following a PhD in Communications and a degree in English from the University of Leeds.

William’s experience and expertise spans the creative, editorial, technical, operational and commercial aspects of interactive media.

David Gillies, isis digital

David has over 25 years, end to end, international experience in the field of digital TV, having worked at senior levels with Pace in the UK, BetaResearch in Germany and Thomson Multimedia in France. His activities in R&D have led to over 25 patents, a number of published papers, and a range of successful product launches - from digital PAL / NTSC standards converters to the world’s first H.264 HDTV STB. As a manager, including at CEO level, he has successfully led change and re-structuring programmes, while keeping company focus on customer needs. He is a regular speaker at conferences and seminars, and has significantly contributed to a range of international industry standards bodies. Since he founded the technology consultancy isis digital Ltd in early 2009, he has worked on a number of projects for both large and start up companies, and is currently leading the development of a ground breaking hybrid TV system.

Steven C Hawley, Principal Analyst & Consultant, tvstrategies, Advanced Media Strategies LLC

Steven Hawley is an independent industry analyst, researcher and consultant, serving the telecommunications and digital media industries. His consulting practice, Advanced Media Strategies LLC (AMS), provides strategic, business and technology subject matter expertise in the area of Internet Protocol Television.

Mr. Hawley has served as Editor of ipTV News Analyst, a monthly and has authored a series of IPTV reports published by Tracy Swedlow’s InteractiveTV Today [itvt] and for five years, he contributed regularly to Telephony Online and Cable & Satellite International magazine.

He appears regularly as speaker or panel moderator at key industry events, and has spoken at the annual conferences of the National Association of Broadcasters (NAB), the United States Telecom Association (USTA), TelcoTV and Red Button conferences; as well as other events in the US and Europe. Mr Hawley provides consulting and advisory services and has worked directly with more than three dozen IPTV industry clients through Advanced Media Strategies. Prior to establishing AMS, he served in management and team member roles for companies that include Myrio Corporation (now a Siemens company), Northern Telecom (now Nortel Networks), and Adobe Systems. Mr. Hawley contributes in areas of business and go-to-market strategy, product strategy and product management, strategic marketing and positioning, partnerships, business development and tactical marketing program development. He has delivered more than twenty technology products to market, including IPTV middleware-applications platforms, Web-based commerce platforms; digital media content design, management & production tools; personal videoconferencing, integrated messaging and other multimedia communications solutions. He has more than 25 years’ hands-on industry experience and holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Business Administration from the University of Connecticut.

Julian Herbert, Principal Analyst, Broadband, Informa Telecoms & Media

Julian is the Principal Analyst in Informa Telecoms & Media's data research team. Julian has researched the wireless and fixed line industries for 17 years. In addition to an extensive history with Informa he has, as a freelance consultant, undertaken projects with Point Topic and Ovum and enjoyed a spell as Head of Research at Kable Ltd. Julian holds a degree in Literae Humaniores from Oxford University and management qualifications from the Open University and the University of Humberside. He has spoken and chaired at numerous industry and client events including the 3GSM World Congress and ITU Telecoms.

Alessandro Petazzi, Managing Partner, ON CUBED

Previously working for JPMorgan and Bain, Alessandro contributed to the start- up of FASTWEB, where he started in staff roles (strategy and business plan, M&A, IR, executive assistant to the CEO) and then moved to the IPTV unit, of which he became the Managing Director. Among other things, he re-negotiated all company’s content and carriage deals and was instrumental to the turnaround of the IPTV unit.

After 10 years, in 2008 he left FASTWEB to found media advisory boutique ON CUBED, which is currently supporting a number of pay-TV platforms, TV channels, content providers, CE device manufacturers and PE/VC funds.

Stuart Thomson, Editor, Digital TV Europe

Stuart Thomson is Editor of Digital TV Europe, the monthly industry magazine covering the broadband and pay-TV industry in Europe. In his role Stuart writes and edits articles covering all aspects of the business activities of fixed-line telecom and cable operators offering triple-play services to residential users in Europe, the Middle East and Africa, as well as the activities of satellite DTH pay-TV providers and other video service providers.

Topics of note covered by the magazine include IPTV technology and commercial deployments, the development of broadband cable platforms and the IP-based convergence of video, voice and data services.

Stuart has 12 years' experience as a journalist covering the media sector. In addition to editing Digital TV Europe, he is responsible for the Digital TV Europe Daily, an advertising-supported e-newsletter, and various print supplements covering topics such as IPTV and digital switchover. He is also a familiar face on the industry conference circuit as a moderator.

Benjamin Schwarz

Benjamin Schwarz has over 20 years of international experience in consulting and Telco & Media organisations.

He spent 8 years with Orange, whom he joined in 2001. Benjamin started as a manager within Orange Labs focusing on video, search and other technologies. In 2004 he joined the Content division running international music download then TVoDSL deployments in Europe (France, Poland, Spain, UK) and Africa.

Previously he spent 10 years with Logica-CMG and in 2000 Benjamin was CTO of Net4Music, a digital sheet music Internet start-up.

In September 2008 Benjamin created “CTO innovation Consulting” bringing his unique expertise to Content owners, Technology companies and network Operators and is now involved in many projects including IPTV business modelling and deployment, advertising, hybrid and OTT content delivery and quality of experience.

Benjamin is based in Paris and has a BSc from King’s College London in Computer science and completed an executive MBA within INSEAD.

Shane Walker, Senior Research Analyst, Connected Home Solutions, IMS Research

Shane Walker is an Analyst with IMS Research’s Connected Home group. Shane has experience researching the worldwide markets for digital TV and his areas of expertise include IPTV and interactive TV services.

Before joining IMS Research, Shane spent several years in the computer software sector as a sales operations analyst and a product manager, conducting competitive intelligence and formulating marketing strategy. He received his bachelor of arts in communications from the University of West Florida and an MBA in Corporate Finance from St. Edward’s University in Austin. Shane is based in the company’s Austin, TX, US office.

Dr Arjang Zadeh, CEO, Adzio Technology

Dr Arjang Zadeh is CEO of Azdio Technologies. Previously, Arjang was the Accenture partner managing Network Service Line (NSL) for C&HT globally. In 12 years with Accenture he worked in Financial Services, Resources, Automotive and C&HT. In 2000 he founded Imagine broadband and was the CEO of the company till its integration into Accenture in 2003. Arjang was selected as one of the top 50 European executives in broadband ("Broadband Euro 50 - 2003").

Arjang was a member of UPC Technology Advisory Board for the last 3 years together with industry luminaries such as Rouzbeh Yassini. He was responsible for delivery of world's first commercial deployment of broadband interactive Digital TV platform which now has over 4m customers. In addition he started the UK FSI and subsequently Technology, eCommerce and Internet Centre of Excellence group in the UK around 1995 which he managed till 2000. Prior to Accenture he worked for BT and prior to that for a Philips company in the UK.

Arjang's education includes a Doctorate and bachelor of science degree from the University of Birmingham in the UK in Electronic and Electrical Engineering.