---
title: Rise Women in Broadcast | EU Mentees and Mentors
description: Learn more about our latest Mentee-Mentor pairings in the Rise Mentoring Programme.
---

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  ### [UK COHORT 2026](https://risewib.com/uk-pairings?hsLang=en)

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  ## Rise Programmes
  
  Learn about our programmes and initiatives aimed at fostering diversity and inclusivity within the broadcast and media technology sector.

  ### [RISE ELEVATE PROGRAMME The Rise Women in Broadcast Elevate Programme is a high-impact leadership development initiative designed to build the next generation of senior women leaders in the broadcast & media technology industry.](https://risewib.com/rise-women-in-broadcast-rise-elevate-programme?hsLang=en)

  ### [RISE C-SUITE PROGRAMME The Rise C-Suite Programme is an intensive, residential workshop designed to accelerate your progress to the C-Suite, within the company of other women from across media technology.](https://risewib.com/rise-c-suite-programme?hsLang=en)

  ### [RISE ACADEMY Rise Academy is an outreach programme delivering broadcast engineering and technical workshops to primary and secondary school children aged 11 through to 18 years old.](https://rise-academy.live)
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# EU Mentees and Mentors 2025

 

## About the Rise Mentoring Programme

Our award-winning Rise Mentoring Programme is a coveted six month programme to support women working in, or aspiring to work in the media technology sector.

The 2025 Mentoring Programme sees a variety of experienced broadcast media technology sector industry leaders, at a diversity of levels of seniority, ready to offer expertise, knowledge and guidance to our female Mentees.

A special thank you goes to our [industry sponsors](https://risewib.com/partners?hsLang=en) as the programme is only made possible due their generous support.

[LEARN MORE](https://risewib.com/mentoring?hsLang=en)

 RISE MENTORING PROGRAMME

## Applications to the Rise Mentoring Programme are currently closed.

[LEARN MORE](https://risewib.com/mentoring?hsLang=en)

 RISE MENTORING PROGRAMME 2025

## EU Mentees

![Alba Bernal Mateos](https://risewib.com/hs-fs/hubfs/Alba%20Bernal%20Mateos.jpeg?width=450&height=450&name=Alba%20Bernal%20Mateos.jpeg "Alba Bernal Mateos")

### Alba Bernal Mateos

My name is Alba Bernal, and I am a 30-year-old Spanish woman. My biggest passions are reading (poetry and psychology), video games, music, and my little dog, Sora. I started out as a tattoo artist, studied a year of Psychology, and now I work as a Systems Technician on-site for Olympic Broadcasting Services, having participated in the previous Paris 2024 Olympic Games. My goal is to build a career in the Cloud world, focusing on Azure and AWS, for which I am currently training.

MENTOR: Eli Hughes

![Andreea Badila](https://risewib.com/hs-fs/hubfs/Andreea%20Badila.jpg?width=500&height=500&name=Andreea%20Badila.jpg "Andreea Badila")

### Andreea Badila

I am eager to learn, punctual and opened to new opportunities in company. I love to work in teams , but also alone. Managing time and doing my work in a scheduled timeframe it doesn't represent a challenge for me.

MENTOR: Dragana Jovcic

![Anna-Maria Zeußel](https://risewib.com/hubfs/Anna-Maria%20Zeu%C3%9Fel.jpeg "Anna-Maria Zeußel")

### Anna-Maria Zeußel

Anna-Maria is currently pursuing her master’s degree in Advanced Media Technology with a background in engineering. She is passionate about innovative media solutions, sustainability, and industry development. Outside of her studies, she works in the industry with 3+ years of experience and is an active volunteer in technical support and disaster relief.

MENTOR: Michael Gamböck

![Antje Lang](https://risewib.com/hubfs/Antje%20Lang.jpg "Antje Lang")

### Antje Lang

As Project Leader/Planning Engineer, Antje works at the interface of journalism and technology. For 10+ years, she has led large-scale projects implementing new technologies and upgrading IT systems at German broadcasters ARD and ZDF. She’s a member of innovation network “Future Media Hub” and volunteers at a documentary cinema.

MENTOR: Louisa von Lenthe

![Apollonia Hartmann](https://risewib.com/hubfs/Apollonia%20Hartmann.jpg "Apollonia Hartmann")

### Apollonia Hartmann

After graduating university with a degree in media economics, Apollonia started her career as bid producer at Mackevision, now called Accenture Song. One year after joining the company, she transitioned internally to the VFX department. She has been working as a VFX producer for 4+ years.

MENTOR: Stephan Heimbecher

![Aurora Calisti](https://risewib.com/hubfs/Aurora%20Calisti.jpg "Aurora Calisti")

### Aurora Calisti

I'm Aurora, I have always been passionate about the world of media communication (TV, social platforms, cinema and radio). For this reason I decided to undertake a course of studies in "Communication" and "Television, cinema and new media". I currently work as a television operator at Sky Italia. I deal with live ingest and quality control of promos, programs, films and television series. In the future I hope to be able to continue working in this sector.

MENTOR:

![Cara Edney](https://risewib.com/hubfs/Cara%20Edney.jpg "Cara Edney")

### Cara Edney

Cara Edney is the founder of Hearsay Audio Description, a company dedicated to making film and TV accessible for visually impaired audiences. Drawing on her own experiences as a freelance voice-over artist and audio describer, she launched the company to transform the industry. With a clear vision and unwavering passion, Cara champions exceptional audio description services while fostering inclusion, offering affordable training, and empowering emerging talent with her industry insights.

MENTOR: Diana Sanchez

![Cesira Holterman](https://risewib.com/hubfs/Cesira%20Holterman.png "Cesira Holterman")

### Cesira Holterman

I am Cesira Holterman, 24 years old. I work for Red Bee Media , which is a broadcast and media company. I am based in the Netherlands and sometimes travel to the UK as RBM is a global company. I am new in the business world and have a lot to learn, which is why I am applying for this mentoring program.

MENTOR: Georgiana Verdonk-Sim

![Charlotte Støfring](https://risewib.com/hubfs/Charlotte%20St%C3%B8fring.png "Charlotte Støfring")

### Charlotte Støfring

Charlotte Støfring is an Interim Corporate Communications Lead at Vizrt, passionate about strategic communication and fostering gender equality in the industry. With experience in internal and external communications, she strives to inspire more women to take on leadership roles while aiming to become a communications leader and expert in the field.

MENTOR: Margot Ouali

![Denise Müller](https://risewib.com/hs-fs/hubfs/Denise%20M%C3%BCller.jpeg?width=2000&height=2000&name=Denise%20M%C3%BCller.jpeg "Denise Müller")

### Denise Müller

After a very long time as an event and marketing manager in the outdoor industry, I entered the IT and broadcast world two years ago as a project manager media. I accompany projects, primarily in the sports sector, from the first pitch to go live. The variety of people, challenges and topics is incredible, different every day and really great fun - I'm sure I'll have to be at least 157 years old before this job gets boring and I know everything about this exciting industry 😉

MENTOR: Christel Jaekel

![Diana Jehle](https://risewib.com/hubfs/Diana%20Jehle.jpg "Diana Jehle")

### Diana Jehle

Diana Jehle is an experienced IT sales professional, currently serving as Lead Account Manager for a major media company at AWS. She combines media and IT expertise, managing customer relationships and leading an Account team. Additionally, she is the Director of Events for Women@Amazon DE, supporting 1000 members in career development.

MENTOR: Nancy Diaz Curiel

![Emma Sahall](https://risewib.com/hubfs/Emma%20Sahall.jpeg "Emma Sahall")

### Emma Sahall

After studying a BSc in Film and Television production at the University of York, I began my career as a transmission operator at ABS Broadcast. After a year and a half working in operations, I had the opportunity to move into the projects department. Here I discovered my passion for project management and continuously taking on new challenges. Working in an SME has both its benefits and drawbacks. I have been able to take on an exciting role as project manager early in my career however it also meant I didn't have the experience of working under an experienced project manager before becoming one which is why I applied to the Rise Mentoring Programme.

MENTOR: Maurice Verlaat

![Federica Bonardi](https://risewib.com/hubfs/Federica%20Bonardi.png "Federica Bonardi")

### Federica Bonardi

Federica is a TV production specialist with a a background in Design and video editing. With strong account management skills, she is passionate about live sports events and dedicated to developing her editorial and production abilities as she strive to transition into a live production role. Through this project, she aim to gain the confidence and skills needed to take the next step in her career.

MENTOR: Delphine Calvini

![Hind El Bezzaz Semlali](https://risewib.com/hubfs/Hind%20El%20Bezzaz%20Semlali.jpeg "Hind El Bezzaz Semlali")

### Hind El Bezzaz Semlali

Born in Morocco, I moved to France 10 years ago to pursue a Master's degree in Global Marketing which allowed me to have an overall experience of +7 years of working in various Marketing roles (Communication, Product Marketing, Project Management...), especially for global markets as in my current role at Sony where I am in charge of the South European market as a Regional Marketing Manager.

MENTOR: Isabelle Pasquesoone

![Kamilla Osnes](https://risewib.com/hubfs/Kamilla%20Osnes.jpg "Kamilla Osnes")

### Kamilla Osnes

As an Agile Coach, I am deeply passionated about fostering people and culture development, enabling continuous improvement, and empowering both teams and leaders. For me, soft and interpersonal skills are the cornerstone of shaping the future of business—helping us build a sustainable world, both within organizations and in the broader context of society.

MENTOR: Märta Rydbeck

![Klaudia Krzysztoń](https://risewib.com/hubfs/Klaudia%20Krzyszto%C5%84.jpg "Klaudia Krzysztoń")

### Klaudia Krzysztoń

I'm Klaudia, I live and work in Poland. I have been a part of the broadcast industry for 3 years, first as a Presentation Scheduler, then as a Broadcast Operations Coordinator. I love learning, growing and developping in many fields. Woman in technology by day, an amatour musician by night. I would love to give my career path some direction.

MENTOR: Christer Palsson

![Kristin Koepke](https://risewib.com/hubfs/Kristin%20Koepke.jpg "Kristin Koepke")

### Kristin Koepke

Kristin leads the content team at Ocilion IPTV: overseeing channels, VOD and app partners. With nearly a decade in the media industry, including six years at Rakuten TV, she has gained extensive experience in product management, content sourcing, and distribution. Originally from Germany, she studied in Lüneburg before moving to Spain. She speaks German, Spanish and English fluently and enjoys working in international environments.

MENTOR: Sonya Biernath

![Maitte Thais Oliveira Peixoto](https://risewib.com/hubfs/Maitte%20Thais%20Oliveira%20Peixoto.png "Maitte Thais Oliveira Peixoto")

### Maitte Thais Oliveira Peixoto

I’m a creative and adaptable professional based in Spain, currently exploring the world of marketing and business. With a background in 3D modeling and tech, I love learning new skills, tackling challenges, and collaborating with others. Passionate about innovation, problem-solving, and growing in this field to make a meaningful impact.

MENTOR: Barbara Rosseel

![Mareike Falk](https://risewib.com/hubfs/Mareike%20Falk.jpg "Mareike Falk")

### Mareike Falk

My name is Mareike Falk. I am a technical consultant for the national and foreign offices of ZDF. My “broadcast journey” started back in 2011, when I started my training as a broadcast engineer. I worked as a crossfunctional broadcast technician until I took up my current position in 2024.

MENTOR: Kathleen Schröter

![Marija Sarafimova](https://risewib.com/hubfs/Marija%20Sarafimova.jpeg "Marija Sarafimova")

### Marija Sarafimova

Operations Lead at JWP Connatix with expertise in process optimization, system integration, and cross-team collaboration. Experienced in subscription management, solution engineering, and business development within the video technology industry. PMP certified, passionate about bridging technical teams and external stakeholders, and keen on staying ahead of industry trends, especially AI in video.

MENTOR: Zlatan Gavran

![Nina Bayne](https://risewib.com/hubfs/Nina%20Bayne.jpg "Nina Bayne")

### Nina Bayne

I started my career as a language secretary but realized early on that I want to work in marketing. Over many years I was constantly developing my skills, asked for more work, especially for marketing and event tasks. Finally, I am where I dreamed myself: a marketing all rounder in the film industry.

MENTOR: Alexandra Maier

![Pauliina Harno](https://risewib.com/hubfs/Pauliina%20Harno.jpg "Pauliina Harno")

### Pauliina Harno

PR professional in the entertainment industry with a strong international focus. I aim to contribute to a better cross-functional connection and deliver wow-worthy experiences together as a team. Communications agency background and a master's degree in Social Sciences, excited to keep learning and growing every day.

MENTOR: Tiina Lehmonen

![Simone Eiberger](https://risewib.com/hubfs/Simone%20Eiberger.jpg "Simone Eiberger")

### Simone Eiberger

Simone Eiberger, Marketing Specialist at CGI, specializes in promoting the media products and services of CGI worldwide. With a background in Global Studies and internships across finance and marketing, she has experience in creating and promoting marketing content internationally. Simone is skilled in event management and marketing automation.

MENTOR: Serkan Güner

![Stephanie Raven](https://risewib.com/hubfs/Stephanie%20Raven.jpg "Stephanie Raven")

### Stephanie Raven

Originally from England, I grew up in France, lived in Italy for a few years, and eventually settled in Belgium, where I now work as a Content & Editorial Manager. I stumbled into the broadcast industry by chance seven years ago, and have grown to love it for the fast pace, the constant innovation, and above all people.

MENTOR: Claudine Cecille

![Svenja Schlögel](https://risewib.com/hubfs/Svenja%20Schl%C3%B6gel.jpeg "Svenja Schlögel")

### Svenja Schlögel

Solving problems with IT - that runs through Svenja’s career. From biology, into media and from ProSiebenSat.1 to ZDF, she brings a lot of experience with her and has been head of Business Applications Unit since 04/25. She also contributes her AI expertise to ZDF’s AI steering group.

MENTOR: Marlene Neuberger

 RISE MENTORING PROGRAMME 2025

## EU Mentors

![Alexandra Maier](https://risewib.com/hubfs/Alexandra%20Maier.jpeg "Alexandra Maier")

### Alexandra Maier

I am a passionate Media Tech Marketeer with 20+ years in leading roles at Avid, Adobe, Apple and Autodesk/Discreet. Now heading up global Media Solutions Marketing at CGI, one of the largest consulting firms. I recently took on the German chair of RISE. I live in Munich and call San Francisco my second home.

MENTEE: Nina Bayne

![Barbara Rosseel](https://risewib.com/hubfs/Barbara%20Rosseel.jpg "Barbara Rosseel")

### Barbara Rosseel

Barbara is a trilingual professional and mother of three, fluent in French, English, and Spanish, with the stamina to drive business growth. She has delivered customer-centric campaigns and high-impact projects at Sony. With an MBA from Texas, she has lived in the US, UK, and Spain, and earned Sony's "Team Spirit" Award for excellence.

MENTEE: Maitte Thais Oliveira Peixoto

![Christel Jaekel](https://risewib.com/hubfs/Christel%20Jaekel.jpg "Christel Jaekel")

### Christel Jaekel

My entry into the broadcast and media world was rather accidental during and after my engineering studies (Electrical and computer technology). My background is in the world of live television and editing working as freelancer before joining Avid where I started my career as individual contributor in various technical supporting and consulting roles, extending my experience in media and technology with a dedication to excellence and focus to provide innovative solutions tailored to clients' unique needs. With my commitment and ability to motivate I became a team leader in 2013 constantly developing my leadership skills before I accepted a senior management role for the wider EMEA region a few years later. Today I´m guiding a diverse team of solution specialists leveraging their expertise and creativity to craft customized solutions that address the unique needs of our clients, driving value and fostering long-term relationships ensuring team members stay abreast of the latest advancements and innovations in the industry, empowering them to deliver informed and impactful presentations. I believe in a culture of continuous learning, clear communications knowledge sharing, personal development and positive team dynamics. My passion is for people, technology and media and I´m dedicated to driving success and fostering collaboration across borders. Outside of work, I´m exploring new cultures and enjoy outdoor sports.

MENTEE: Denise Müller

![Christer Palsson](https://risewib.com/hubfs/Christer%20Palsson.jpg "Christer Palsson")

### Christer Palsson

Christer has many years of experience in the industry and an impressive network. He has worked with everything from the largest events and clients to smaller jobs and clients - and always with great commitment with the client and the people in focus.

MENTEE: Klaudia Krzysztoń

![Claudine Cecille](https://risewib.com/hs-fs/hubfs/Claudine%20Cecille.jpeg?width=800&height=800&name=Claudine%20Cecille.jpeg "Claudine Cecille")

### Claudine Cecille

Claudine has proven experience and skills in Marketing & Communications and Public Relations across the High-Tech, broadcast, and Energy Industries. She has a track record of over 30 years in building successful international programmes, which include media relations, corporate communication, branding, digital marketing, and event management. She has previously worked with large corporations such as Thomson, Technicolor, and GE. Since 2015, she has been serving as the General Manager at Golden Acacia Consulting, where she has developed marketing and communication activities, working for companies like IN Groupe and Tedial.

MENTEE: Stephanie Raven

![Delphine Calvini](https://risewib.com/hs-fs/hubfs/Delphine%20Calvini.jpg?width=500&height=500&name=Delphine%20Calvini.jpg "Delphine Calvini")

### Delphine Calvini

Delphine Calvini is working in the broadcast domain since 1995 and had several positions in her carrier. Starting with an technical associate degree, she later obtained in 2016 a master of science in management granted in background from professional activities. Either on the vendor side when working for AVID, Philips, CANAL+ TECHNOLOGIES, EventIS or Broadpeak; either on the customer side when working CANALSATELLITE, CANAL or TV5MONDE, she has developed a wide technology knowledge but also some strong management skills. She even pursued an activity as an independent project manager for 2 years. Formerly CTO of beIN France in Paris, she moved in 2022 to the Head Quarter of the GROUP located in Qatar to participate to the Football World Cup. She is now leading the Broadcast engineering and support teams at a pivot moment when the domain is moving to cloud or hybrid architecture, and when the skills transition of the broadcast teams is crucial.

MENTEE: Federica Bonardi

![Diana Sanchez](https://risewib.com/hs-fs/hubfs/Diana%20Sanchez.webp?width=300&height=300&name=Diana%20Sanchez.webp "Diana Sanchez")

### Diana Sanchez

Diana Sánchez is Head of Business Development, Access Services for Red Bee Media. A specialist with over 15 years’ experience in audiovisual and broadcast services, she has extensive knowledge of accessibility and localization. Diana is an accessibility consultant for the Spanish government in the working group which draws up standards for access services and is also a founder member of the TransMedia Research Group. Previously, as Head of Operations overseeing Access Services in Europe for Red Bee Media, she managed operations in multiple countries, delivering 24/7 live services to many of the most demanding media customers in the world. A graduate in Hispanics from the University of Manchester, Diana holds Master’s degrees from the University of Salford and the ESADE Business School.

MENTEE: Cara Edney

![Dragana Jovcic](https://risewib.com/hs-fs/hubfs/Dragana%20Jovcic.jpg?width=400&height=400&name=Dragana%20Jovcic.jpg "Dragana Jovcic")

### Dragana Jovcic

Dragana Jovčić is the CEO and co-founder of the social enterprise Uradi – Zaradi, an entrepreneur, mentor, and initiator who is always ready to support other women and young innovators in developing their ideas. She graduated in political science but dedicated her career to digital product development, PR, and startup growth, focusing on users—improving the platform, user experience, legal aspects, and the overall development of the service. Her ambition is to change the world and human experience for the better, especially in the digital sphere. In 2016, she co-founded the startup Uradi – Zaradi with her colleagues Jelena and Dušan, creating Serbia’s first unique online marketplace—an "Airbnb for small household tasks." In 2019, she successfully ran a crowdfunding campaign for the Home Manager project, achieving a 300% growth in service adoption. She is also a trainer and mentor in the Upshift program. Since 2023, she has been working at the Trag Foundation as a Digital Development Advisor, focusing on the development of two platforms for the civil sector in Serbia: a fundraising platform and a one-stop-shop platform.

MENTEE: Andreea Badila

![Elizabeth Hughes](https://risewib.com/hs-fs/hubfs/Elizabeth%20Hughes.webp?width=300&height=300&name=Elizabeth%20Hughes.webp "Elizabeth Hughes")

### Elizabeth Hughes

 

MENTEE: Alba Bernal Mateos

![Georgiana Verdonk-Sim](https://risewib.com/hs-fs/hubfs/Georgiana%20Verdonk-Sim.jpg?width=500&height=500&name=Georgiana%20Verdonk-Sim.jpg "Georgiana Verdonk-Sim")

### Georgiana Verdonk-Sim

As Caton Technology's VP of Marketing & HR, I use over 20 years of experience and global network to foster business growth and transformation. Certified as a coach and counsellor, I empower teams and businesses for career and business success, aiming to contribute to the Rise programme mentees.

MENTEE: Cesira Holterman

![Giovanni Piccirilli](https://risewib.com/hs-fs/hubfs/Giovanni%20Piccirilli.jpg?width=500&height=500&name=Giovanni%20Piccirilli.jpg "Giovanni Piccirilli")

### Giovanni Piccirilli

I am currently the CTO of RTL in The Netherlands, a role that I have been holding for almost 7 years now. Besides running the Technology organisation, I also have a secondary portfolio around the company's transformation. I have a passion for innovation, human behaviour and business transformation. I am Italian and live in The Netherlands for about 20 years now - Italy is the country that I have lived in the least in. I have lived many years in the Middle East, in Africa and in Europe and I know what it means to be the one that "is different" somehow. I have often created international teams within local organisation, pushing boundaries and driving acceptance.

MENTEE:

![Isabelle Pasquesoone](https://risewib.com/hs-fs/hubfs/Isabelle%20Pasquesoone.jpg?width=500&height=500&name=Isabelle%20Pasquesoone.jpg "Isabelle Pasquesoone")

### Isabelle Pasquesoone

I'm a mother of 3 teenagers with a great experience in the field of medias and audiovisual. I'm also a musician (harpist), a fan of sports (ski competition) and of travels ! I've worked for a wide range of media, first in press and radio for national titles, then internationally for a Pay-TV and an OTT service (FAST channel and an SVOD platform). On both the advertising and publisher side, I have acquired a complete sales expertise within the media industry: Distribution, Sales, leads generation, KPIs, ads revenus are part of my day-to-day role. Passionate about tech and the future of digital, I joined Qwant, the European search engine now part of the Symfonium project led by Octave Klaba as a director of business development and Partnerships. A dynamic, and thrilling universe!

MENTEE: Hind El Bezzaz Semlali

![Kathleen Schroter](https://risewib.com/hs-fs/hubfs/Kathleen%20Schroter.jpeg?width=225&height=225&name=Kathleen%20Schroter.jpeg "Kathleen Schroter")

### Kathleen Schröter

In 2020, after a total of 13 years working for the prestigious Fraunhofer-Gesellschaft Kathleen Schroeter left the world of scientific research institutions and became a technologist & alchemist at the Berlin “Human2Human” company J2C, a consulting firm with a focus on corporate culture. At the same time, Kathleen was elected to the board of XRBB – Extended Reality e.V. Berlin-Brandenburg, where she acts as honorary chair. In late 2021 she co-founded ootiboo GmbH. Using creativity as a vehicle and media tech as tools, ootiboo designs fun, engaging ways for children to connect to a diverse range of topics. The focus is on three core areas: real-life learning; health and wellbeing; and climate education. 2018, the Advanced Imaging Society (AIS) honored her with the Distinguished Leadership Award in L.A. as one of 13 influential women from the entertainment and high-tech industry. As a public speaker and moderator, Kathleen’s insights into Deep and High Tech allow audiences to contextualize tech trends, deepen their understanding of R&D processes, and explore sci-fi scenarios that could soon become a reality.

MENTEE: Mareike Falk

![Louisa Von Lenthe](https://risewib.com/hs-fs/hubfs/Louisa%20Von%20Lenthe.jpg?width=500&height=500&name=Louisa%20Von%20Lenthe.jpg "Louisa Von Lenthe")

### Louisa von Lenthe

With nearly 11 years of experience in the broadcasting industry, I've progressed from starting as an intern to currently overseeing the in-house operations of Sky Sports in Germany. Despite lacking a formal technical background, I have successfully navigated and excelled in technical environments, complementing my qualifications in project management and leadership of diverse teams.

MENTEE: Antje Lang

![Margot Ouali](https://risewib.com/hs-fs/hubfs/Margot%20Ouali.jpeg?width=500&height=500&name=Margot%20Ouali.jpeg "Margot Ouali")

### Margot Ouali

Margot Ouali is Head of Corporate and Marketing Communications at Appear, where she drives strategic and operational communications across global internal and external channels. With 8 years of marketing experience, she blends strategic insight with hands-on execution to enhance brand impact and stakeholder engagement in international organisations. Margot holds a Master’s degree in Management from the Norwegian School of Economics and an MSc in International Business from Aix-Marseille Graduate School of Management, complementing a Bachelor’s degree in Business Administration.

MENTEE: Charlotte Støfring

![Marlene Neuberger](https://risewib.com/hs-fs/hubfs/Marlene%20Neuberger.jpg?width=400&height=400&name=Marlene%20Neuberger.jpg "Marlene Neuberger")

### Marlene Neuberger

Marlene Neuberger began her professional career in the production of TV shows and events. After years of working as a freelancer for public broadcasting, she was hired in 2016 as a production manager at SWR. Two years later, she took over as head of post-production in Mainz. Since 2020, she has been serving as Head of Department in the Directorate of Technology and Production at SWR, where she is responsible for transforming technical organizational units for the digital future.Together with her team, she strategically develops core departments such as camera, lighting technology, and set construction, ensuring the operational foundation for in-house content production.

MENTEE: Svenja Schlögel

![Märta Rydbeck](https://risewib.com/hs-fs/hubfs/M%C3%A4rta%20Rydbeck.jpg?width=500&height=500&name=M%C3%A4rta%20Rydbeck.jpg "Märta Rydbeck")

### Märta Rydbeck

Märta Rydbeck brings over 30 years of experience in the broadcast industry to her role as mentor in Rise. Her experience spans traditional broadcasting, media technology platforms, and cutting-edge content discovery solutions, providing mentees with insights into both established and emerging opportunities within the sector. Her commitment to solving industry challenges through innovation, combined with her collaborative approach to business development and her understanding of how content consumption is evolving, aligns perfectly with Rise's mission to empower women in broadcast technology.

MENTEE: Kamilla Osnes

![Maurice Verlaat](https://risewib.com/hs-fs/hubfs/Maurice%20Verlaat.jpg?width=500&height=500&name=Maurice%20Verlaat.jpg "Maurice Verlaat")

### Maurice Verlaat

Maurice has been in the industry for over 25 years in Operational, Technical and Delivery roles. Maurice has worked for service providers like DMC, SES and RBM focusing on improvement, excellence or delivery of large scale platforms. It is clear that the most important resource within broadcasting is the people - and they should be empowered.

MENTEE: Emma Sahall

![Michael Gamböck](https://risewib.com/hs-fs/hubfs/Michael%20Gamb%C3%B6ck.jpg?width=500&height=500&name=Michael%20Gamb%C3%B6ck.jpg "Michael Gamböck")

### Michael Gamböck

Michael Gamböck works with our stragic partners and our ecosystem worldwide. He liaises directly our partners with a deep understanding of our customer and enduser to address their needs and support our partners to shape their strategies. Additionally, Michael consults closely with Adobe engineering, product management and management to grow usage of Creative Cloud Video products. He actively worked on several released and upcoming products and services in the past and today. He developed and is managing the worldwide Adobe Video Solution partner program, which will deliver value-added services to Adobe clients and help customers build better workflows with our partners. Michael has been in the industry since 1994 in sales, marketing and management roles at organisations including Bavaria Film, Studio Babelsberg TMT, Annova, Getty Images, Avid, P+S Technik and others. He has a deep understanding of all aspects of the Media and Entertainment Industry, from technology and management to creative processes. He managed several big innovative projects and was a managing director for one of Germany's most significant post-production facilities before joining Adobe. He covers exciting new technologies like Adobe Firefly or initiatives like his Adobe Video Solution program in his strategic role. As a father of a 12-year-old girl, he wants to help to change things actively. He is part of Adobe Germany's diversity team, advisory board member of Rise Women in broadcast and is passionate about diversity, inclusion and creativity. However, teams can only be successful if they make these their priorities.

MENTEE: Anna-Maria Zeußel

![Nancy Diaz Curiel](https://risewib.com/hs-fs/hubfs/Nancy%20Diaz%20Curiel.jpg?width=317&height=317&name=Nancy%20Diaz%20Curiel.jpg "Nancy Diaz Curiel")

### Nancy Diaz Curiel

Nancy is a third culture kid with more than 15 years of experience in the broadcast/A/V industry. She brings fresh perspectives and new insights to any team with a wide experience in sales and management, having worked in various roles from account sales manager to Director of Sales, Marketing and Communications globally with Digigram. Nancy has extensive international experience, ha ving lived overseas and worked with multiple cultures in different regions. Her career has been shaped by her ability to quickly identify and pursue opportunities. She is passionate about people and new technologies and is actively involved in organizations such as the RISE network and the IABM organization, where she has previously served on the board. Nancy enjoys getting to know new people, and is always prepared for the unexpected, with many travel stories to share. Based from her home office in Bordeaux, France, though being of Spanish heritage, Nancy loves warm weather, spicy food (and spicy cocktails), and enjoys riding her motorcycle.

MENTEE: Diana Jehle

![Roberto Iacoviello](https://risewib.com/hs-fs/hubfs/Roberto%20Iacoviello.jpg?width=665&height=665&name=Roberto%20Iacoviello.jpg "Roberto Iacoviello")

### Roberto Iacoviello

Roberto Iacoviello is a Lead Research Engineer, graduated from the Politecnico di Torino. Since 2007 he has been working at the Rai R&D. His current research focuses on Artificial Intelligence, Generative AI, and Virtual Production in the realm of broadcast television. In addition, Roberto leads two groups at the European Broadcasting Union (EBU): the Video Evaluation group and the Immersive Media group. He also heads the Enhanced Video Coding group at MPAI (Moving Picture, Audio and Data Coding by Artificial Intelligence) and is an active participant in MPEG (Moving Picture Experts Group) meetings.

MENTEE:

![Serkan Güner\[1\] (1)](https://risewib.com/hs-fs/hubfs/Serkan%20G%C3%BCner%5B1%5D%20(1).jpg?width=720&height=720&name=Serkan%20G%C3%BCner%5B1%5D%20(1).jpg "Serkan Güner[1] (1)")

### Serkan Güner

Born in Munich. Studies: Literature, media- and political sciences in Istanbul, Düsseldorf and Naples. In the industry since 2008. With Riedel for more than one decade. Role: Spokesperson, Chief of Optimism und Captain of Press. On the mission to make Riedel the most loved brand in the media, sports, and entertainment industry. Languages: German, English, Turkish, Italian, Spanish, Portuguese, Japanese and Bavarian

MENTEE: Serkan Güner

![Sonya Biernath (1)](https://risewib.com/hs-fs/hubfs/Sonya%20Biernath%20(1).jpg?width=672&height=672&name=Sonya%20Biernath%20(1).jpg "Sonya Biernath (1)")

### Sonya Biernath

Sonya Biernath is Director of Fulfillment, Audio & Access Services at Deluxe, with expertise across the full post-production and localization delivery chain. Her experience includes global oversight of localization talent acquisition—scaling translator networks in over 60 languages to meet the demands of the streaming era—as well as leading subtitling operations and client services for top content creators including Netflix, Amazon, Disney, Warner, and Sony. She has also participated in AI-driven initiatives including machine translation, TTS, and ASR. Originally from Canada, Sonya studied in Toronto, Montreal, and New York, and brings a creative perspective shaped by her early career as an award-winning choreographer.

MENTEE: Kristin Koepke

![Stephan Heimbecher](https://risewib.com/hs-fs/hubfs/Stephan%20Heimbecher.jpeg?width=800&height=800&name=Stephan%20Heimbecher.jpeg "Stephan Heimbecher")

### Stephan Heimbecher

Stephan Heimbecher (born 1967) has joined SWR Südwestrundfunk in November 2021 and is leading the ARD Competence Center Production & Infrastructure. Since June 2021 he also acts as the chairman of the EBU Strategic Programme Smart Media Production. Previously, Stephan Heimbecher was Founder & Managing Director of his own consultancy firm, Heimbecher – In media’s res. Before that he was at Imagine Communications as Senior Director Advisory Services EMEA & APAC looking after Imagine Advisory Services, which stand by broadcast clients as a partner during technical and non-technical business transitions – e.g. in the context of IP Migration. From 2002 to 2018 he was working at Sky Deutschland (formerly Premiere) as Director Innovations & Standards in Technology, where he took care of representing Sky on national and international committees, technical work with major Hollywood studios plus technical innovation management tasks within Sky Deutschland. At Sky Stephan Heimbecher has significantly been involved in the launch of some technical innovations including Sky+ (PVR), Sky HD, Sky 3D and at last Sky UHD. The electrical engineering graduate began his career as research associate at the Institut für Rundfunktechnik (IRT) where he worked on audio coding. Since 1997 he has dedicated his work at IRT to the standardisation of Digital TV before joining Top5 MediaConnection in 2001 (a company of the former KirchGruppe) as manager within the consulting department. In the course of his career Stephan Heimbecher was active in different Industry Groups and Standards Bodies and also chaired various working groups, amongst others DVB (Member of the Steering Board), German TV Platform (Member of the Board, working group chairman), FAME (Co-chairman) and UHD Alliance (Chairman of the Broadcast Group). Stephan has been a Rise mentor since 2022.

MENTEE: Apollonia Hartmann

![Tiina Lehmonen](https://risewib.com/hs-fs/hubfs/Tiina%20Lehmonen.jpg?width=662&height=662&name=Tiina%20Lehmonen.jpg "Tiina Lehmonen")

### Tiina Lehmonen

 

MENTEE: Pauliina Harno

![Zlatan Gavran-1](https://risewib.com/hs-fs/hubfs/Zlatan%20Gavran-1.jpeg?width=500&height=500&name=Zlatan%20Gavran-1.jpeg "Zlatan Gavran-1")

### Zlatan Gavran

Zlatan isa tech-first executive with over 15 years in media technology, remote workflows, and broadcast innovation. His has worked for some big names in the industry, acting as Technical Director and CTO for MPP Mediatech Broadcast GmbH and Head of Global Broadcast at Red Bull Media House GmbH before his current position as Managing Director at NEP Germany. He specializes in scaling teams, driving business model transformation, and aligning technology with strategic growth. He is passionate about delivering impactful solutions in high-performance, international environments.

MENTEE: Marija Sarafimova

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