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: Mariia Lesonen, Business Development Representative (Sales), Bitmovin

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: Shorouq Mustafa, IT System Engineer, Proximus Media House

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: Eloïse Ngangura, TVOD Manager, Proximus

Remi Beaudouin

Joining Ateme in 2005 as Field Application Engineer, Remi Beaudouin currently leads the corporate team’s global strategic and marketing initiatives as Chief Strategy Officer, helping to ensure Ateme keeps pace with solutions and engagement model innovations. Leveraging the company’s recognized core expertise in video compression and CDN, he develops key strategic partnerships, expands Ateme’s portfolio of video delivery solutions, and continuously disrupts the Pay-TV and media and entertainment markets with new concepts based on hybrid, on-premise, and cloud technologies.

Remi holds a Master of Science in signal processing from ENSEIRB-MATMECA, Bordeaux, and a LEAD Corporate Innovation certificate from Stanford University Graduate School of Business.

MENTEE: Hileny Maduro, Product Manager, Paramount

Liesbeth Wyns

MENTEE: Ecaterina Caprari, Content Marketeer, TinkerList

Katty Van Maele

Dynamic strategic & business development key executive with 30+ years of experience gained from working and living in Europe, Asia and the US. Previous to joining intoPIX and the Broadcast industry 15 years ago, Katty was already active in the world of video processing and semiconductor IP licensing for most of her career.
For the longest period, she faced the challenges of being the "first woman in business" in the companies she joined or the partners with whom she negotiated.
“I had the unique chance of working with a few very seasoned executives in different European countries when I first hit the “international sales” job market. Seasoned professionals took me by the hand and shared their experience, not minding I was the first female to dip my toes in their closely-knit all-boys world. Not a day goes by where I do not benefit from their wisdom and tutoring, allowing me to find my own passion and voice. I am excited to join the RISE Program as a Mentor, and hope to make a difference for a new generation of women in our exciting technology industry, and in turn help them to find their passion too”.

MENTEE: Isabelle Denis, Head of Sales, DREAMWALL

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: Carlie Bonavia, Content and Communications Director, Moments Lab

Noëlle Prat

Noëlle PRAT is a veteran media industry professional with 20+ years’ International Technology Sales Management experience, spanning system integrators, service providers and global leading Tech brands, selling strategic solutions and services to major Broadcast, Media & Entertainment Players internationally. She co-founded France based consultancy MEDIAKERN 5 years ago, through which she supports Media Technology Solution Vendors in their growth plans and go to market activities. She also consults for End Users as they try to find their ways in the maze of changing Business Models. In an industry transforming at fast pace, she defines herself as playing a Dot Connector’s role facilitating Technical and Business Change. In 2022, she joined the RISE European initiative to broaden RISE’s spectrum in continental Europe, as one of the founding members of the European Advisory Board and as such she leads the onboarding of Technology Partners & Sponsors.

MENTEE: Emilie Trémoureux, Sales & Marketing Ops, Moments Lab

Vincent Loré

MENTEE: Amandine Doucet-Flick, Project Manager, Aski-da

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: Suekriye Ludwig, Software development engineer, Adobe Systems Engineering GmbH

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: Monique Woolen-Lewis, Production Manager, Gravity Media

Stefan Heimbecher

Stephan Heimbecher (born 1967) has joined SWR Südwestrundfunk in November 2021 and is leading the new 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).

MENTEE: Christine Resch, VFX Coordinator, Netflix

Michael Pfitzner

Degree of mechanical engineer, started in post-product, project management for newsroom products, team lead, then COO, now VP.

MENTEE: Nathalie Haverland, Audiovisual Technician/Video Editor, ZDF

Aditi Pandey

MENTEE: Hélène Loubeau, Inside Sales Representative EMEA, Lawo AG

Verena Steib

Verena Steib is a dedicated woman with 15 years experience in media business. She is passionate about future technologies and being one step ahead. Video editing is her dedication and leading is in her nature. In short, Verena is reliable, trustworthy, hardworking and eager to learn. Her motto: always run a changing system!

MENTEE: Roswitha Rothenfusser, Teamlead Video Marketing, ARRI Arnold & Richter Cine Technik GmbH & Co. Betriebs KG

Alex 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: Melita Halilovic, Regional Marketing Manager DACH & NL, Sony Europe

Kathleen Schröter

MENTEE: Lauren Bellenie, Event Streaming Manager, G&L Systemhaus

Nicolas Ley

Nicolas Ley, currently serving as Vice President at Vidispine - an Arvato Systems brand since January 2021, boasts a robust background in broadcast solutions and media asset management (MAM). With over a decade of leadership experience, he has excelled in roles including Senior Director Solutions at Arvato Systems S4M GmbH and Senior Delivery Manager at Avid Technology, managing multinational teams and pioneering enterprise-class broadcast and MAM systems. A dedicated specialist in enterprise broadcast solutions, Nicolas has a proven track record of managing large teams and delivering complex projects globally, demonstrating exceptional skills in project management, delivery, architecture, and product management.

MENTEE: Ophélie Boucaud, Principal Analyst TMT, Dataxis

Anastasia Bournelli

Anastasia is a Practice Manager for Communication, Media and Entertainment at Bain & Company. Based in Brussels with a passion for technology and more than 10 years experience in several roles. Through RISE, she hopes to connect, inspire and help others to reach their full potential. Let's connect!

MENTEE: Victoria Campolongo, Business Development Manager, BB Media

Giorgiana 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: Catherine Webb, Corporate Communications Lead, Vizrt

Steve Russell

Steve Russell joined Irdeto as VP Solutions in 2023, and has been launching, growing, and managing innovative products and services within the media industry for 20 years.
Steve is a seasoned product leader having acted as Chief Product Officer at Red Bee Media and built successful product teams in a range of global roles at BT Media and Broadcast, Tata Communications and Belgian start-up, Yucom. Steve brings a passion for fusing technology, business and media transformation in services that deliver growth for Irdeto and our customers. He lives on a houseboat in his new home of Amsterdam. 

MENTEE: Kseniya Tsyhanok, Product Owner, Grass Valley

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: Marta Roman Fernandez, Production Manager (Localization, Subtitling & Accessibility), Sublime / Transperfect

Ricki Berg

MENTEE: Lina Sofie Nilsson Holmstrom, Project Manager, Codemill

Maria Hellström

What other say about me: Many people talk about the importance of leading and not "managing" but few manage to do it for real. I am impressed by Maria's ability to push important issues forward with a smile and make us feel that we are doing it together because we want to. She may have strong opinions but still listens to arguments to the contrary.

MENTEE: Naomi Jones, Support Engineer, Vizrt

Elizabeth Hughes

MENTEE: Irene Nadal, Broadcaster Services Specialist, UEFA

Larissa Görner-Meeus

Larissa Görner-Meeus is Chief Technology Officer at Proximus Media House, a 100% affiliate of Proximus group, the largest Telco in Belgium. She joined the broadcasting industry in 2001 and started her carrier as R&D engineer at IRT, the R&D institute of the public broadcasters in Germany, Austria and Switzerland. In this role, she was an active contributor in standardization at EBU and SMPTE and later took on the role as General Manager for contracted research. In 2014, she joined Net Insight where she has been part of the CTO team developing strategic solutions and products with a major focus on WAN applications such as remote production, distributed production and cloud production. She joined Grass Valley in 2019 as Director for Advanced Live solutions and further as Senior Director of Product Management for Grass Valley’s Cloud platform AMPP, Playout and Asset Management. For more than 18 years she has been an active freelancer in live-production and technical operation at national and international sport productions and events, like the Olympic Games or the Eurovision Song Contest. She holds a master degree in electrical engineering and a MBA and has been an active member of the board of directors of AIMS – Alliance for IP Media Services and of FKTG, has been the Co-Chair of the SMPTE Advisory Board for Media in the Cloud and became the honour of becoming a SMPTE fellow in 2022. She holds several awards, like the “ARD ZDF Award for Women in Technology” and the “Technology Women to Watch” Award. Larissa initiated the the Rise Program to Europe in 2022 and is Program Manager and Member of the European Rise board. Next to that, Larissa has contributed numerous articles and papers and is a frequent speaker at Industry Events. She is a strong advocate for diversity and rejuvenation of the broadcast sector and is proud to be mentor for the Rise Mentoring Program since 2022.

MENTEE: Ksenia Rabinovich, Product marketing manager, Unified Streaming

Colin Morrison

I am a successful and passionate Sales Leader & Mentor with broad expertise in the Media & Entertainment Industry. Experienced in developing and implementing business growth strategies in the complex and fast moving Film and Video markets. A proven leader of geographically distributed sales teams, with a track record of exceeding sales targets and goals around the world. A technical background underpins solid business acumen coupled with a drive to succeed whist having fun doing it.

Currently helping Ovyo scale as Chief Revenue Officer and Cleeng as a Supervisory Board Member

MENTEE: Alma Mudri, Multiplatform Operations Coordinator, Paramount Global

Giovanni Piccirili

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: Marta Edebol, Global Head of SaaS Business Development, the British Board of Film Classification

Paula Rigby

Extensive experience in International Sporting Events;8 Olympic Games, 2 World Cups, 2 Commonwealth Games, 1 Pan American & Asian Games to round it off. A World Cup Cricket (plus a few Domestic Cricket Series - across a range of continents), EPL, Champions League, F1 & NASCAR, AFL, NRL and a Tour de France. Several Australian Opens, a few Wimbledon's & one Roland Garros not to mention an America's Cup & a World Sailing Championships. A FIBA World Championship plus numerous consulting gigs on other events in between. I am well versed in the Global Sports Industry with a broad network of clients, contacts and friends. I initially started out as an Account Executive for an Advertising Agency in Australia with The Seven Network & Olympic Host Broadcaster for the 2000 Olympic Games. I launched their Sponsorship/Advertising & Media Campaign (highest grossing media spend in Australian history prior to the Sydney Olympic Games then went on to work directly for Manolo Romero & the IOC during the Sydney, Salt Lake & Athens Olympic Games. I have lived & worked in Australia, London, Athens, New York & Dubai. I am creative, dynamic and have a broad knowledge of the Global Sports Television Business. I have reported directly to a number of CEO's and Board of Directors on creative, strategic & business development. I have worked for Sports Agencies - Octagon Csi, IMG & Sportsbrand as well as Sporting Federations, Major Sponsors & Rights Holding Broadcasters, run crews, staff & offices simultaneously across 3 continents working in some of the most diverse cultural environments. I have been fortunate in my career;fantastic employers, brilliant clients & great staff. My specialties are;strategic negotiations, client services on both a business and creative level - building a creative or strategic plan to;an OCOG, IF, Sponsor, Broadcaster or a major sporting organisation. I am also uniquely versatile working with clients outside of Sport. I am based in France but travel frequently to the UK.

MENTEE: Azka Malik,  Contract Product Manager, Glyde Digital Ltd