Abraham Sater

Senior Multimedia Engineer, The New York Times

Abe Sater is a seasoned New York Times vet with a passion for both storytelling and technology. Throughout his tenure, Abe has helped multimedia journalists find new ways to tell their stories and engage larger audiences. As technology becomes more intertwined with day to day operations, Abe strives to strike a delicate balance that enables journalists to seamlessly integrate innovative tools and processes into their work, without compromising the authenticity and depth of their storytelling.

Alexander Becher

Deputy Head of Media/Photo, BILD

Alexander Becher has been working as a photojournalist for around 30 years. Prior to joining BILD, he held senior positions at national and international news agencies. Since 2022, Becher has been serving as Deputy Head of Media/Photo at BILD. 

Christian Walter

Team Lead Axel Springer IT

Christian Walter is a seasoned IT professional with over 25 years of experience across various roles in IT organizations and projects, encompassing IT implementation and integration as well as consulting. After many significant stations in his career, Christian brought his extensive expertise to Axel Springer's IT in 2016. Holding a degree in Computer Science, he currently plays a key role as a team lead in providing editorial services for the company's diverse brand portfolio.

Clifford Pathmanathan

Senior Project Manager, Warner Brothers Discovery

Clifford Pathmanathan works on major projects for the Technical and Operations Team servicing technology delivery for the European Sports - Eurosport and TNT Sports teams. Recent projects include the build of new Studios and Production Control Rooms in 7 European Regions connected via 2110 to central hubs in London and Hilversum. The build of a new TNT Sports Facility including 3 studios, 4 control rooms, edits, analysis and V/O rooms and associated building, M&E and staff facilities. Previous roles in Project Management, Operations and Engineering at Viacom, MTG, Top UP TV, Showtime, ITV Digital.

Ed Barton

Research Director, Caretta Research

Ed boasts over 25 years experience working with companies in the media, entertainment, and technology sectors, specialising in entertainment distribution and the consumer and technological factors driving  it. Ed leads Caretta’s consulting business providing strategic advice, insight and analysis using a variety of quantitative and qualitative methodologies based on Caretta’s extensive expertise in technology markets and market data. He works with senior leadership teams on strategy, procurement, go-to-market, and understanding technology markets, vendors and buyers.

Eirik Solheim

Senior Technology Advisor

Eirik Solheim is a Norwegian media tech guru on a mission to demystify the digital world. As a co-founder of NRKbeta, the innovation hub of the Norwegian Broadcasting Corporation, he's been at the forefront of exploring the future of media. You've likely seen or heard him explaining complex tech topics with infectious enthusiasm on Norwegian radio and TV. Eirik is a sought-after speaker, known for his insightful and often provocative takes on where media and technology are headed.

Fadi Radi

Chief Creative Officer, Blinx

As a multifaceted and Strategic Creative Innovator, Fadi Radi brings forth a rich tapestry of experiences, epitomized by a proven record of developing transformative interactive and on-air campaigns for some of the most distinguished brands in the MENA region. Currently, Fadi holds the esteemed position of Chief Creative Officer, where his diverse skillset has been instrumental in launching the unparalleled Blinx.com, managing its journey from initial concept to seamless execution.

Frederik Delaplace

CEO VRT

Frederik Delaplace started his career as a journalist for financial markets and the banking sector at De Tijd in 1994. Five years later he became editor-in-chief of Finance and in 2005 the newspaper's chief editor. In April 2007, Delaplace became editorial director of Mediafin, assuming final editorial responsibility for De Tijd and L'Echo. In January 2017, Frederik Delaplace became CEO of Mediafin. On August 1, 2020, he was appointed as CEO of VRT.

Geoff Marsh

Chief Content Officer, GB News

A digital transformation specialist who has driven GB News' remarkable online growth since 2022, with the broadcaster now reaching over 10 million people monthly online and amassing five million social media followers. Previously transformed Express.co.uk from 300,000 to 108 million users as Editorial Director at Reach plc. His 20+ year career spans traditional journalism and digital strategy, with expertise in SEO and revenue development. Marsh has positioned GB News for global expansion, with the US already its second-biggest market.

Hossein Sharif

Director, As If Pictures

Hossein Sharif is founder & CEO of As If Pictures; a company known for its Workflow As A Service model (WAAS) and its specific methodology in Workflow Design & Change Management aimed at cloud native broadcast workflows. As If Pictures clientele ranges from established brands (BBC, RTL Netherlands) to newer players in the video market (Wall Street Journal, GB News). Through Kvasir, As If Picture’s always online Workflow Delivery platform, thousands of broadcasters around the globe enjoy the benefits of an always evolving Workflow service.

Jo Caudron

CEO and Founder Scopernia

Jo Caudron is a transformation strategist and the founder of Belgium's first digital agency. With nearly 30 years of experience, he has been assisting organizations in all sectors throughout Europe and the Middle East, helping them understand how their world is changing and how they can adapt their core business to be ready for the future. He is the author of six books, including "The World Is Round" and "The Future Formula" which explore global trends and sustainable innovation. Jo's true passion lies in engaging with people worldwide and inspiring them with his message of change and optimism.

Jonas Michaelis

CEO, qibb

Jonas Michaelis is the CEO of qibb, where he’s led the company’s development into a leading low-code integration platform for media workflows. At qibb, he focuses on advancing solutions that connect and automate complex workflows for media companies. Before qibb, Jonas worked as a consultant at BCG, specializing in digital business model creation and development. He is also an active advisor and investor in tech startups, applying his expertise in strategic execution and technology-driven growth.

Kathey Battrick

Head of Media Management and Library, Asharq Network

Kathey Battrick, Head of Media Management and Library, established and leads the media library at Asharq, overseeing the management, cataloguing, AI indexing and preservation of the organization's valuable production assets and archive. As Leader of the AI Taskforce, Kathey is also responsible for overseeing the development of the organization’s AI Policy and Governance. With extensive experience in media and archive management, she previously served as the Director of Operations for ITN Source, the archive content and clips sales arm of ITN News in London, where she led projects such as the digitization of ITN's archive and managed the archive operations team and infrastructure.

Klaartje Jaques

Team Lead and Delivery Coach, VRT

Klaartje Jaques leads the Media Management team at VRT. This team played a key role in selecting and implementing Mimir within the organization. A consistent theme throughout her career has been organizing and guiding teams and organizations to achieve both short-term and long-term business goals. Although she is academically trained as a sociologist of religion and culture, she has a strong interest in technology and innovation. Prior to her role at VRT, she led an international content marketing team and held several senior HR positions.

Mark Harrison

Founder & Chief Content Officer, The DPP

Mark Harrison transitioned from academia to media, achieving success as a Director and Producer and acclaimed as a Filmmaker and Emmy Award winner. He has held senior roles at the BBC before joining as the CEO of DPP, an international media and technology network with over 550 member companies. In 2024, he became DPP's Founder and Chief Content Officer.

Mike Payne

Head of Product and Technology, ausbiz

Mike Payne is a digital product leader with 15 years of experience in driving innovation and operational transformation across media, sports, eCommerce, and broadcast. He currently leads product and technology at ausbiz, Australia’s leading business and finance streaming platform. Throughout his career, he has served on the leadership teams of multiple digital startups, growth-stage organizations and led digital transformation initiatives at large enterprise. 

Patrick Markowski

Head of Editorial Tech & Operations, BILD

Patrick Markowski holds a degree in History and Political Science and is a graduate of the Axel Springer Journalism School. He has held key editorial roles at BILD, including Managing Editor for BILD Germany, and has won several awards for front-page design. As Head of Technology at BILD TV, he implemented Mimir at Europe’s biggest media brand. Since 2019, he has been bridging journalism and technology, with a particular expertise in artificial intelligence.

Paulo Fernandes

IT Service Manager, Axel Springer

With over a decade in media tech, Paulo Fernandes has worked at ESPN, Disney, and Axel Springer, blending deep technical expertise with a passion for connecting people and systems. From MAM and live graphics to automation and publishing workflows, he thrives on solving complex problems and building smarter solutions. As IT Service Manager, he focuses on creating efficient, user-friendly solutions that bridge the gap between technology and people.

Rig Hehenkamp

Editorial Innovation Manager, RTL Nieuws

As a Creative Director, Rig Hehenkamp has discovered how design thinking can transform traditional news organizations. RTL Nieuws is now shaping up for the future of journalism by combining cutting-edge technology with innovative work processes. Join Rig at the Fonn Group User Summit to learn more about their transformative journey.

Steinar Bjørlykke

Head of Technology & Production, NRK Central Region

Tor Kielland

CEO, Open Mind

Leading Open Mind's mission to strengthen quality journalism through AI-powered SaaS solutions. With expertise in neural networks, business strategy, and media industry transformation, Tor develops technologies that enhance journalistic research, verification, and content creation. His economics background combined with over two decades of consulting experience drives his vision of augmenting journalistic excellence while preserving editorial integrity in an increasingly automated landscape.

Ward Coessens

Solutions Architect, Amazon Web Services (AWS)

Ward started out as a software developer building applications for scientists, car dealers and online retail. Since he joined AWS almost 4 years ago he has been helping media customers to get the most value out of the cloud.