50 VOD Professionals 2024
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Nominated by you, adjudicated by a specialist panel, this is our latest list of the most influential people working in the UK’s OTT industry over the past 12 months.
Featuring Amazon, Apple, the BBC, BritBox, Channel 4, DAZN, Everyone TV, Google, ITV, Metaphysic, Netflix, NOW, Pluto TV, Samsung, Sky, STUDIOCANAL, TiVo, Virgin Media, Warner Bros Discovery, YouTube and a range of independent streamers, vendors and service-providers.
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#31. Alex Wall
Head of Streaming Editorial
channel 4
![Alex Wall, Channel 4, OTTQTL24](https://www.vodprofessional.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/12/Alex-Wall-Channel-4-OTTQTL24.png)
Alex Wall joined Channel 4 in 2012 and has been part of the evolution of the channel’s VOD service through its digital transformation – from 4oD, to All 4 to Channel 4 streaming, the UK’s biggest free streaming service. She is Head of Streaming Editorial, heading up the Platform Editorial team, leading on Channel 4’s personalisation strategy and driving innovation in content presentation on platform, as well as having recently led on C4’s FAST venture in the US.
Wall started her career in TV working in social media and was nominated for a BAFTA in New Media in 2012 for her contribution on E4’s hit show Misfits. She is also a qualified professional coach, having recently received a distinction in her Level 5 apprenticeship.
#32. Andy Jones
Head of UK Sales
samsung ads
![Andy Jones, Samsung Ads, OTTQTL](https://www.vodprofessional.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/01/Andy-Jones-Samsung-Ads-OTTQTL.png)
Andy Jones leads the UK ad sales team for Samsung Ads; bringing his unique expertise in the TV space from his background at Zenith, Channel 4, Videology and Roku to help Samsung Ads shape the UK CTV ecosystem. Samsung are using their deterministic, opt-in first-party data, to help advertisers capitalise on the CTV opportunity – understanding today’s TV viewer, providing addressability at scale, and a tailored experience for the viewer.
Samsung is further disrupting the streaming landscape with its own FAST platform, Samsung TV Plus. As consumers begin to reach saturation point and SVOD subscriber growth slows, it’s clear that there is a huge desire for more content, without the price point of a subscription, making FAST a key area for growth.
Samsung is the top TV manufacturer in the world, leading sales globally for the past 18 consecutive years. In 2016, Samsung launched its media and advertising division, Samsung Ads, to take the lead in forging the CTV advertising space.
#33. Mark Harrison
Founder & Chief Content Officer
DPP
![Mark Harrison 50VP 2024](https://www.vodprofessional.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/Mark-Harrison-50VP-2024.png)
Mark Harrison began his career as an Historian at King’s College Cambridge. He then moved into media, and spent many years as a Director, Producer and Executive Producer. He has won numerous awards including from the RTS and BFI, as well as gaining an International Emmy and a BAFTA nomination.
Harrison held senior executive roles in production including as Managing Director of Soul Purpose Productions, and Head of Arts at the BBC. He later became Controller of Production for BBC North, and Director of Transformation in the BBC’s Design and Engineering group. During that time he also held Board positions as a Non-Executive Director in the NHS.
Harrison founded the DPP in 2015 and was CEO until 2024 when he changed his role to Chief Content Officer, leading the organisation’s editorial and output strategy. The DPP is the international network for media and technology and has nearly 550 member companies, from the global tech giants, to many of the world’s major broadcasters and content platforms, to numerous technology companies and service providers. It has become one of the UK’s most influential media associations, bringing its member companies together to gain strategic insight and build business networks.
#34. Pete Parmenter
EVP Business Development
DAZN
![Pete Parmenter](https://www.vodprofessional.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/06/Pete-Parmenter.png)
Technology is changing the way fans enjoy watching sport and today’s generation of sports fans demand a more immersive and interactive experience. Using innovative platform technology, DAZN is aggregating today’s fragmented fan experience by bringing all sports-related content, services and products into a single, frictionless consumer app.
From the live game to news, highlights and analysis, DAZN offers the richest library of live and on-demand premium sports content to a global customer base of 60 million fans. But enjoying sport is more than watching the game and so DAZN is building the ultimate sports destination where fans can not only access all the content they want but place bets and play games, buy merchandise and tickets, chat with fellow fans and join communities, all in a single app, using account and wallet.
Parmenter, the EVP of Business Development & Partnerships at DAZN, is responsible for the creation and negotiation of new distribution agreements and for growing existing partner businesses. He works with App stores, Telcos, OEMs, Gaming Consoles, Retailers, Cable Broadcasters and Social Platforms to grow DAZN’s visibility and accessibility to customers around the world.
Parmenter’s past experiences include work across the music (EMI Records) and gaming (Electronic Arts) industries. Peter was previously a Non-Executive Director of Perform Group.
#35. Matthew Quinn
VP Media
liverpool football club
![Matthew Quinn 50VP 2024](https://www.vodprofessional.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/Matthew-Quinn-50VP-2024.png)
Just last week, Liverpool FC announced that it had become the first Premier League club to reach 10 million subscribers on YouTube, thanks to the unique storytelling and creative behind-the-scenes insight it consistently produces for supporters.
Ten days earlier, This is Anfield, an independent Liverpool Football Club website (online since 2001!) reported that through the 2023/24 football season, Liverpool pulled the most social media engagements across the Premier League ahead of Manchester United and Manchester City (both on 1.2bn).
Both of these recent achievements have taken place under the leadership of Matthew Quinn who has been working at LFC since 2001.
#36. Kerry Ball
Chief Commercial & Strategy Officer
britbox international
![Kerry Ball, BritBox, OTTQTL24](https://www.vodprofessional.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/Kerry-Ball-BritBox-OTTQTL24.png)
Kerry Ball joined BritBox International as Chief Commercial and Strategy Officer in 2022 and is responsible for driving growth, innovation and commercial success in the leading international specialty subscription service. Now a division of BBC Studios, BritBox’s mission is to bring provide an authentic service, with a high quality bar, bringing the best of British Entertainment across it’s footprint of US, Canada, Australia, Nordics and South Africa.
Ball’s long career at the intersection of Film & Television and Technology began in 2004 when she joined NBC Universal in the Strategy Team, responsible for launching and evolving ‘new’ digital business models from the first Download-to-Own services to SVOD evolution, later leading all international digital rights across EMEA.
She later led Global Digital Distribution & Co-Productions in Shine International before moving to Discovery to lead the International Business Development Team, spearheading Discovery’s move into Amazon Channels and Direct-to-Consumer deals.
Before joining BritBox, Ball ran a successful consultancy business with clients including Discovery, BBC Studios, ITV Studios, BritBox and E1 and was a founding member of three start-ups: Struum, Aurra Studios and Loud Minds.
#37. David Bouchier
Chief TV & Entertainment Officer
Virgin Media o2
![David Bouchier 50VP 2024](https://www.vodprofessional.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/David-Bouchier-50VP-2024.png)
David Bouchier has been the Chief TV & Entertainment Officer at Virgin Media, now Virgin Media 02, since August 2016. He has overseen the transformation of the pay TV platform to include SVOD, App and AVOD customer propositions as well as recently launched FAST streaming channels.
Earlier in his career Bouchier was a Member of The Management Executive of BSkyB in the UK, before moving to News Corporation as Managing Director of Programming for Sky Italia. He subsequently returned to the UK and set up his own pay TV broadcast businesses, prior to joining Virgin.
#38. Valerio Motti
Managing Director Europe
zixi
![Valerio Motti 50VP 2024](https://www.vodprofessional.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/Valerio-Motti-50VP-2024.png)
Valerio Motti is the Managing Director Europe at Zixi. Zixi, winner of the Technical Emmy® Award, is the global leader in live, broadcast-quality video over IP. Trusted by over 1,400 media clients and 400 technology partners, it delivers 20,000+ live video channels daily and 1.5 million+ live sports events per year.
Motti leads the company’s expansion and strategic efforts in Europe. He focuses on exploring new market opportunities, building partnerships, and increasing Zixi’s market position in the European broadcasting and streaming sectors. Prior to this, Motti worked as Fremantle’s VP FAST Channels, responsible for developing and managing the international strategy for their free ad-supported streaming TV business, leading initiatives in editorial, rights, operations, and marketing to successfully create, develop, launch, and monetise new channels.
Previously, he was VP of Business Development, Digital Media and Content Distribution at ViacomCBS (later renamed Paramount), where he led multinational strategic projects, including the launches of new OTT streaming services and linear free and Pay TV channels. Motti’s career also includes significant roles at AOL-Time Warner, Mediaset, and Telecom Italia.
#39. Timothy Edwards
Chief Operating Officer
Titan OS
![Timothy Edwards 50VP 2024](https://www.vodprofessional.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/Timothy-Edwards-50VP-2024.png)
Timothy Edwards is COO at Titan OS, a European technology, entertainment and advertising company that has created an independent operating system for Smart TVs, helping customers discover relevant content and advertisers reach relevant audiences. He joined to oversee Titan OS’s business operations and lead its launch in Barcelona in January 2024.
Under Edwards’s leadership, Titan OS has established key strategic partnerships, including the rollout of hundreds of free streaming channels, key sales, ad tech and data partnerships, retail collaboration with JVC (Currys) and TP Vision to enable the rollout of the OS on Philips Smart TVs across Europe.
Edwards is a senior media executive with extensive experience in the video streaming industry since its inception in Europe. Prior to joining Titan OS, he worked for leading companies in the sector such as Sky and Rakuten TV where he initiated the AVOD/FAST advertising business (which became the company’s largest revenue line within three years) and led the project as executive sponsor.
He continues to drive the expansion of Titan OS to deliver a seamless TV experience and create more win-win business opportunities for the entire CTV landscape.
#40. Cristina Gomila
MD Content Technology & Innovation
Sky
![Cristina Gomila 50VP 2024](https://www.vodprofessional.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/Cristina-Gomila-50VP-2024.png)
Cristina Gomila joined Sky in 2019 as Managing Director of Content Technology and Innovation. With a large multi-disciplinary team of engineers and operators, she is responsible for all of Sky’s Content Supply Chain and Broadcast services.
Under her leadership, Sky delivers hundreds of channels, produces live sports and news, and manages a vast library of on-demand content using the most modern cloud-based content platforms. Gomila is also a member of the Board of Directors at SDVI, where she contributes her strategic oversight to a pioneering cloud-native media supply chain platform.
Prior to her role at Sky, Gomila built a successful career for over 17 years at Technicolor, where she held several pivotal positions, including SVP Research and Innovation and Group CTO. Her career split between USA and France, manging one of the world’s leading research team at the origin of significant advances in media production, visual effects, and distribution.
Gomila holds an MS degree in Telecom Engineering from the UPC (Spain) and a PhD in Mathematics from Mines ParisTech (France). She has authored more than 70 granted patents, contributed to video coding standards, and published numerous articles. In 2019, she was honoured as the first women to receive the prestigious Progress Medal from SMPTE, recognizing her outstanding technical contributions to motion picture and television.
Gomila is not only a visionary leader and technologist but a trusted partner in the industry. Through her career, she has been a beacon of achievement for women in STEM.