What’s your role in the media tech industry?
I work as an associate broadcast systems engineer at Techex, which means I help design, deploy, implement and support IP systems for our customers.
Tell us about your journey to get there.
There’s a joke in this industry that most people don’t aim to work as a broadcast engineer but rather they fall into it. That is exactly what happened to me!
I went to Solent University, where I studied film production. I was hoping to become a writer. However, one day when a little strapped for cash, as lots of students are, I saw there was a camera operating job with Solent Productions. I applied and got on well with the technical crew, helping them during pack up with the cabling. It’s at this point in the story I normally joke that they ‘kidnapped’ me into the Live Event Society. But in reality, I really enjoyed getting to know the live environment and the technicalities of what went into working within broadcast.
Why did you say yes to being involved in SMPTE Young Innovators?
When I was a student, I went to quite a few SMPTE events, Young Innovators being one of them. Not only did it show me that being an engineer was an exciting thing to do, but it also opened my eyes to the possibilities of working within broadcast. I think that sharing these experiences with other young people and showing them how they can get into broadcasting is important not only for the individual but also for the industry as a whole. (Also, SMPTE events are always great fun, so of course I said yes!)
Why was it valuable for you to share your own work/experience?
I’m not formally trained in engineering. Prior to starting this career path, the last time I did anything STEM-related was when I was 16, which makes it over a five year gap between working in technical roles and formally learning something technical. More importantly, I’m not the only one; there are many people in this industry who have the same kind of background, but if people didn’t talk about it, you’d never know, and that can be really intimidating for young people coming into this industry if they’re from a non-technical background. But it’s possible, and there’s nothing stopping people from becoming an engineer, no matter what their background is.
Why do you think such an event is important to students/those just starting their careers in the industry?
There are so many different ways into this industry, for all different types of people with different backgrounds and knowledge bases. Therefore, hearing a diversity of voices and being able to see those different stories gives people inspiration for the potential of working in the industry. It’s important that people know that becoming a broadcast engineer is an exciting possibility, and that it doesn’t matter who you are, where you come from, or your knowledge level.
What was the highlight of the event you attended?
At the first Young Innovators I attended, I remember standing with Scott Kerr [lead solutions architect at Sky] while I panicked about not having enough technical knowledge and not really knowing where I was going in my career. Scott told me that lots of people join the industry knowing nothing, and that almost everyone feels like they don’t know what they’re doing sometimes. I think I can safely say I wouldn’t still be in this industry if it weren’t for that conversation.
What would you say to anyone thinking about attending in 2026?
Yes, yes, yes, do it! As a young person, it’s awkward and you don’t know who to go and talk to, and you’ll feel out of place. But that’s part of it. You’re shiny and new in this industry, you may need to build your confidence, knowledge, connections or all of the above from scratch. It’s a journey, but I can safely say that the people you’ll meet at SMPTE Young Innovators are the people you’ll want to know!
How has Young Innovators helped you to stay engaged with the industry?
With my job, I work with a lot of different companies, but with a very specific few teams and people, who in most cases I’ve been able to get to know really well. Without Young Innovators, those would be the only people I interact with, so these events have increased the circle of people I’ve been able to meet within the industry.
And, why has that been important to you?
Meeting people from across the industry is especially important when you’re early in your career, it gives you a wider scope of jobs, roles and companies than you wouldn’t otherwise have access to! I know more people and more about this industry from interacting with SMPTE events.
Tickets for SMPTE Young Innovators North on 23rd February are available here.
