What’s your role in the media tech industry?
I am a senior media systems engineer at The Walt Disney Company, which encompasses many areas! Whilst I am involved with some of the software development side, my main focuses are on cloud architecture and deployments for our Media Asset Management system and its ancillary workflows. Our small team looks after content processing workflows spanning markets in EMEA, APAC and LATAM, delivering thousands of localised content assets to platforms and end users every month. Our global users bring their own workflows and specific use cases, so much of my work is joining systems together and bringing everyone into one unified system that is highly secure, resilient and reliable. I love to mentor people and share knowledge wherever possible—especially with our cloud workflows—so that everyone can grow their own knowledge.
Tell us about your journey to get there.
I studied what is now known as the Film Production & Broadcast Engineering degree at the University of Surrey between 2017-2021. The degree content gave a great balance of creative and the engineering side of broadcast, from storyboarding to advanced signal processing and circuit design. Going into University, I was convinced that I’d become an editor, though quickly I discovered my leaning towards the technology side through the many modules I studied, ultimately settling on cloud workflows as my speciality. I was also fortunate to complete an industrial placement year with Disney within the same team I am in now, which exposed me to the wide world of content acquisition, processing and distribution as well as my first exposure to cloud architecture.
Why did you say yes to being involved in SMPTE Young Innovators?
It was a perfect match! The idea of bringing people together from across the industry, be it early careers or experienced professionals, felt like a great way to make new connections and truly embrace the broadcast engineering world. Being also surrounded by other students and recent graduates made me feel right at home for my first event, and attending now I always look forward to catching up with existing connections and making new ones.
Why was it valuable for you to share your own work/experience?
Being able to present my dissertation project at my first Young Innovators event felt like a great opportunity to put myself out there in the industry, to network with a great mix of people and ultimately encourage others to do the same. It was a massive boost to my confidence as a recent graduate to be able to speak in front of a room full of talented people and continue those discussions well into the evening. It also set me up well for future mentoring opportunities, as well as giving me a great confidence boost for the presentations and workshops I run at Disney.
Why do you think such an event is important to students/those just starting their careers in the industry?
I would argue there are few better ways to see the variety of the broadcast industry than an event like Young Innovators. Every SMPTE event is a great chance to experience a new side of the industry, but this series is perfectly suited for those beginning their new careers. Whether you are presenting, on a discussion panel or just there to network and meet new people, it’s all hugely valuable for your professional development. You never know who you might meet and stay in touch with! There are always opportunities to learn from the people around you and meet those responsible for the SMPTE standards we all follow.
What was the highlight of the event you attended?
I am fortunate to have met some great people through Young Innovators and to have stayed in touch ever since. A big highlight was mentoring Irene Muñoz-López in her presentation preparation last year (she smashed it!) and seeing her grow throughout the process. It is always fascinating to see what other people are pouring their energy into, and in each talk I have always learnt something new.
What would you say to anyone thinking about attending in 2026?
Go for it!! Not just for the food (though that is always nice), but to meet people and learn something new. Bring a friend or a colleague and be open to conversations—you never know who you might meet. Whether you’re still studying, just graduated or have been a working professional for many years, there is always something to gain.
How has Young Innovators helped you to stay engaged with the industry?
By bringing people together from across the many disciplines of broadcast, you find yourself exposed to a much wider remit than at university or in your work environments. The chats I’ve had at Young Innovators have fuelled discussions at work and at home! It is always something I look forward to on my calendar, and I can’t wait to see what 2026 has to bring.
And, why has that been important to you?
Broadcast is rapidly evolving, whether it’s moving into the IP space, cloud deployments, AI or something else. Keeping engaged with the industry means you’re not left behind when the next big development hits and keeps you proactively exploring what might make a fundamental change to your ways of working.
Tickets for SMPTE Young Innovators South on 5th February are now available here.
Register your interest for Young Innovators North here to get first access to ticketing when booking opens.
