Talk us through an average day in your role
There isn’t really a typical day in my role, but a large part of it involves connecting Appear’s long-term strategy with what we’re seeing in the market. A key priority is listening closely to customers to build clarity around both short- and medium-term opportunities. Initiatives such as Appear’s customer councils play an important role here, providing valuable insights that shape how we evolve our product direction, development priorities and company positioning.
I spend a lot of time working across teams, from product and services through to commercial and leadership, to ensure we clearly communicate the value Appear delivers to both existing and new customers.
The CMO role is newly created following our successful IPO in November 2025, and reflects our business momentum, and especially our ambition for the future. A major part of my focus is to elevate our marketing and communications capability to accelerate growth.
How did you get started in the media industry?
In 1996, fresh out of University, I joined a Danish company called RE, developing ETSI 34Mbit/s and 140Mbit/s contribution encoders for broadcast use. That role was my introduction to this industry, and through it I quickly learned to appreciate the collaborative nature of building broadcast technology solutions, where vendors, broadcasters and standards bodies work together to move the television industry and consumer experience forward.
I began in technical and pre-sales roles, working closely with customers and partners, which gave me a strong understanding of how broadcast workflows operate. Over time, I moved into more strategic and commercial positions, including roles in marketing and communications at Ericsson and most recently at Amazon Web Services (AWS), where I was a part of a period of remarkable growth.
Joining Appear felt like a natural next step. The company has achieved impressive growth while maintaining a strong customer focus, and I’m excited to use my experience to help accelerate that growth, while also contributing to the company’s evolving culture and leadership.
What training did you have before entering the industry?
My background is rooted in technology and customer-facing roles rather than following a single formal route into media. Early in my career I developed a strong understanding of broadcast infrastructure and digital systems, while also building experience in commercial and strategic roles. Each new role provided me with an opportunity to broaden my experience and has ultimately shaped the way I approach leadership and marketing in the media technology sector today.
However, the most valuable learning has come from working directly with customers and understanding how technology operates in real-world production environments. Live broadcasting, particularly in areas like sport, requires absolute reliability, and seeing how those workflows operate gives you a deep appreciation for the technologies that underpin them and their importance to customers.
Why do you enjoy working in the industry?
What excites me most about the media and entertainment industry is the combination of creativity, technology and global reach. Few industries can bring audiences together the way media does, whether it’s live sport, major global events or new forms of digital content.
Shifts in technology have always driven this industry forward. The most successful people I have worked with have pioneered consumer experiences through a collaborative approach and a unified drive to push the industry forward. It really is unique.
My time at AWS allowed me to understand first-hand how the incredible pace of IT technology and cloud operating models is transforming every industry. Having played a key part in enabling the EMEA media industry to embrace cloud, I now look forward to supporting Appear’s customers as they embrace new ways of working, including hybrid workflows and exploring emerging AI tools, while maintaining a laser focus on combining the reliability that television demands with the speed and agility that virtualisation and cloud can deliver.
What piece of advice would you offer someone looking to explore a role similar to yours?
My biggest advice would be to stay curious about both technology and the customer perspective. The media industry is continually changing, and the people who succeed in leadership roles are those who understand how technological innovation translates into real business outcomes for their customers.
It’s also important to spend time listening to the industry. Appear has built strong relationships throughout the industry, and those conversations are critical in ensuring that we stay ahead of the curve to deliver the solutions our customers need.
Finally, don’t think of roles like this purely as marketing positions. They’re about connecting the dots between technology, customer needs and business strategy. If you can bring those elements together and communicate a clear vision, you can play a meaningful role in shaping how the industry evolves.
