Singapore
Walter Fernandez
Editor-in-Chief & Chief Sustainability Officer Mediacorp
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Walter Fernandez

Mr Walter Fernandez is the Editor-in-Chief of Mediacorp. He oversees all news and current affairs content on television, radio and digital across English news brands such as CNA and TODAY as well as vernacular brands such as Berita in Malay and Sethi in Tamil. CNA was named the Channel of the Year by the Association of International Broadcasting (AIB) based in London in 2020. Mr Fernandez has been a journalist and editor for over 25 years and manages more than 1,000 staff in Singapore and around the world. In the past three years, he has led the accelerated digital transformation of the traditional newsrooms in Mediacorp. He also oversees AI strategy and solutions for the newsrooms and broadcast engineering for Mediacorp.

Mr Fernandez has been concurrently appointed as Chief Sustainability Officer with effect from 1 May 2021. He will drive Mediacorp’s sustainability initiatives and action plans across its business and among its staff.

USA
Robert E. Frye
Managing Director Whistling Communications
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Robert E. Frye

With four decades of experience in documentaries and network news programs, Mr. Frye has been an independent documentary producer and director since 1988. Since that time he has completed more than 20 documentaries. Previously, during his 14-year career at ABC News, he was the founding executive producer of "ABC World News Tonight" with Peter Jennings, the executive producer of “Good Morning America” and the creator of “World News This Morning.”

Frye was producer of the ABC Evening News while at ABC News in Washington D.C. with Barbara Walters and Harry Reasoner from 1976 to 1978 prior to his being assigned to the London bureau. As Washington Bureau Chief, he helped establish a news syndication service Television News Inc (TVN) which was a forerunner of CNN.  The bureau was responsible for breaking stories related to Watergate, the resignation of Vice President Spiro, and the resignation of Richard Nixon.  

 

He began his network career as a page at NBC and moved on to NBC News as the researcher to Frank McGee and the NBC Instant Specials unit, covering such stories as the assassination of JFK and the overthrow of Nikita Khrushchev.

Frye’s documentary “In My Lifetime: A presentation of The Nuclear World Project,” was an official selection of the Global Peace Film Festival, telling the story of the sixty five year struggle to find solutions on how to dispose of and reduce the number of nuclear weapons in the world.  “In My Lifetime” earned a Silver World Medal in the 2013 New York Festivals TV & Film Awards.

His other documentaries deal with complex international subjects and include “Freedom without Walls” (2009) commemorating the 20th anniversary of the fall of the Berlin Wall; “The Berlin Trilogy” (2006) exploring 20th century Germany in “Kristallnacht: The Journey from 1938 to 1988”; “Journey of a City”; and “The Berlin Airlift.” Frye also produced and directed “The Journey of Butterfly,” a story of the Nazi ghetto at Terezin in Czechoslovakia, and “Russia: Facing the Future” (2001).   

Throughout his career, Mr. Frye’s body of work has received numerous industry accolades - the Emmy Award, two duPont-Columbia University Silver Batons, the  Peabody Award, the George Polk Award, the Christopher Award, a Rockie Award from the Banff Film Festival, a Golden Hugo from The Chicago International Film Festival, a Headliner, the IRE (Investigative Reporters) and a CINE Golden Eagles, as well as Gold and Silver Plaques from the Chicago International Film Festival’s INTERCOM.

USA
Alex Hahn
Electronic Media Artist Ludlow Arts
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Alex Hahn

Alexander Hahn is a pioneering electronic media artist. He received his MFA from the University of Fine Arts, Zürich/CH and is a 1981 fellow in the Whitney Museum Independent Study Program. His videos, installations and computer prints are exhibited worldwide, most recently at the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art, the Kunstmuseum Solothurn/CH, the Padiglione d’Arte Contemporanea, Ferrara/IT, and the National Art Museum of China, Beijing/CN. Among his awards are the New York State Council on the Arts Grant, Zurich Work Award, and the Swiss Federal Grant. He lives in New York.

USA
Brian Lockhart
Senior Vice President, Original Content and ESPN Films ESPN
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Brian Lockhart

Brian Lockhart currently serves as senior vice president of Original Content and ESPN Films. He is responsible for overseeing strategy and development of all original programming initiatives under the ESPN Films umbrella and E60, as well as original series and studio shows on ESPN+, ESPN’s direct-to-consumer streaming service. He also oversees Business Affairs, a function which handles deal-making, co-production, and Content business negotiation. He previously served as vice president and executive producer of Original Content for ESPN+.

Prior to his role at ESPN, Brian was vice president and executive producer of Original Content for NFL Media. He was responsible for overseeing the development and production of a wide array of content on multiple platforms, from long-form documentary series to digital media ventures and features. His responsibilities also extended beyond storytelling to include production, business development, and strategic leadership across several divisions. Brian developed, produced, and launched the NFL Network Originals series Undrafted and Football Town, and the digital series NFL Life. He was also the driving creative force behind the development of the original NFL Network documentary series The Timeline, highlighted by the critically acclaimed installment “America’s Game” and “The Iran Hostage Crisis.”

He began his NFL tenure in 2007 as coordinating producer for the network’s Features group. There he helped construct and develop the short form unit that would grow to service multiple news, information/studio shows, and social platforms, and he steered the division’s embrace of digital storytelling outlets. Among the highlights of his tenure were digital/broadcast hybrid projects that earned him three of his eight career Emmy Awards: the groundbreaking multiplatform experience JFK: The Untold Story of That Day in Dallas and the digital series The NFL Season: A Biography. His impact on the NFL Media Group extended beyond the successful content itself. As one of the highest-ranking executives of color, he served as a member of the National Football League Diversity Council, and his work as co-chair of the Black Engagement Network earned him the 2018 Commissioner’s Award for Teamwork.

Prior to his NFL tenure, Brian spent six years as a features and replay producer for HBO Sports from 2001 to 2007. There he produced and developed nonfiction, news, and live event programs including Inside the NFL, World Championship Boxing and Costas Now.

USA
Jodain Massad
Director, Development & Innovation, NFL Films National Football League
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Jodain Massad

Jodain Massad is Director, Development & Innovation, NFL Films for the National Football League. A seasoned executive producer, he brings 15+ years of experience as a brand champion, innovation agent, and story maker to the 2023 NYF Advisory Board.  

Prior to his current role with the NFL, Jodain served as Executive Producer, Innovation | Design for the University of Notre Dame. During his tenure he reset the vision and rebuilt culture for Norte Dame production, debuted the one hour awards show format on NBC Sports, rebranded the series “Onward Notre Dame” on NBC Sports, produced recruiting content to national acclaim, founded the subscription virtual experience Rally House, led the recruiting presentation strategy on Brand and NIL, and initiated the FightingIrishTV.com int’l subscription.

He began his production career in 2007 with the Kansas City Chiefs. Throughout his years with the organization, Jodain was promoted into a variety of leadership production roles including Director of Production. While in his role as Director of Production he produced an ESPN 30for30 short with Grant Curtis. During his8-year tenure with the Kansas City Chiefs, Jodain led the team in documentary, telecast design, and ad campaign production and served as a content contributor for online, broadcast and event entertainment.

An award-winning content creator, industry innovator, and sought after speaker, Jodain has earned numerous high-profile industry accolades including 27 Emmy® Awards, 6 New York Festivals International Film & TV Awards, and 5 Sports Video Group College Sports Media Awards.

USA
Bill McCullough
Chief Content Officer/Executive Producer Independent
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Bill McCullough


Bill McCullough is an 11-time Emmy Award winner served recently as Chief Content Officer/Executive Producer at the XFL.  Previously, he was  Executive Vice President at FaZe Clan and he was Vice President/Head of Content Development for NFL Media.  After 2 award-winning seasons as a Creative Director in the Marketing group where he helped drive record ratings, Bill moved to the content side of the organization where he was tasked with developing and executing a multi-platform content strategy for NFL Media.

The former Vice President of HBO Sports and Executive Producer of GoPro Entertainment has earned a reputation for developing and producing premium content like the NFL Films documentary A Lifetime of Sundays, Dude Perfect Super Bowl Trick Shots (27M+ views) and the 8-part Facebook docu-series Hala Madrid! (30M+ views).

During his time at HBO, Bill creative directed and edited the Emmy Award-winning HBO documentaries Breaking the Huddle, Assault in the Ring, Lombardi and Namath.   He won his first Emmy for editing the HBO documentary Howard Cosell: Telling It Like It Is.

Bill also directed the critically acclaimed HBO series’ Real Sports with Bryant Gumbel and State of Play, and won his most recent Emmy as Director for Outstanding Sports Anthology.  Other HBO projects include shows like The Chris Rock Show, Inside the NFL, Real Sports with Bryant Gumbel, and Reverb as well as campaigns for Sex and the City, Carnivale. Angels in America, The Sopranos, Six Feet Under, Def Poetry, and HBO Sports. 

During the early 2000’s Bill owned the NYC-based production company Wonderland Productions.  A full service, Emmy Award winning production company built from the ground up by Bill, Wonderland’s client list included HBO, ESPN, NBC, ABC, CBS, IFC, PBS, SpikeTV, McDonalds, Jaguar, Land Rover, Unilever, Pepsi, Spike Lee and many independent filmmakers.

Bill has won Emmy’s as a Producer, Director, Creative Director, Editor and Composer. 

USA
Michael Pearce
Producer Independent
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Michael Pearce

Michael Pearce is the former Head of Global Initiatives for Yahoo Studios in charge of major events coverage and global video production.

In his previous role as Head of Sports for Yahoo Studios, Mr. Pearce directed coverage of five Olympics and two World Cups for Yahoo and created and launched award-winning series such as Memorable Moments, Elite Athlete Workouts, Fantasy Football Live and the Yahoo Sports Minute.

Mr. Pearce spent 20 years in television news as a reporter, producer and executive producer before joining Yahoo in 2005.

USA
Regina Reyes
Journalist/Mentor/Advisor Independent
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Regina Reyes

Ma. Regina Reyes was responsible for all newsgathering, content and strategic direction of the Integrated News Division of ABS-CBN Corporation. She has over 20 years of solid experience as a broadcast journalist.  During her leadership, all news platforms of ABS-CBN – free-to-air, UHF and cable channels, digital, mobile and social media, radio and global became integrated.  Reyes also established a Futures, Standards and Practices Group that aims to ensure the accuracy, balance and fairness of ABS-CBN News content.

Reyes joined ABS-CBN in 1986 as a Production Assistant, rose from the ranks to become Executive Producer and Head Writer of the award-winning late night newscast, The World Tonight.  She supervised and produced live coverage of many special events, including the 2000 Impeachment Trial of former President Estrada.  She was appointed News Director in 2001. 

Prior to her promotion as SVP of Integrated News, Reyes was the network’s North America News Bureau Chief from 2002 to 2010.  A premier news personality in the Filipino-American community, Reyes established and expanded ABS-CBN’s news operations in the US and Canada. 

She covered issues on Philippine-US relations, Filipino-American community concerns and US politics, including the historic 2008 US presidential campaign and elections. 

Reyes also helped in the community-building efforts of The Filipino Channel in North America.  In 2007, she was named by the Filipina Women’s Network as one of the 100 Most Influential Filipino Women in the U.S.

Follow Reyes on Twitter @gingreyes and on Facebook/ging reyes

United Kingdom
Pete Stevenson
Executive Director The Edge Picture Company
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Pete Stevenson

Pete has been a Director of The Edge Picture Company for over 25 years.  He’s responsible for managing client relationships and delivering creative solutions for organisations and brands across the world. He brings extensive experience and passion to every project, always looking for ways to use the power of film to grab attention and change perceptions.  He speaks regularly to client leadership groups large and small and runs sessions on the Psychology of Film and its role in Behaviour Change. He’s also been closely involved over many years as a Taskforce member with Government-sponsored Engage for Success, an organisation focusing on inspiring and fostering better engagement across the UK. Pete’s work has garnered hundreds of international awards over the years, including the prestigious Grand Prix at the EVCOM London Film Awards.  In 2021 The Edge Picture Company was chosen by the New York Film & TV Festivals as their Production Company of the Year for a record 15 years in succession.

Philippines
Francis B. Toral
Head of Integrated News Division ABS-CBN Corporation
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Francis B. Toral

Francis Toral has been a journalist since 1998 and is currently the Head of the Integrated News Division of ABS-CBN Corporation, one of the Philippines’ leading media organizations.

Toral is responsible for the overall strategic direction and news agenda of the company’s various TV and digital programs and platforms, including TV PATROL, one of the longest-running and most watched newscasts in the country.  

On the digital sphere, ABSCBNnews.com is currently one of the top news websites in the Philippines and among the biggest Facebook publishers in the world.  Its YouTube channel has over 14.5 million subscribers and almost 10 billion views, while its Twitter account has 8.8 million followers. 

Prior to her appointment, Toral was Head of News Production, and has been spearheading coverage of national elections and presidential debates. She also led the News Desk, and Docu Central, the documentary unit of ABS-CBN News. This group produced several award-winning documentaries, including “’Di Ka Pasisiil”, a documentary on the War in Marawi, which won a Gold in the New York Festival in 2018.

Starting as a news writer for the ABS-CBN News Channel (ANC) in 1998, Toral was eventually promoted as Executive Producer of various news programs, including “The World Tonight”, the country’s premiere English newscast.

Toral graduated magna cum laude from the University of the Philippines in 1998.

In 2009, she was awarded the Benigno and Corazon Aquino Fellowship by the United States Embassy in Manila.

United Kingdom
Giles Trendle
Non-Executive Director Independent
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Giles Trendle

Giles Trendle has extensive experience in frontline reporting, documentary film-making and executive leadership within the media industry.

For 8 years, Giles was Managing Director of Al Jazeera English, an acclaimed and award-winning international news and current affairs channel producing 24/7 programming for a worldwide TV audience in over 400 million households and mobile content for global digital consumers.

Giles began his career in the late 1980’s as a freelance reporter in Lebanon covering the country’s civil war and hostage crisis. As a journalist and filmmaker he has also worked in Egypt, Iraq, Israel and the Palestinian territories, Jordan, Saudi Arabia and Afghanistan.

Giles is a trained executive coach and a member of the International Coaching Federation. He also holds a non-executive position on the steering committee of Covering Climate Now, a global consortium of some of the biggest names in news aimed at producing more informed and urgent climate reporting.

Netherlands
Ellen Windemuth
CEO WaterBear Network
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Ellen Windemuth

Ellen is the CEO of WaterBear Network, overseeing the strategy and direction of the new free streaming platform dedicated to the future of our planet. 

Prior to WaterBear, Ellen was owner and CEO of Off the Fence, having founded the company in 1994. Under her leadership, Off the Fence acquired, produced, and co-produced over 6,000 hours of content. 

Ellen is a seasoned Executive Producer and Distributor and has produced over 500 hours to date herself. She executive produced My Octopus Teacher, which won this year’s BAFTA and Oscar for Best Feature Documentary. She is the Chair of the Jackson Wild Film Festival Board, Honorary President of the Sunnyside Doc 2019 festival in La Rochelle, France and is active in conservation and land development. Ellen was presented with Wildscreen’s Christopher Parson’s Outstanding Achievement Awards 2018. She has three children and a great passion for the outdoors.