Bill Admans Ateliere Creative Technologies COO
Alison Pavitt Pebble Director of sales & marketing
What was your first media industry job? Work experience in 1978 at a rural Australian television station. I learned to shoot and edit films, arming me with a portfolio to apply to film school. The boss handed me a 16mm camera and told me to bring back usable footage. Imagine my excitement as a teenager when I saw my stories on the news. How many different job titles have you had in the industry? I worked in Australia, New Zealand and London as a director and editor on TV shows, ads, promos and music videos – a game-changer was launching TV3 in New Zealand. I moved to the US with NBC and later Fox. Avid was innovating post- production, and I was hooked – I became an early adopter as lead editor for several LA post houses. The CEO then asked me to head their post-production market segment. After that, I joined Dolby as a product marketing executive. A proud moment was accepting an Emmy with my peers for the PRM-4200 reference monitor. I moved to Netflix, where I leveraged relationships to develop vendor partnerships. In my time at Netflix, I discovered Ateliere. Did your education prepare you for the work? My background is unconventional for a COO. I’m a film school graduate and learned the media business through mentors. I also took professional education university courses to enhance my skill set. My wife and I launched a non-profit, helping low- income students go to college – it’s gratifying to see students earn their degrees and commence their careers. What was the worst day at work you ever had? When I let someone go. No one likes to fire people. Sometimes it’s because they aren’t the right fit or their heart isn’t in it. No matter the reason, I always ask myself what we could have done differently to mentor the employee, and take pains to learn from it. As leaders, we must be introspective and develop our people. The best? There’s no moment I can single out, because there are so many great experiences. I’ve travelled the world and lived in several countries. I’ve met celebrities and world leaders and enjoyed countless unforgettable experiences. However, I cherish most the lifelong friendships along the way. What has been the biggest change in the media industry between when you first started and now? I’ve seen tremendous change, from analogue to digital and everything in-between. The most significant is the internet, bringing the world together and allowing us to entertain in ways previously unimagined. When I started, we shot film and recorded on two-inch videotape. Today, anyone can create compelling stories with a phone, and share videos with millions. If you could fix one thing about the way people work, what would it be? Diversity, equity and inclusion are not buzzwords. We have a long way to go to make media representative, and must commit to change, so the people who create stories reflect society more accurately. It starts with early pipelines for diverse talent, making conscious decisions about who we hire and why they are vital. It requires creating discourse and learning, to ensure equal opportunities that empower employees and audiences.
What was your first media industry job? I joined Aston, the character generator specialist, in 1987 as a sales engineer. As a languages graduate, it was a bit of a stretch! But I fell in love with the industry right from the first interview – it’s a passion that hasn’t waned in all these years. How many different job titles have you had in the industry? From sales engineer, I progressed through various roles to taking on responsibility for around half of the company’s export sales territories (where the languages came in very handy). And then, into marketing, where I continued on a part-time basis after starting a family. Following a career break, I joined Pebble as marketing manager, before taking on this role at the start of 2021. Did your education prepare you for the work? Being fluent in German was undoubtedly an advantage in my days on the road around Europe. The analytical and writing skills an arts degree gives you have been helpful in my marketing roles. However, I believe a passion for the industry, strong customer focus, interest in business and hunger to keep learning are the best qualifications.
What was the worst day at work you ever had? Probably in a previous life, when a company I was working for went into administration. I had to pick up the phone to suppliers I had worked with closely, telling them that we might not be able to pay. That was really tough. The best? New Year ’s Eve in 2021, when I knew for definite we had absolutely smashed our targets for the year, despite all the hurdles and hiccups Covid-19 had thrown at us along the way. What has been the biggest change in the industry between when you first started and now? marketing hat on, it’s been the volume, speed and ease of communication. Back in 1987, we were writing letters on typewriters and sending telexes to our customers. It seems very twee and genteel looking back! What one piece of advice would you give to someone seeking a career in the media industry? Nurture relationships. There are so many opportunities to go for and a wealth of warm, wise and passionate people who will help as you work to achieve your goals. From the vendor side and with my sales and
I FELL IN LOVE WITH THE INDUSTRY FROMTHE FIRST INTERVIEW
feedmagazine.tv
Powered by FlippingBook