Article posted on June 17, 2021
The media and entertainment industry is constantly evolving as global competition rises and new technologies expand the possibilities for enhanced operations. Many organizations in this market are currently faced with critical transformations such as moving to an IP-centric infrastructure, navigating new opportunities in virtualized operations, or looking for new ways to monetize content through efficient technology and operations solutions.
With a unique emphasis on enabling innovation and growth, Diversified’s Emerging Technology and Solutions (ET&S) team specializes in executive-level thought leadership, program management and conceptual technology design for media companies of all sizes across all regions of the world. In lockstep with recent company announcements, centered around global expansion and delivering added value and tangible ROI to customers, this team is strategically growing it capabilities with a strong focus on the future and digital transformation.
Focused on building a team of industry experts who are future-centric when it comes to the types of solutions clients need to remain competitive in the global market, Diversified is proud to welcome Walter Sturm to the ET&S team as senior program manager. With more than 25 years in broadcast and production media & IT, he holds patents in multi-CDN load balancing and digital programmable radio, as well as patents pending in dynamic video encoding, video player logic and digital rights management (DRM). Having worked for such companies as AT&T, Akamai, Century Link, Verizon and Comcast, Sturm’s noteworthy media industry contributions include founding product manager for AT&T’s content delivery network (CDN), overseeing video operations for Verizon’s Redbox Instant and video performance optimization efforts with Comcast, NBCUniversal, HBO, AMC and others.
“I am very excited to join Diversified and help expand the program management capabilities for the company’s clients around the globe,” says Sturm. “I look forward to helping further define innovative strategies, leveraging my experience in planning, design and creation of advanced technologies as cloud-based solutions become more capable and our clients continue embracing more digital content delivery solutions.”
Sturm’s program management credentials include a green belt in Lean Six Sigma and a 20+ year track record of successfully leading diverse, complex broadcast & IT projects through all phases of execution—from conception to completion.
“The welcomed addition of Walter to our team highlights our ongoing commitment to supporting the constantly evolving media ecosystem for our customers around the world,” says Jason Kornweiss, vice president and general manager for Diversified’s ET&S team. “I’m thrilled to expand our offerings into these new critical areas of focus, further positioning Diversified as the most experienced thought leadership team in our industry.”
Working alongside Walter will be industry and Diversified veteran, Tom Michales, who was recently promoted to the team’s director of solutions. With more than 35 years in the media industry, Tom will continue to draw upon his project and program management experience to provide technical operations leadership, strategy and fulfillment in this expanded role.
Responding to the challenges of constantly evolving manufacturer technologies offering 4K and 2110 products, Diversified’s experience deploying the industry’s most innovative design solutions, paired with Tom and Walter at the helm of ET&S operations, is sure to provide unbiased guidance to streamline the decision-making processes for current and future customers undergoing reinvestment and reimagination of facilities, workflow and operations.
