Three new recruits bring varied experience and knowledge to deliver proactive customer relations.
Recognizing the growing need from media organizations to partner with innovative technology vendors as they look to navigate their transition to an IP-connected and cloud-based landscape, Imagine Communications has added three key new appointments to its European sales team.
Mark Beard becomes senior sales director for the UK and South Africa, Daniel Shihata is technical sales manager for the UK, and Niklas Fabian joins the Munich office as a pre-sales consultant for Imagine’s networking solutions, for all markets in EMEA and APAC.
“We know that media companies today are looking to form strong, co-operative relationships with key vendors as they progress their journey towards the IP-connected, software-enabled future,” said Mathias Eckert, SVP & GM EMEA and APAC for Imagine Communications. “That is why we are strengthening our team with Mark, Daniel and Niklas. Their track records speak for themselves, bringing not just years of service in the industry, but also interesting and valuable insights gained throughout their careers.
“Imagine continues to enjoy a period of dynamic growth, thanks to always being ahead of the pack in terms of IP connectivity and software-oriented functionality. Also key to that success is listening to our customers to understand their specific goals, so we can work together to develop technology plans that allow their businesses to grow,” Eckert continued. “Strengthening our team with industry leaders like Mark, Daniel and Niklas, will help us deliver on this vital ambition.”
Starting in advertising sales, Mark Beard has enjoyed a long career with broadcast suppliers, including DMC, Ericsson, BBC Technology and Red Bee. Most recently, he was responsible for the global sales and marketing strategy for Planetcast, one of the largest broadcast service providers in the Asia-Pacific region. In his new role, he will work with an already strong Imagine team to ensure the entire product portfolio and solutions capabilities are represented across the region.
Daniel Shihata brings a strong engineering background, including ground-breaking work in passive radar. He spent 10 years with TSL Products, including as a regional sales manager where he successfully sold many IP solutions to several high-profile projects in Europe. At Imagine, Shihata will use his long-standing experience and knowledge of the broadcast sector to strengthen the UK playout and networking team, and support media companies and systems integrators as they continue their transition to IP.
Niklas Fabian started out in production before moving into engineering and solutions architecture. He joins Imagine Communications after 12 years with Rohde & Schwarz. Based in the Munich office, he will draw on his broad range of skills to build bridges between customers and Imagine’s development and product management teams, ensuring that the networking product portfolio precisely matches the practical requirements of the industry. As technology becomes increasingly software-based, Fabian will bring his experience to bear, ensuring that the vital work needed to have the right feature sets implemented in products like Imagine’s world-renowned Selenio Network Processor (SNP) continues for new projects and future developments.
