Interview with Stephan Kappel, Senior Director Professional Services for APAC & EMEA, Imagine Communications.
– Can you tell me about your family background? Who are your parents?
I was born in Saarbrücken, a small town in South-west Germany, just 10km from the French border. My father worked as a lighting technician at a TV and movie production company, so he was involved in the TV industry. My mother, on the other hand, was a medical nurse. She initially worked as a doctor’s assistant and later in a residential care home for the elderly. My mother is originally from Berlin and moved to Saarbrücken when she was in her early twenties. I grew up in a large extended family, living in a three-apartment house with my grandparents, parents, aunt, uncle, and cousins. We had lively family gatherings during special occasions like Christmas, New Year, and birthdays, which made my upbringing quite exciting. I have fond memories of growing up with my grandparents, especially because my grandmother was an excellent cook.
– How would you describe yourself during your school years?
In elementary school, I was a shy student who took my tasks and homework very seriously. I think my strict Prussian mother’s influence played a role in that, as she expected nothing less than perfection. However, as I moved on to grammar school (gymnasium), my interests and strengths emerged. I excelled in subjects like Physics, Mathematics, and English. These subjects became the focus of my school leaving exam (Abitur).
– Which university did you attend?
Initially, I had considered studying physics, but I eventually decided to enroll in Electrical Engineering at the university in my hometown. This decision was influenced by my desire to work in the TV industry like my father, perhaps as an audio engineer. At that time, I was passionate about music and played guitar. However, during my time at the university, I unexpectedly discovered my interest in programming and software engineering. I found it easy to learn and it fascinated me, even though I had never been particularly involved with computers or computer gaming before. This realization led me to shift my focus from Communications Engineering to Automation/Software Engineering, and I thoroughly enjoyed it.
– When did your interest in the TV industry develop?
My interest in the TV industry developed partly because of my father’s work. I had the opportunity to do an internship at the TV company where he was employed, which further fueled my curiosity and passion for the industry.
– What was your first job after completing your studies?
After completing my studies, I had an offer from my Software Engineering professor to work in his university spin-off company. However, I decided to accept an offer from Siemens instead. I worked as an IT Systems Engineer in a large data center in Karlsruhe, where I gained valuable experience in IT systems, networks, and software.
– How did your career progress from there?
During my time at Siemens, I learned a great deal about IT systems, services, networking, and IT security. After 3.5 years, I became a team lead. It was during this period that I became interested in IP/Internet technologies. In fact, I was so captivated by the possibilities that I presented a case to Siemens headquarters in Munich to convince them to allow me to register the Internet domain “siemens.de,” which I was eventually granted. I was promoted to IT Group Manager and led a team responsible for designing and operating IT and Internet services for numerous servers and workstations. Through this role, I had the opportunity to explore emerging technologies and collaborate with major companies in the industry.
Later on, I received an offer from Silicon Graphics (SGI) to join their Professional Services team as a project manager. Eventually, I became the Practice Manager for Media & Storage at SGI. We achieved a significant milestone by winning the first broadcast project in Germany for SGI, which was a digital newsroom for the Public Broadcaster SWR. As a system integrator, we combined SGI technology with products from various broadcast vendors, integrating them seamlessly and creating innovative digital media solutions for newsrooms, digital archives, and non-linear editing.
Our team leveraged our IT and software skills to develop “Glue-Software” which integrated different systems with features that other vendors couldn’t offer at that time. For example, we enabled editors to start editing incoming high-res material on a non-linear editor within seconds, and we could start playout the final version while it wasstill rendering. We also implemented an efficient restoration from digital high-resolution video archives, allowing users to restore for example only the sequences of a soccer match they were interested in rather than the entire match.
Our success led us to compete with established companies like Avid Technologies and win deals from them. After spending around 6-7 years at SGI, I decided to accept an offer from Avid, as SGI started losing market share in their main market of Graphics and High-Performance Computing. SGI decided to spin off the Media & Broadcast Business, and I took on the role of running the Professional Services and Presales teams in the Central and Nordic regions at Avid. It was exciting to work for a company where media was at the core of their business and not just a niche.
In late 2008, I received an offer to move to Moscow and establish the Avid entity for Russia and CIS. I was drawn to the opportunity of starting something from scratch and running a department or business. Additionally, the decision was partly influenced by personal reasons as my Russian wife had passed away six months prior, and we had always planned to live in her home country for a certain period. My time in Moscow was a valuable experience where I learned a great deal, working with a small team responsible for sales, presales, marketing, and channel management. It also significantly improved my Russian language skills.
Due to personal reasons, I decided to return to Germany in 2010. Shortly after, my former boss from Avid approached me with an offer to join Harris (Broadcast), now known as Imagine Communications. Currently, I serve as the Director of Professional Services for EMEA & APAC regions. In this role, I oversee a team of Solution Architects, Project Managers, Regional Professional Services Managers, and Professional Services Engineers. We design, deliver, and support our solutions across the regions, which involves managing diverse international teams and working with different cultures. Over the years, I have gained extensive experience in people management and have had the opportunity to contribute to the company’s P&L through service and support revenue.
– What does your life outside of work look like?
Outside of work, I got remarried 10 years ago, and my wife and I have two seven-year-old daughters. I have a deep love for music, and I find joy in continuous learning, driven by my fascination with leading-edge technology. I have always embraced the philosophy of “Stay hungry. Stay foolish,” as famously quoted by Steve Jobs. Throughout my professional and personal life, I consider my ability to recognize the potential in certain technologies before others have realized it as one of my greatest accomplishments. From introducing Internet/IP technologies at Siemens, software-integrated Broadcast systems at SGI, Cloud technologies at Imagine Communications to setting up an entity in Russia and meeting sales targets during the 2009 financial crisis, these experiences have shaped my career and personal growth. Additionally, learning Russian on my own and adapting to different environments have been fulfilling achievements for me.
