22 Aug DEG Members Elect New Board, Adding FilmRise, Fox Entertainment Global, Vizio, and Vubiquity
Google’s Jonathan Zepp To Serve as DEG Board Chair
LOS ANGELES (AUGUST 22, 2024) – Members of DEG: The Digital Entertainment Group, the leading digital media trade association supporting home entertainment, have elected a new board representing the industry’s evolution to increasingly tech-driven business models.
DEG’s voting member companies elected the new Board of Directors to serve for the 2024-25 fiscal year (August 1 – July 31). Fox Entertainment Global and Vizio are newly represented on the DEG Board, while A+E Networks is returning to the Board. A+E Networks is represented by Mark Garner; Fox Entertainment Global is represented by Tony Vassiliadis; and Vizio is represented by Katherine Pond. Raman Abrol of Amdocs Media and Vubiquity will represent DEG’s Advanced Content Delivery Alliance (ACDA) on the Board, and Danny Fisher of FilmRise will represent the organization’s Direct to Consumer Alliance (D2CA).
The Leaders of DEG’s Board were elected to a two-year term and will serve through July 2026. Officers include Chair Jonathan Zepp of Google; Vice Chair Matt Strauss of NBC Universal (Peacock); CFO Andres Alvarez of Paramount Pictures; Secretary Andrea Downing of PBS Distribution; and Chair Emeritus Dan Cohen of Paramount Global. Board Director Rick Hack of Intel will lead DEG’s technology programming initiatives in the new role of EnTech Fest Chair.
DEG, which was founded in 1997, moves forward with an expanding global membership that includes almost 90 member companies encompassing all areas of the digital entertainment ecosystem. New members added in fiscal year 2023-24 include Angel Studios, Ateliere Creative Technologies, DirecTV, Duplitech, FPT Software, Frequency, FutureSource, GlobalLogic, IDC-LA, Play Anywhere, Pro-Tek Vaults, Protiviti, Vindicia, and Xcinex.
“This is an exciting time for our industry across traditional and emerging entertainment experiences. DEG has an opportunity to help its membership expand upon already productive dialogue to accelerate future growth and innovation” said Chair Jonthan Zepp. “I’m thrilled to work closely with the DEG board and all its members to help increase collaboration across diverse perspectives.”
“We are delighted to have Jon Zepp step into the office of Chair, and Matt Strauss return to Board leadership as Vice Chair. Both are seasoned industry leaders whose vision and experience flow from the intersection of technology and entertainment. This adds value for all our DEG members at this dynamic time for our business,” said Amy Jo Smith, DEG President & CEO.
DEG BOARD OF DIRECTORS
Officers of the Board (Fiscal Years 2024-26)
CHAIR
Jonathan Zepp
Media and Entertainment, Global Partnerships
Google
VICE CHAIR
Matt Strauss
Chairman Direct-to-Consumer and International
NBCUniversal Streaming Services (Peacock)
CHIEF FINANCIAL OFFICER
Andres Alvarez
EVP Head of Home Entertainment
Paramount Pictures
SECRETARY
Andrea Downing
President
PBS Distribution
CHAIR EMERITUS
Dan Cohen
Chief Content Licensing Officer, Paramount Global
and President, Republic Pictures
Board Directors (Fiscal Year 2024-25)
Mark Garner
EVP, Content Licensing & Business Development
A+E Networks
Carolyn An
Head of Partnership Engagement, US, CA, LATAM and APAC
Amazon MGM Studios
Jude Fitzmorris
Head of Product & Engineering, Prime Video Acquisition Technology
Amazon Prime
Chris Blandy
Director of Strategic Business Development for Media & Entertainment, Games and Sports
Amazon Web Services
Alisa Bowen
President
Disney+
Danny Fisher (D2CA Representative)
CEO
FilmRise
Tony Vassiliadis
EVP, Fox Entertainment Global
and COO, MarVista Entertainment
Ravi Velhal
Sr. Director, Global Content Technologies
Intel
Matt Durgin
VP North America Content and Services
LG Electronics, USA
Ron Schwartz
President Global Distribution
Lionsgate
Pedro E. Gutierrez, Jr.
Business & Marketing Category Lead for Entertainment, Consumer Applications, and Advertising
Microsoft Corp.
Jason Spivak
EVP Distribution – North America
Sony Pictures Entertainment
Adam Lewinson
Chief Content Officer
Tubi
Michael Bonner
President Universal Pictures Home Entertainment
Universal Film Entertainment Group
Katherine Pond
Group VP Platform Content & Partnerships
Vizio
Raman Abrol (ACDA Representative)
CEO, Vubiquity and
General Manager, Amdocs Media
David Decker
President, Content Sales
Warner Bros. Discovery
Bill Neighbors
Chief Content Officer
Xperi
Meri Hassouni (Canon Club)
SVP Global Business Development and Client Services
Giant Worldwide
Special Board Advisor
Download the press release here
ABOUT DEG
DEG advocates and promotes entertainment platforms, products and distribution channels that support the movie, television, music, consumer electronics and IT industries.
DEG membership is comprised of: 360 Solutions, A+E Networks, Amazon Prime, Amazon MGM Studios, Amazon Web Services, AMC Networks, Angel Studios, Ateliere Creative Technologies, BB Media, BBC Studios, bitMAX, Blu Digital Group, Cinelytic, Cineverse, Circana, Comcast, Deepdub, Deloitte, Deluxe Digital Studios, DirecTV, Disney+, Dolby Laboratories, Duplitech, ESPN+, Fandango/Vudu, FilmRise, Fox Entertainment Global, FPT Software, Frequency, FutureSource, GfK Entertainment, Giant Worldwide, GlobalLogic, Google, HDMI, IDC-LA, Intel, IRIS.TV, IYUNO, LG Electronics, Lionsgate Entertainment, Looper Insights, Mediagenix, Microsoft, Movies Anywhere, NAGRA, NexSpec, Omdia, Paramount Global, Paramount Home Entertainment, PBS Distribution, Peacock, Pixelogic, Play Anywhere, Plex, Premiere Digital, PRO-TEK Vaults, Protiviti, Reelgood, Respeecher, Samsung Electronics, Screen Engine/ASI, The Sherlock Company, Shout Studios, SmithGeiger, Sonopress, Sony Pictures Entertainment, Spherex, Tubi, Universal Pictures Home Entertainment, Veritone, Verizon Business Group, Vindicia, Vizio, VSYN+, Vubiquity, Warner Bros. Discovery, Wondrium, Xcinex, XL8, Xperi, and ZOO Digital.