MEF N America
The N America division of MEF was conceived in April 2002 to empower the entertainment industry and all relevant players to identify the best technology, legal content usage protocols and demonstrable revenue opportunities for fulfilling the promise of the growing mobile market. The founding board included EMI, Moderati, AG Interactive, QPass, Warner Music Group and Qualcomm and was led by Ralph Simon.
MEF N America has established itself as a thought leader at entertainment and technology conferences, such as CTIA, Digital Hollywood, NATPE and others, by co-programming panel tracks on mobile industry trends. Invitation-only events, such as the networking party at CTIA IT & Wireless 2006, bring together the “who’s who” of mobile and entertainment in an exclusive, informal setting.
Moving forward, the Los Angeles-based division is turning an eye towards regional issues as they arise in the marketplace and in government. Child protection, content advisory labels and copyright protection are all matters central to Hollywood and critical to successfully adopting entertainment to the mobile platform. MEF N America works closely with major entertainment trade associations RIAA, AFI and MPAA and technology-focused groups DiMA and the Digital Watermarking Alliance to lend support on mutual concerns and unify both industries.
MEF N America has localized and is leading key initiatives. The Ad-Funded Mobile Entertainment Initiative produced a VIP panel event at Digital Hollywood Santa Monica and is working to conduct a case study of the viability and consumer acceptance of content funded wholly or in part by advertising. The Education Initiative specializes in producing events that increase the traditional entertainment industry’s understanding of the mobile platform.
The diversity of companies represented on the MEF N America board reflects the membership at large and places the N America division at an advantage to address the concerns of all constituents. Through initiatives, policy and events, MEF N America continues to bridge the divide between traditional entertainment companies and the leaders in the mobile industry who will help shape their future.
MEF N America
Mariya Smith
Member Relations and
Operations Manager
Prior to joining MEF as the N America Member Relations and Operations Manager, Mariya specialized in executive search and conducted numerous searches in the digital media and entertainment space. She brings a deep understanding of the entertainment industry and a strong background in marketing and client management, having worked on several grass-roots and multi-platform marketing campaigns. She is also well versed with new technologies in digital entertainment.
Mariya holds a BA in Communications from Cal State University, Sacramento. She is based in Los Angeles.
Laura Silvers
Policy and Initiatives Manager
Laura joined MEF in December 2009 as Policy and Initiatives Manager, N America. She brings over 20 years experience in telecommunications operations and technology and has worked for a number of early stage and established companies including AT&T, T-Mobile, SunCom, Nuance, Visto (Good Technology), TELUS, GreatCall/Jitterbug, Cox Communications and others.
Some of her accomplishments include serving as the Team Lead to analyze, design, develop, implement, and evaluation both the Test Desk and DBA departments at Cox Communications for the Hybrid Fiber Coax Network launch; serving as the Program Manager to lead both the Retail and Web product launches at GreatCall,Inc (Jitterbug); and, working as a liaison between the business and IT for the successful insurance subscriber migration for the SunCom acquisition.
Laura received her BS in Mathematics from University or Arizona and a MBA from Keller Graduate School of Management. She currently works as a Telecommunications Consultant and is based out of Seattle.
MEF Americas Board of Directors
Gary Schwartz
MEF N America Chair
CEO, Impact Mobile
As CEO of Impact Mobile, a leading Canada-based mobile marketing solution provider, Gary has long recognized the value of deepening the footprint of MEF Americas into the Canadian mobile industry. His positions as chair and founder of the Canadian Wireless Telecommunications Association's Mobile Content Committee and the Interactive Advertising Board's mobile committee in Canada and the US afford him a unique opportunity to move between each country with ease.
Recently, Gary has been developing policy and educational strategy and presented at the Federal Trade Commission town hall in Washington, DC.
Sanjaya Krishna
MEF N America Vice-Chair
Principal & US Digital Services Leader, KPMG, LLC
Sanjaya Krishna is a Principal in the Information Communications and Entertainment practice at KPMG LLP. He has over 16 years experience in the telecommunications industry covering a variety of operational areas information systems, billing, network management and business development. Sanjaya has also worked as a Big 4 advisor to the telecom and media industries with project work covering a wider variety of operational areas. He has led projects at companies in the US, Asia and Latin America. Over the last 5 years, Sanjaya’s work has more closely focused on media and telecommunications companies digital content businesses. Sanjaya currently serves as KPMG LLP’s US Digital Services Leader. He has spoken at numerous external and KPMG-client internal conferences on the topic of digital content. He has also been a primary author on the topic of digital content for KPMG-authored and external publications. Prior to joining KPMG, Sanjaya worked at Terabeam, a Seattle, WA-area company providing telecommunications services utilizing leading-edge IP data networking technology in addition to leading-edge free-space optics technology. He also worked in the Advisory practice of Arthur Andersen from 1996 and 2000 and at MIDCOM Communications, a long-distance reseller from 1993 to 1996, both also in Seattle, WA. Sanjaya started his career in 1987 as a Financial Analyst at The Marriott Federal Employees Credit Union in the Washington, DC area. He is happy to have been elected to the MEF Americas board where he can more prominently continue his contribution to efforts supporting MEF’s mission.
Ron Czerny
Founder & CEO
Playphone
As founder, chief executive officer and board member, Ron Czerny (pronounced “Cher-nee”) serves as the visionary and driving force behind PlayPhone’s corporate strategy. His more than 14 years of experience in the digital entertainment industry has allowed Czerny to help establish PlayPhone’s dominance in the mobile media industry and has positioned the company to compete and thrive on a global scale.
In 2000, Czerny founded Atrativa, a mobile and Internet consumer entertainment company with operations based mainly in Latin America as chief executive officer, Czerny led Atrativa to its current status as the premier Web game provider in South America, powering several major ISPs including UOL (South America’s largest ISP), Yahoo! Brazil, AOL Brazil, MSN Brazil, Ibest (Telecom Brazil), Terra Networks (North and South America) and many others. RealNetworks, Inc. acquired Atrativa in 2006.
Czerny also played an important role in Latin America’s video game industry between 1992 and 1999 as the co-founder of the Brazilian Entertainment and Video Game Association. He also served as the president of Romstar and Sports Arcade, companies with strategic and exclusive partnerships with Capcom for video game distribution in Latin America.
Czerny holds a degree in business administration with an emphasis in international business from San Jose State University in California.
Gavin Kim
Vice President, Content & Data Services and
Enterprise Mobility
Samsung Telecommunications America
Gavin Kim is Vice President of Content & Data Services and Enterprise Mobility for Samsung Telecommunications America (Samsung Mobile). Gavin has responsibility for incubating Samsung’s content/developer partnerships, and leading strategy and development of Samsung Mobile’s software products and services for wireless devices. He also has responsibility for building Samsung’s Enterprise (B2B) business in the United States.
Prior to joining Samsung, Gavin held the role of Vice President at Advanced Technology Ventures (ATV), an early-stage venture fund, where he focused on investments in mobile and media software companies. Gavin came to ATV from Motorola where he was responsible for product planning and operations for mobile devices with Sprint Nextel. Gavin has also held business development and management positions with PacketVideo Corporation and Ascend Communications.
Gavin holds an M.B.A from Kellogg School of Management at Northwestern University and a Bachelor’s Degree in engineering from Cornell University.
Dan Mo
Sr. Program Manager
T-Mobile USA
Dan is a senior program manager at T-Mobile U.S.A. He is managing the carrier’s data service programs such as the mobile content system, search and mobile board band products. He has 20 years experience in telecom, 8 years in wireless. Previously, he consulted at AT&T Wireless and helped managed wireless data, network and IT programs. Prior to that, he helped build 3 software startup companies and launched numerous products from concept to market acceptance. Two of these start-up companies were successfully acquired by larger companies. He holds an MBA and M.Sc. in computer science. He is actively involved in non-profit organizations. He is the president of the T-Mobile Toastmaster Club and also the president of a Seattle high tech professional association of 300 members.
At MEF, Dan currently serves as the Chair of Finance committee overseeing MEF's budget and all financial activities to ensure clear ROI. He also serve on the Market Communications Committee to manage marketing plan - events, PR, Products (webinars, surveys, white papers, etc.) - to clearly link with achieving chapter KPIs and ensure alignment of MEF’s brand and messaging to agreed Global standard.
Massimiliano Pellegrini
CEO
Dada Entertainment
Recently appointed Managing Director of Dada.net S.p.A., the subsidiary company that manages all consumer business for Dada S.p.A., a leading international provider of web and mobile community and entertainment services, Max Pellegrini has played a key role in the internationalization of the company’s D2C product, in the U.S., Spanish and Latin American markets. At the creation of Dada Entertainment LLC, a joint venture between Dada and Sony BMG Music Entertainment, Max was appointed CEO in October 2007 and he still covers this role.
Before joining Dada in May 2000, Pellegrini worked for Andersen Consulting (now Accenture), where as a Senior Manager in the Strategic Services Division he specialized in the planning and integration of complex programs of organizational change. In AC he worked with clients operating in the oil and chemistry industry and the utility sector specializing in Internet Economy as the General Manager of a start-up company held by AC.
Massimiliano Pellegrini graduated from the University of Florence in 1993 majoring in Business Administration. He later specialized in Business Finance and General Management at St. Joseph University in Philadelphia.
Joe Waimrin
VP Business Development
mBlox
Joe Waimrin brings to MEF 20 years of telecommunications and mobile messaging experience.
Previously at companies such as AT&T, ClearSky Mobile Media, XO Communications and currently in his position of vice president of business development at mBlox, Waimrin has built a profound and extensive understanding of the mobile entertainment industry.