events / past

Sharon Badrian

Head of Production, Promo Department, Keshet Broadcasting LTD, Israel

After eight years as a news producer for Channel 2 news and the Sports Channel news, Sharon Badrian joined the promo department of Keshet Broadcasting as a promo producer. For the past eight years she has headed up the production team, working alongside the creative team building up the best and most successful promo department in Israel. 

Keshet Media Group is Israel’s foremost media corporation. Its business centers on Keshet Broadcasting, a franchise of Channel 2, Israel’s leading commercial television. Over the years, Keshet has also become a leading content creator and provider for web and other interactive cross platforms. Keshet has successfully introduced various television formats abroad, the most notably being Showtime's “Homeland,” a multi-award winning creation based on which has won multiple awards, and is based on Keshet's original program “Hatufim.”

Roberto Bagatti

SVP Creative, Viacom International Media Networks; Creative Director, MTV World Design Studio Milan

Roberto Bagatti is the SVP of creative for Viacom International Media Networks (VIMN) and creative director for its MTV World Design Studio in Milan. In this role Bagatti is responsible for reinforcing and communicating VIMN’s unique position as a leading creative powerhouse. He works to align creative output with brand content as well as oversees and directs international branding projects across channel and property identities, building consistency between on-air, online, print and beyond. 

Bagatti and his team are instrumental to the collaboration and coordination within VIMN’s content and creative talent around the world needed to drive innovative and operational excellence. To ensure this vision and consistency is achieved, Bagatti works in close partnership with regional creative directors across the globe, in Europe, Latin America and Asia, as well as the regional design studios in Amsterdam, Buenos Aires, London, Singapore, Tokyo and Warsaw. 

In 2009 Bagatti and his team led the creative development and execution of MTV’s first-ever international rebrand.

Prior to his current role, Bagatti served as creative director of MTV Networks South Europe. Bagatti first joined MTV Italia in 1999 as a senior designer in the London based on-air department. In 2005 he was appointed creative director for the Italian MTV channels including MTV, Nickelodeon, Comedy Central, QOOB and La7 (a Telecom Italia Media terrestrial channel). 

Bagatti is the recipient of several European and worldwide awards recognizing his creative expertise. These include Gold and Silver awards at the PromaxBDA World Gold Design Awards in 2005, as well as two gold awards at PromaxBDA Europe in 2007 for Best Show Branding and Best Use of Existing Music. In 2008 he received gold and silver awards for Best Daytime Promo at the PromaxBDA World Gold Awards.

Nikki Bentley

Business Director, BDA

Nikki Bentley’s career has spanned continents and multiple broadcast disciplines. She started out in the South African film and television industry working on TV commercials before moving into content production, where she produced hundreds of hours of live entertainment for pan-African digital satellite service DSTV, and numerous long-form sponsored programmes which were distributed and broadcast globally. 

Bentley moved to the UK and worked in sports marketing before joining creative agency BDA where she is now business director for branding and campaigns, leading the agency’s global branding activity and building their international client base. She is part of the PromaxBDA Europe Advisory Council. Bentley is committed to advancing creativity within the media industry.

Jeff Conrad

Managing Director, The Council

Jeff Conrad can see inside the mind of the consumer – and he knows exactly how to give them what they want. 

Conrad’s reputation as a media-branding expert is so broad that everyone wants a piece of him: he appears frequently on TV and radio and is a seasoned speaker on the global conference circuit. So, really, it was only a matter of time before he realized he needed to strike out on his own – and so The Council was born. 

Previously business director at Red Bee Media and head of design at the BBC’s in-house creative division, Conrad has a long and successful track record of leading effective, award winning work. His foresight and unique knowledge of media brands, digital innovation and consumer insight has led to some pretty flashy success stories. 

In the UK, Conrad led the teams that delivered the ITV network rebrand, the multi-platform re-launch of BBC Three, the launch of Dave, which preceded the entire UKTV network rebrand, and the rebrand of Virgin1. 

In Europe Conrad has worked with brands big and small, public and commercial, including Canal+, Telecom Italia, Discovery EMEA, Red Bull, VRT, NPO, Sky Italia, Belgacom, ERT and Disney EMEA. His global reach has extended to clients such as CCTV in China, NineX News in India, and ADMC in Abu Dhabi. 

Recent projects at The Council include a new digital strategy for BAFTA, the rebrand of Finnish Public Service News, Current Affairs and Sport (Yle), a raft of channels for Star India (including Life OK), the launch film for the BBC’s global iPlayer as well as branding a few restaurants and banks and creating some campaigns for high profile charities along the way. 

Federico Gaggio

VP, Executive Creative Director, Discovery Networks UK & Western Europe

Federico Gaggio heads up the award-winning creative team at Discovery in London, providing creative leadership on brand, advertising, on-air promotions and marketing activities across Discovery Networks’ UK and Western European Markets.

Working with the heads of marketing and programming to inform brand, editorial and marketing strategy, he is responsible for creative strategy, network and channel branding, programme promotion, sponsorship integration and advertising campaigns across all media. He also leads the creative development of innovative marketing and content ideas to drive viewer engagement in the digital space.

Prior to joining Discovery, Gaggio worked as a creative director for a number of leading broadcasters and branding agencies in the UK and Europe. Gaggio and his team have been awarded many industry recognitions, including the PromaxBDA World Gold Award for Best In-house Creative Team in 2011, and Marketing Team of the Year in 2012.

Gabriel Galluccio

Head Creative, Fox International Channels

After a successful launch and seven years as the creative director of Sky Sport in Italy, Gabriel Galluccio became the platform creative director for Sky Italia in 2010. Galluccio is currently the head creative at Fox International Channels.

Galluccio has been worked in television for over 20 years. Most of his work was on the coverage of sporting events. That led to work during the launch of Fox Sports in the US. He won three Emmys during his work for the coverage of NFL on Fox. He also worked on the rebranding of the Fox Broadcasting Company in the US that unified the look and feel of the original Fox network. He was the co-founder of Fresh Design, a design studio in LA.

In 2003 Galluccio moved to Milan for the Launch of Sky Italia. He was also involved on the launch of the Champions League coverage of Al Jazeera Sports, as well as promotion campaigns for Fox Turkey, The Ratana Group on the Middle East and LBC (Lebanon Broadcasting Company). He has worked on the coverage of several Olympic Games, NFL, NHL, MLB, Super Bowls, Champions Leagues, Italian Serie A and many other sporting events.

Chiara Gatti

Creative Director, Shared Services, EMEA Kids Brands, Turner Broadcasting

Chiara Gatti started her career in media as a journalist and writer for teens, working for magazines and publishers in Italy. Shortly after moving to London, Gatti joined Turner Broadcasting as a creative producer responsible for the launch and brand development of Cartoon Network, Boomerang and Boing Italy. In 2009 she was appointed creative director in the newly created Turner Content Division, leading the team responsible for branding and franchise campaigns for the kids channels across EMEA.

Clémentine Gayet

Head of Marketing and Communication, i>TELE

Clémentine Gayet is the head of marketing and communication at i>TELE, Canal+’s news channel, based in Paris. Previously Gayet was a communications officer with Canal+ Group, in charge of press relations, social networking and special events. 

Pia Hagström

Planning Manager, Yle News and Current Affairs, Finnish Broadcasting Company

Pia Hagström has 20 years of experience in diverse positions within strategy and business development, media, journalism, brand design and marketing communication. Currently she leads significant renewal projects of news and sports brands at Yle, Finnish Broadcasting Company. 

Before joining Yle, Hagström has worked for Sanoma, McKinsey & Company and Taivas Ogilvy Group.

Isabelle Hen-Wollmarker

Head, Market Development, Swisscom

Isabelle Hen-Wollmarker is an international brand builder and marketer specializing in technology, media and entertainment brands. After leading the international brand strategy and communication for AETN's TV channels (History, BIO, Crime & Investigation Network, A&E) out of New York for 10 years, she relocated to Zürich, Switzerland in 2008, where she started her own brand consultancy before joining Google as head of marketing for Austria and Switzerland until 2012. Since May 2012, Hen-Wollmarker joined Swisscom as head of market development for the residential products of Switzerland’s leading telco (TV, Telefony and Internet services). 

At Google, Hen-Wollmarker oversaw marketing for all Google products in Austria and Switzerland. She grew the small business revenue in 2010 and 2011 by double digits and launched marketing partnerships and small agency training programs. She also led the successful StreetView information campaign and the launch of Google+ in Switzerland. 

At AETN, Hen-Wollmarker oversaw channel launches in Latin America, Asia, Europe, Africa and Australia. She developed new channel concepts and brand identities such as the very successful Crime & Investigation Network and spearheaded the global redesign of BIO (formerly known as The Biography Channel). She lead the creative strategy for all global consumer and trade campaigns and developed AETN's acclaimed affiliate and client programming and branding intranet and conferences. 

Prior to joining A&E Television Networks, Hen-Wollmarker was project manager for Premiere, the leading German pay-TV service, where she developed and managed consumer loyalty and communications programs. Before that, she held marketing positions at L'Oreal and Cartier.

Markan Karajica

Chairman of the Managing Board, ProSiebenSat.1 Digital

Markan Karajica has been directing the business operations of ProSiebenSat.1 Digital since April 2012, first as managing director and then as the chairman of the managing board after his appointment in July 2012. In addition, Karajica is responsible for the business operations of SugarRay, the creative agency of ProSiebenSat.1. 

Before joining the multimedia company of the media group, Karajica was appointed to the management board of ProSiebenSat.1 TV Deutschland GmbH as chief marketing and commercial officer. Prior to that, he was SVP of central marketing and creative solutions at ProSiebenSat.1 TV Deutschland GmbH and also the head of SAT.1 marketing. 

Karajica worked for several years as a freelance editor for various television and radio stations. In 2001 Karajica became the creative director and head of sport promotion as well as the deputy managing director of creative services at Premiere Medien GmbH & Co KG. After four years, the Hamburg native joined ProSiebenSat.1 Produktion GmbH, where he managed the creative solutions department until November 2008 and also became executive creative director in Unterföhring and Berlin. In December 2008 he became the managing director of creative solutions and became a member of the Executive Board at ProSiebenSat.1 Produktion GmbH.

Carsten Lakner

Head of Creative Services, DR

Carsten Lakner is the head of creative services at DR. Lakner is one of two heads of department, overseeing a strong team of 50+ creatives, producing campaigns and imaging for TV, radio and web.

Prior to joining DR, Lakner ran the Discovery Nordic Channel business in terms of marketing, programming, PR, on-air and online, and he has worked as creative director and producer with companies including Disney, CNN and Viasat.

Luca Magnani

Senior Director, Franchise Management & Brand Marketing, EMEA, Turner Broadcasting System Europe, Time Warner Group

In 1997, Luca Magnani joined Saatchi & Saatchi, developing and implementing marketing and communication strategies for key accounts including Renault, Pfizer and a number of local clients for the Italian market. In 2000, he joined the digital department at S&S UK, based in London, and one year later he set up the interactive division for the Italian market, developing cross-media communication strategies for key clients, such as Tim, Enel, Visa, Sony and Renault. 

Since starting at Turner in 2004, Magnani has overseen various areas of Italian business, from marketing and PR and digital to business development and franchise management. As part of his current responsibilities at Turner Europe, he is developing the franchise management process across Europe, the Middle East and Africa, and chairs the global franchise management council.

Rafael Sandor

Creative, Marketing & TV Strategy Consultant
Former EVP, Marketing & Creative, Fox International Channels/National Geographic Channel International

Rafael Sandor is a creative, marketing and TV strategy consultant with an extensive track record developing TV channels and their content, branding and promotion on a global level.

Sandor recently left his post as EVP of global marketing and creative at Fox International Channels, from where he has led its global channel development during the last 13 years, from a small regional network to the multibillionaire global empire that it is today.

Based in Rome, Sandor was key to the development of FIC's 160 channels worldwide, helping establish its global network of creatives, marketers and programmers in more than 30 offices around the world, while creating all its global brands and campaigns, including all Fox and National Geographic channels and shows.

Prior to this job, Sandor was part of the small management team that started up the successful Fox Channels Italy, which is still today the leader in that market and recognized as the benchmark for creative quality and innovation in Italy. 

He was previously programming and creative director for National Geographic Latin America and Iberia; and creative and original production director for Fox Kids Latin America. His work has received numerous international awards.

Olivier Schaack

Director of Creative Services, Canal+ France
Europe Awards Chair

Olivier Schaack has worked in television promo and design for 20 years. After formative experiences at M6 and TPS, Schaack joined Group Canal+ in 2000 as on-air promotion manager. Since then he developed the Canal+ Promo and Design Factory, which manages the on-air identity and on-air promotions for 29 pay TV channels broadcast by the group. Schaack has been a member of the PromaxBDA Europe Advisory Council since 2007. 

Gábor Varga

Head of Creative Services, HBO Europe

Gábor Varga has been working at HBO Europe as head of creative services for three years. To meet the challenges of a continually changing industry, HBO widened the scope of the on-air promo team, which has evolved into creative services for HBO Europe, operating across 15 countries. In addition to creative projects, the team formulates new goals and perspectives, including synergy, material sharing, effective communication between platforms, integrated platform communication and the development of new workflows. 

The most important task is to focus on the future developments of platforms and technology, as well as on how consumer attitudes are expected to change. 

The creative services department has had to radically overhaul how they deliver promo content, and most importantly, continue to support HBO Europe’s ongoing business model development. 

Varga started his career as a cameraman and director of documentaries and TV series. He worked for several years in the public TV sector in Hungary, playing a part in the launch of the very first Hungarian commercial channel (SBS-TV2). Later on, his main activities included broadcast design and on-air promos. He has also worked as creative director for one of the Hungarian public service television channels; he is the member of Art Directors Club Hungary, and worked on many significant projects for different TV channels through his own company "6miles Branding". He was a founder and Chairman of the ON AIR GROUP professional organisation. Today Varga is the head of creative services at HBO Europe.