In my previous blog I talked about how proud I am of the successes we have had at Pebble over the past year. Those achievements have only been possible as a direct result of the talent here at Pebble, without whom our story might have looked quite different. I am therefore delighted that we recently announced the formalisation of a number of appointments, recognising the contribution already made by four key individuals. In this blog I’d like to personally introduce each of them and also the remaining members of the leadership team.
First, I would like to congratulate Miroslav Jeras on his promotion to Chief Technology Officer. Miroslav is a familiar figure to many in the industry, and joined Pebble as a Senior Technical Architect in 2016. He quickly moved on to the role of Head of Software Architecture where he was pivotal in the formation of our strategic focus on supporting broadcasters in their transition to IP-based technologies.
Miroslav is passionate about the need for standards to be developed to ensure the interoperability of the new IP-based technologies, and is therefore a keen participant in technology working groups focused on the development of these new standards. His passion for the industry, along with his enthusiasm for collaborating with other vendors, has already delivered huge benefits, and I am genuinely excited for the solutions we can bring to our customers in the future.
I am also really pleased that Tamas Vass, another known industry figure, has taken on the role of Chief Marketing Officer. Having first joined Pebble as European Sales Director, he then moved up to the role of VP of Global Sales. His close relationship with customers around the world, combined with his technical expertise and marketing knowledge, position him ideally to ensure that – as we continually review our strategic direction – the needs of our customers are always front and centre.
Tamas is a highly driven professional whose lifetime of experience in customer-facing roles has made him passionate about the need for us to genuinely deliver value to our customers. The newly formed role of CMO is key to our ongoing transformation and I looking forward to the insights he and his team will bring to the table.
The final C-level appointment is Jim Reid, taking the role of Chief Operating Officer. Jim has over 30 years’ experience in business management and administration and joined Pebble in early 2018. He has already overseen the creation of our Customer Fulfilment team, and is currently forming the Solutions Architecture team. Both of these are significant internal changes, and are necessary to ensure that our organisation is fully aligned with the need to provide a consistent and effective experience for our customers.
I previously worked with Jim when he was Operations Director at Pro-Bel Limited, and I knew bringing him on board was key to implementing our cultural change programme, as we had both lived through such a change during our time there. On top of this, Jim knows the importance of measuring our performance and has introduced a number of KPIs to inform us of the impact of the various changes we have already made and are planning to implement.
We welcomed on board a second new team member in 2018, Justyna Munnich. Justyna is our new Group Financial Controller, and an experienced finance professional with a proven track record of driving business performance through insightful financial analysis and reporting. Before joining Pebble, Justyna was a senior finance manager for Walgreens Boots Alliance.
Her corporate experience, focus on the importance of controls and systems, ability to engage with stakeholders across departments, combined with her can-do attitude and boundless energy and enthusiasm, make her a valuable asset to the Pebble organisation as we continue to transform and grow.
In addition to these I also want to highlight the remaining members of the broader leadership team. Pebble wouldn’t be where we are today without the steady support of our other senior members of staff including our marketing manager Alison Pavitt, head of product development Daniel Robinson, and our head of HR Hannah Goldsmith.
Alison has led Pebble’s marketing communications activities for the last decade. A familiar face of Pebble at the major trade shows and industry networking events, she is also a board member of the IABM, and sits on the Exhibitor Committee of IBC.
Daniel has helped to deliver many of the most technically challenging projects at Pebble, gaining a deep understanding of customer priorities, along with a reputation as a dedicated and talented technical expert. As Head of Product Development, he is responsible for the continuous development of Pebble’s automation and integrated channel playout solutions for customers all around the world.
Despite being a junior member of the team Hannah has been instrumental in supporting the empowerment program we have introduced and I have no doubt that her passion for coaching has enabled our staff to rapidly adopt a far more empowered attitude.
I realise that our customers have seen a lot of change but it is hard not to be proud as I watch the teams blend of wisdom, knowledge, and optimism shape Pebble into the revitalised organisation it is today.
