Jonathon Barbato, Co-CEO, Best Ever Channels LLC

Craig Heiting is Head of Corporate Strategy at Wurl, a leader in the Connected TV industry. In his role, Craig is responsible for leading Wurl’s global efforts in creating and driving growth for the world’s top content publishers and streamers. With over 30 years of experience in the entertainment space, Craig brings enormous expertise to Wurl, including overseeing marketing, programming, and sales for major media companies. Prior to joining Wurl, he was a Business Development Executive specializing in established media companies like Time Warner Cable, Amdocs, Deluxe, Ericsson, and Vubiquity. Craig currently resides in the Los Angeles area with his wife, where he enjoys spending time with his four children and their families.

Molly O'Connor, Vice President, Strategy & Business Planning - Streaming & Networks, Warner Brothers Discovery

John Turner is a seasoned media executive and strategist with a record of growing revenue and engagement. He currently serves as Vice President of Content at FloSports, where he leads a team of writers, editors, video producers and social media specialists. He previously held roles as Director of Business Development at USA Today Sports Media Group and Executive Editor at Sporting News. John lives in Charlotte, NC, with his wife and two sons.

Patrick Ferguson is the Head of Global Product & D2C Operations for the TiVo Platform at Xperi. With 15 years of experience in product and business strategy across both the service and platform provider sides of the video industry, he has been a key contributor to TiVo’s expansion efforts of its cloud-based IPTV user experience global footprint. Patrick drives success rooted in strong partnerships with Video Service Providers and industry partners, championing next-generation solutions with easily accessible content across multiple device and OS-level platforms. Aligning with Xperi's visions of harnessing smarter innovation to drive extraordinary experiences for customers, the TiVo Platform team is at the forefront of user experience excellence, ever-committed to delivering transformative solutions in the technology landscape, and ones that resonate on a global scale.

Justin Fromm, Head of Insights, North America, Samsung Ads

Gilles Domartini is the founder and CEO of Cleeng, the leading SaaS platform for Subscriber Retention Management®, utilized by major broadcasters such as the NFL, NHL, Tennis Channel, Tod - BeIN Media, and many others worldwide. Cleeng is a rapidly growing and profitable business headquartered in Amsterdam, Netherlands, with additional offices in New York City, USA; Dubai, UAE; and Manila, Philippines. Before founding Cleeng, Gilles served as Vice President of Online Consumer Activities at Philips, where he played a pivotal role in transforming Philips into a consumer-centric organization on a global scale. Prior to that, he was the General Manager of the Apple Online Stores in Europe, where he successfully grew the business from modest beginnings in 2001 to achieving $1 billion in revenue by 2006. A graduate of EDHEC Business School, Gilles is a key figure in the European digital economy.

Patrick Courtney, Chief Business Officer, Fuse Media

Nicole is an accomplished leader in the media and digital advertising industry, helping brands and marketers capitalize on disruption for over two decades. As Chief Commercial Lead at Kantar, Nicole helps clients navigate the constantly and rapidly changing landscape of online networking, while ensuring commercial excellence. A 19-year Kantar veteran, Nicole has held various leadership positions in the company. In February 2024, Nicole was promoted to the newly established position of Chief Media Commercial Lead - a testament to Nicole’s expertise, leadership, and impact she has made throughout her time at Kantar. Nicole’s contributions have been instrumental in driving Kantar’s expansion in the digital realm, partnering with the world’s biggest publishers and media brands to create impact and marketing magic. She also drives key thought leadership into disruptive areas including the creator economy, streaming futures, and consumer-centric data management. As Kantar’s first global head of media and digital for a major CPG brand, Nicole spearheaded the creation of a specialized platform implementation team. This initiative significantly enhanced the company’s proficiency with social media platforms, fostered critical relationships with nearly all of Kantar’s major publishers, and was crucial to the inception and ongoing success of Kantar’s Meta Direct Integration. Additionally, Nicole played a pivotal role in the development and market introduction of OTX’s in-market product, Live|Stream. In an era where brands are continually emerging and evolving in their consumer perceptions, media and entertainment companies need to deeply understand their audience. This is where Nicole excels, helping her clients develop content that truly resonates with their target audience. Nicole continues to innovate and stay ahead of the curve by closely monitoring social platforms and emerging trends. Her proactive approach ensures that her clients are responsive to the latest developments, and also positioned to lead in a rapidly changing media landscape. Beyond her professional achievements, Nicole is deeply committed to industry-wide advancement and mentoring. She is actively involved with influential groups such as the ARF Social Council and various mentor networks. In addition to these roles, Nicole contributes to Fairfield University’s Professional-in-Residence program and the Dolan School of Business Marketing Advisory Council. Her involvement focuses on mentoring the future generation of marketing, including professional workshops, resume consulting, mock interviews, and career advice. Being part of the Professional-in-Residence program is particularly meaningful to her, as she was the first person in her family to graduate from college and appreciates the importance of mentorship and guidance to shape successful career paths.

Briana Larsen, VP, Content Partnerships & Business Development, Xperi