Board and Committee Chairs

Rich Prodan
VP & CTO, Broadband Communications Group
BROADCOM Corporation

Board Member Profile
Rich is Broadcom's vice president and chief technical officer for the broadband communications group. As a member of the executive management team, he coordinates and promotes advanced developments of new technologies including advanced Physical Layer cable transmission technology to leverage product and partnership solutions to the integration of data, voice, and video applications and services. He also represents the company in several national and international standards development organizations and industry consortia.

Dr. Prodan has played an instrumental role establishing the next generation DOCSIS 2.0 and 3.0 cable modem standards working with CableLabs and industry representatives from suppliers and cable operators. Previously as CTO of CableLabs, he characterized bi-directional cable plant transmission in cable systems across the US and Canada. In addition, he worked over eight years with the FCC Advisory Committee on Advanced Television Service to develop and test HDTV systems for the US. Prior to joining the cable industry, he worked in the consumer electronics industry at Philips Research Laboratories on Compact Disc and Digital Television.

Dr. Prodan holds a Ph.D. in electrical engineering from Columbia University. His bachelor's and master's degrees in electrical engineering are both from City College of New York.

Corporate Profile
Broadcom Corporation (www.broadcom.com) (NASDAQ: BRCM) is a major technology innovator and global leader in semiconductors for wired and wireless communications and is one of the world's largest fabless semiconductor companies. Broadcom products enable the delivery of voice, video, data and multimedia to and throughout the home, the office and the mobile environment. We provide the industry's broadest portfolio of state-of-the-art, system-on-a-chip and software solutions to manufacturers of computing and networking equipment, digital entertainment and broadband access products, and mobile devices. These solutions support our core mission: Connecting everything®. For more information, visit www.broadcom.com.

 

Charles Cerino
Vice president of New Services Technology
Office of the CTO

Board Member Profile
Charles Cerino leads a team of futurists investigating technological advancements and impact on the cable industry.

Charlie joined Comcast in 1978 as a system engineer to build the Philadelphia suburbs. During his tenure, he has held system, region and corporate engineering positions and has been active in the Delaware Valley Chapter of the SCTE serving as a Founder, Board member and President. He also chaired the NCTA's engineering sub-committee on CLI and FCC regulations. Since 1995, Charlie has focused on exploring new technologies and was instrumental developing and launching cable modem service in Comcast. Charlie has his BS degree from Temple University He holds a First Class Radiotelephone operator's license and a Ham radio license.

Corporate Profile
Comcast Corporation (www.comcast.com) is principally involved in the development, management and operation of broadband cable networks, and in the provision of programming content. The Company is the largest provider of cable and broadband services in the United States, serving more than 21 million cable television customers and more than 6 million high-speed Internet customers. The Company's content businesses include majority ownership of Comcast Spectacor, Comcast SportsNet, E! Entertainment Television, Style Network, G4techTV, The Golf Channel, International Channel and Outdoor Life Network. Comcast Class A common stock and Class A Special common stock trade on The Nasdaq Stock Market under the symbols CMCSA and CMCSK, respectively.

 

Henry Derovanessian
VP Strategic Marketing and Business Development
Broadband Media Processing
Conexant Systems, Inc.

Board Member Profile

Henry Derovanessian joined Conexant in 2005 as vice president of Worldwide Marketing responsible for the PC video, set-top box, and digital television product lines. During this time he oversaw Broadband Media business unit's strategy, new product definition and P&L for the group. He now serves as vice president of Strategic Marketing and Business Development, responsible for managing long term business, technology, and product roadmap plans.

Previously, Mr. Derovanessian was vice president of engineering at Sony Electronics where he successfully helped secure the advanced bi-directional digital cable set top box business at Cablevision. He managed the development team and worked closely with the system integrators to deploy the DOCSIS enabled set top box in the Cablevision network, enabling first delivery of two-way broadband interactive applications and services in that network. He also developed and productized Sony satellite set top receivers for DIRECTV, ATSC, and OpenCableTM front-end subsystems for Sony's Digital TVs deployed in North America, and Sony's first unidirectional OpenCableTM certified high definition digital cable video recorder deployed in US. At General Instrument Corporation Mr. Derovanessian played a key role establishing the ATSC digital television standard as a member of the Grand Alliance. He contributed to the development of key technologies and specifications for the digital video decoders, encoders, and transport subsystems which ultimately set the national standard for HDTV transmission of digital signals.

Mr. Derovanessian received his bachelor's and master's degree in Electrical Engineering from San Diego State University. He currently serves on the technical advisory board of UpdateLogic.

Corporate Profile
Conexant Systems, Inc. (NASDAQ: CNXT) is a worldwide leader in semiconductor solutions for broadband communications and the digital home. The company's comprehensive product portfolio includes a suite of digital set-top box components and system solutions for worldwide satellite, terrestrial, cable and IPTV entertainment broadcasting networks. Conexant also offers a full range of end-to-end broadband access solutions for DSL networks, and the Xenon family of products for passive optical networking applications. Conexant is a fabless semiconductor company that recorded revenues of $809 million in fiscal year 2007. The company is headquartered in Newport Beach, Calif. To learn more, please visit www.conexant.com.

 

Vince Groff
Executive Director, Corporate Development
Cox Communications

Board Member Profile

Vince Groff has responsibility for setting strategies and leading corporate development in support of all Cox products and services. Key activities include establishing alliances and ventures within the industry as well as with key partners and suppliers. Vince is also Cox's lead investigator of the business impact of emerging technologies and start-up companies, and works closely with the Venture Capital community.

Previously, Vince led Cox's interactive television product development effort and the OpenCable initiative. He is also involved in the Consumer Electronics plug-and-play project and other CableLabs standards efforts.

Vince holds Bachelors & Masters degrees in Electrical Engineering from Georgia Tech and an MBA from Duke University.

Corporate Profile
Cox Communications Inc. (www.cox.com) , a Fortune 500 company, is a multi-service broadband communications company with approximately 6.7 million total customers, including approximately 6.3 million basic cable subscribers. The nation's third-largest cable television provider, Cox offers analog cable television under the Cox Cable brand as well as digital video service under the Cox Digital Cable brand, featuring advanced services including digital video recording, high-definition television and video-on-demand. Cox provides an array of other communications services including local and long-distance telephone under the Cox Digital Telephone brand, high-speed Internet service under the Cox High Speed Internet brand, and home networking. Commercial voice and data services are offered via Cox Business Services. Local cable advertising, promotional opportunities and production services are sold under the Cox Media brand. Cox is an investor in programming services including Discovery Communications Inc. Cox Communications is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Cox Enterprises Inc.

 

Will Beals
Director of Hardware Systems Architecture
EchoStar Technologies, Corp.

Board Member Profile
Will Beals is the Director of Hardware Systems Architecture at EchoStar Technologies, Corp. Will has been with Echostar since 1989 working on their digital STB service since it's inception. He is currently in charge of investigating and developing new STB technologies for Dish Network and their international partners.

Corporate Profile
EchoStar Communications Corporation (Nasdaq:DISH) has been a leader for more than 26 years in satellite TV equipment sales and support worldwide. The Company's DISH Network(tm) is the fastest-growing pay-TV provider in the country since 2000 and currently serves more than 13.4 million satellite TV customers. DISH Network offers a premier line of industry-leading Digital Video Recorders (DVRs) and hundreds of video and audio channels as well as the most national HD and International channels in the U.S., Interactive TV, Latino and sports programming. DISH Network also provides a variety of package and price options including the lowest all-digital price in America and the DishDVR Advantage Package. EchoStar is included in the Nasdaq-100 Index (NDX) and is a Fortune 300 company. Visit www.echostar.com or call 1-800-333-DISH (3474) for more information.

 

Anton Monk
PhD, CTO & Co-Founder
Entropic Communications, Inc.

Board Member Profile
Anton has more than 15 years of experience in communication systems research and development. He is responsible for new technology, standards activities and patents at Entropic. Previously, he led the engineering development of Entropic's coax-based multimedia networking chipset development. Prior to co-founding Entropic, he led physical layer system design and IC verification for several Conexant product lines, including cable modems and fixed wireless access. He was also responsible for standards development in these areas and for business development and partnering in the fixed wireless arena. Before Conexant, Dr. Monk was involved in the development of cable and satellite ICs at ComStream Corporation, and performed communication system research at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Pasadena, CA. Dr. Monk holds a B.S. and Ph.D. in Electrical Engineering from the University of California, San Diego, and a M.S. in Electrical Engineering from the California Institute of Technology

Corporate Profile
Entropic Communications, Inc is the leading developer of LAN and WAN networking of multimedia for the connected home. Entropic's products allow consumers to easily share digital entertainment throughout the home, fundamentally changing the way content such as movies, music and images are stored and networked by consumers. For more information: www.entropic.com.

 

Allen J. Huotari
Technical Leader
Linksys - A Division of Cisco Systems

Board Member Profile
Allen J. Huotari has more than 20 years of experience in the networking and communications industry. In May 2001, Allen joined Linksys (Irvine CA) which was acquired by Cisco Systems in June 2003. As a Technical Leader within Cisco-Linksys, he is responsible for the investigation of emerging technologies and for the definition of functional requirements in next generation routers, gateways, and broadband access products (xDSL and cable modem) with special emphasis on wireless, security, and multimedia. He has contributed to the CableHome specification, is currently a member of the UPnP QoS working group, and in addition to MoCA® also serves as a representative to DSL Forum, WiFi Alliance, and Digital Living Network Alliance (DLNA).

Allen is an BSEE with honors graduate of California State University in Northridge.

Corporate Profile
Founded in 1988, Linksys, a Division of Cisco Systems, Inc. (NASDAQ: CSCO) is the global leader in Wireless and Ethernet networking for both consumer and SOHO users. Linksys is dedicated to making networking easy and affordable for its customers, offering innovative, award-winning products that seamlessly integrate with a variety of devices and applications. Linksys provides award-winning product support to its customers. For more information, visit www.linksys.com.

 

Ted Michaud
Distinguished Member of the Technical Staff
Motorola Broadband Communications Sector
Motorola, Inc.

Board Member Profile
Ted Michaud is a distinguished member of the technical staff for Motorola's Broadband Communications Sector in the Consumer Entertainment Systems group.

Ted joined Motorola Broadband, then General Instrument Corporation, in 1982 as a member of the engineering staff. A 21-year veteran to the CATV industry, he has served in various engineering positions for the company.

Michaud holds a BS degree in Electrical Engineering from College of New Jersey.

Corporate Profile
Motorola is a Fortune 100 global communications leader that provides seamless mobility products and solutions across broadband, embedded systems and wireless networks. In your home, auto, workplace, and all spaces in between, seamless mobility means you can reach the people, things and information you need, anywhere, anytime. Seamless mobility harnesses the power of technology convergence and enables smarter, faster, cost-effective and flexible communication. Motorola had sales of US$27.1 billion in 2003. For more information: www.motorola.com.

 

Yoshiaki (Aki) Hirao
Director of Panasonic AVC Liaison Office America
Matsushita Electric Industrial Co., Ltd.

Board Member Profile
After receiving his MSEE from Osaka University, Japan in 1979, he joined Panasonic (Matsushita Electric Industrial Co. Ltd., Osaka, Japan).

Since then, he has led various R&D activities, including professional HDTV production systems and HDTV digital televisions.

In 2000 he transferred to Panasonic-USA (Matsushita Electric Corporation of America), in charge of operations and planning for the US R&D laboratories in audio, video and computer product areas.

Corporate Profile
Matsushita Electric Industrial Co., Ltd., best known for its Panasonic brand name, is a worldwide leader in the development and manufacture of electronic products for a wide range of consumer, business, and industrial needs. Based in Osaka, Japan, the company recorded consolidated sales of US$71.92 billion for the fiscal year ended March31, 2004. Matsushita Electric Corporation of America, the principal U.S. subsidiary of Matsushita Electric Industrial Co., Ltd., is based in Secaucus, N.J., and is the hub of the company's U.S. marketing, sales, service and R&D operations. For more information on the company and its Panasonic brand, visit the Matsushita website at www.panasonic.co.jp/global/top.html or www.panasonic.com.

Matsushita Electric Corporation of America markets a broad line of digital and other electronics products for consumer, business, and industrial needs. Based in Secaucus, N.J., it is the hub of Panasonic's marketing, sales, service and R&D operations in the U.S. Additional information is available at www.panasonic.com.

 

Brian Whitton
Executive Director of Access Technologies
Verizon Communications

Board Member Profile
Brian is the Executive Director of Access Technologies for Verizon Communications. In his current position Brian is responsible for directing the design and development efforts of next generation access network platforms.

Brian began his career with the former GTE in 1983 as an associate in GTE's Executive Development Program. Prior to his current position, Brian was Assistant VP of technology development for GTE. He also has held positions in product development, business operations development, engineering, systems development, business planning and technology planning.

Brian holds a bachelor degree in BSEE from Manhattan College, and a MBA from the University of Dallas with an emphasis on telecommunications management and policy.

Corporate Profile
Verizon Communications Inc. (NYSE:VZ), headquartered in New York, is a leader in delivering broadband and other wireline and wireless communication innovations to mass market, business, government and wholesale customers. Verizon Wireless operates America's most reliable wireless network, serving 60.7 million customers nationwide. Verizon's Wireline operations include Verizon Business, which delivers innovative and seamless business solutions to customers around the world, and Verizon Telecom, which brings customers the benefits of converged communications, information and entertainment services over the nation's most advanced fiber-optic network. A Dow 30 company, Verizon has a diverse workforce of more than 238,000 and last year generated consolidated operating revenues of more than $88 billion. For more information, visit www.verizon.com.

 

Technical WG Chair

John Card II
Systems Engineer
EchoStar Technologies Corporation

WG Chair Profile
John has participated in the evolution of interactive TV and related technologies since the early 1990s. John is the iTV systems architect and home networking technology manager for EchoStar Technologies Corporation. He also has extensive experience in production engineering, user interface design, and remote sensing. John currently chairs several SDO and consortia technical working groups, and strives to identify common problems, develop elegant solutions, and implement real-world systems.

 

Marketing WG Chair

Rob Gelphman
Chairman Marketing Work Group

WG Chair Profile
Rob has been in technology and consumer electronics marketing communications for 20 years.  He is the founder of Gelphman Associates, an integrated marketing communications service agency.  He has worked with numerous companies large and small, public and private, in networking and communications, in all channels including OEM, reseller and retail. 

Rob is an adjunct instructor in the marketing department at Golden Gate University . He holds a BS in marketing from CSU Sacramento and a MS in communications from San Diego State University.