Documentary

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  KEVIN DICKIE
  Senior Vice President, Content Group
  Discovery Networks Asia-Pacific

  Kevin Dickie oversees all aspects of the region’s business and operations for the network’s portfolio of seven brands – Discovery Channel, Animal Planet, Discovery Travel & Living, Discovery Science, Discovery Home & Health, Discovery Real Time, and Discovery HD. He is based at Discovery Networks Asia-Pacific’s headquarters in Singapore.

  Kevin joined Discovery Networks Asia-Pacific in August 2000 as Director of Marketing and Communications. He was promoted to Vice President in 2003, then to Senior Vice President in 2006, during which he oversaw all marketing and communications activities and was also charged with developing integrated marketing strategies for the networks’ brands throughout the region. In his time with the company Kevin has overseen the launch of five new Discovery network brands, including the launch of Discovery’s Lifestyle portfolio.

  Kevin spent much of 2007 on assignment at Discovery’s U.S. headquarters, initially supporting Discovery International’s global branding initiatives, moving on to be acting SVP of Marketing for Discovery Channel U.S. where his projects included the development of ‘The World is Just Awesome’ brand campaign.

  Prior to joining Discovery Kevin was Director of Shandwick International’s Corporate practice in Singapore. He began his marketing career in London in 1990 with consumer communications consultancy Murray and Company before joining media marketing specialists, Propellor Marketing Communications.

  Kevin holds a Bachelor of Arts in Communication Studies from Glasgow Caledonia University.

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  CHRIS HUMPHREY
  Executive Producer
  AETN All Asia Networks

  Chris Humphrey is Executive Producer for AETN All Asia Networks (AAAN), Singapore.  Chris oversees locally-produced long and short-form content across the company’s three networks. Chris liaises with production companies from around the region ensuring that programmes meet the company’s editorial standards and are delivered on time and within budget.

  Before joining AETN All Asia Networks in 2008, Chris spent ten years running his own production company - directing and producing programmes for international broadcasters such as Discovery and National Geographic.

  Prior to coming to Singapore he taught English to secondary school students in Japan and music to secondary school students in England. Chris graduated from Manchester University with a degree in Retail Marketing, after which he worked for BBC Enterprises on their weekly television and radio programme listings magazine The Radio Times.  He is originally from Cambridge, England.

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  TAN LEK HWA
  VP, English Current Affairs
  Channel NewsAsia, News, Mediacorp

  Tan Lek Hwa is a veteran producer with more than 20 years of experience in programme production and broadcasting.

  Her works have won numerous awards, most notably:

  • Gold Medal for her production, "The Third Age", New York Film Festival - 2000
  • Special Mention for Best Current Affairs Program, "Tough Gets Going", ATV Award - 2000
  • Best Communication Video Awards for 3 of her productions by the then Productivity and Standards Board of Singapore - 1987

  As an Executive Producer, many of the shows have made it to the New York Film Festival and ATV as well:

  • Silver Medal for Blogtv.sg – 2009
  • Silver Medal for "Capital Fashion" – China 2008
  • Bronze Medal for "Virginity - Price or Prize? India" - 2005
  • Finalist:
    • "The Millennium Challenge - Vietnam" - 2002
    • "Changing Lives - Hong Geok Hua" - 2003
    • I, Witness – India 2004
    • Indonesia: Ring of Fire - 2005
    • Saving Gaia - 2008

  Lek Hwa is the Vice President of English Current Affairs, heading a team producing long form programmes that include talkshows, forums, business programmes, magazine programmes and documentaries on social, political issues and personalities.

  She is also a key executive in the planning and personally executing many projects of national importance including National Day Message, National Day Rally and General Elections.

  Lek Hwa sits on the Advisory Committee, Centre For Culture and Communication, Republic Polytechnic for the period 1 March 2009 to 30 September 2012. She is also a member of the CEP Media and The Arts Cluster.

Children / Preschool

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  PAUL ROBINSON
  Managing Director, PR Media
  United Kingdom

  Paul Robinson was appointed Managing Director of KidsCo, the joint venture children’s channel owned by leading media companies, NBC Universal, Cookie Jar Group and Corus Entertainment Inc., in April 2007.

  KidsCo is a 24/7 channel aimed at children and families. KidsCo programming is focused on boys and girls aged 6-10 years as well as preschool and aims to connect families by providing safe, trusted, age-appropriate and educational programming for our specially created ‘pre-school’, ‘kids’ and ’family ’zones.

  Prior to joining KidsCo, Paul founded his own company, PR Media Consulting Ltd, servicing clients including Disney, Sony BMG, HIT Entertainment, Chello Media, Liberty Media Corporation, PPL and GCap Media. Paul spent 7 years at Walt Disney Television/ABC Cable Networks Group as Senior Vice President/Managing Director, responsible for global kids programming strategy and the UK channels and production businesses.

  He writes regularly for the Media Guardian and is on the Executive of the Edinburgh International Television Festival.

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  LAURA E. WENDT
  Vice President & Managing Director
  Walt Disney Television International Asia-Pacific

  Laura E. Wendt is the Vice President and Managing Director of Walt Disney Television International (Southeast Asia). Ms. Wendt is responsible for managing Disney channels and Disney-branded television businesses in Southeast Asia. The markets she oversees are Malaysia, Singapore, Indonesia, Thailand, the Philippines, Vietnam, Cambodia, Brunei, Palau and Papua New Guinea.

  Laura Wendt is a highly experienced executive in the media industry with an impressive track record in the US and global markets. Over the past 20 years, she has held senior management positions with three major global media companies accumulating comprehensive knowledge in the management of successful multi-media brands. She has extensive experience in effectively supervising large teams and substantial budgets with a dynamic leadership style and a consistent focus on the bottom-line.

  Prior to her joining Walt Disney Television International (Southeast Asia), Ms. Wendt was senior vice president of Research and Planning at Nickelodeon Networks Entertainment Group in New York, reporting to the COO of the MTV Networks Entertainment Division. Before that, Wendt was based in London and worked with Nickelodeon International as vice president of Research, and then Frank N. Magid Associates – a research and consulting company for the entertainment industry - as managing director. Her international media experience began at Turner Broadcasting Sales, supporting the CNN International, Cartoon Network International and TNT International sales divisions with sales research.

  Ms. Wendt holds a Masters of Arts degree from the New School, New York City.

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  LAYLA LEWIS
  Director, Programming, Acquisitions & Development
  Turner Broadcasting System Asia Pacific, Inc.

  Based in Hong Kong, Layla is responsible for the development and planning of Turner Entertainment’s acquisition and original content strategies for its kids’ networks in the Asia Pacific region including flagship channel Cartoon Network, Pogo and Boomerang.

  Layla brings a wealth of programming experience to Turner, having spent more than 10 years at Nickelodeon in the United Kingdom, where she was Senior Programming Manager for Nickelodeon/Nick Jr and Nick Jr 2/Nicktoons TV/Noggin.

  While at Nickelodeon, she played a key role in expanding the company’s networks, including the launch of Nick Jr, Nicktoons and the roll out of VOD and Mobile TV services.

Formats

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  MYLEETA AGA
  General Manager & Creative Head
  BBC Worldwide Productions India

  Ms. Myleeta Aga is the General Manager and Creative Head of BBC Worldwide Productions India. BBC Worldwide Productions India is part of BBC Worldwide’s local production network that includes other wholly owned bases in Los Angeles and Paris and partners in, Toronto, Cologne, Sydney, Buenos Aires, Moscow and Sao Paulo.

  Myleeta oversees BBC Worldwide India’s current productions of Jhalak Dikhla Jha (Dancing With the Stars) for Sony Entertainment, Wife Bina Life for Star Plus and Firangi Tadka for Food Food Channel, as well as working with a wide range of local talent and broadcasters in India. Jhalak has been the top rated non fiction show of the year.

  Myleeta returned to India as Head of Content and Co-founder of Media e2e in 2007, where she was involved with the development and launch of India’s first TV guidance channel “What’s On India”. 
  Prior to this, Myleeta was Executive Producer at the Travel Channel based in the US. Here she co-developed, produced and launched Travel Channel’s Emmy winning, most successful series to date: Anthony Bourdain: No Reservations. No Reservations, now in its sixth season, earned Myleeta an Emmy nomination for Best Non-fiction Series. The series airs across 50 countries.

  Prior to her assignment with the Travel Channel, Myleeta represented the International Networks at Discovery Communications and worked as an Executive Producer for Fremantle Asia, based in Jakarta.

  Myleeta has an MBA from Georgetown University, USA.

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  YVONNE PILKINGTON
  Senior Vice President, Formats
  International TV Production
  NBC Universal (UK)

  Yvonne began her TV career in Madrid in 1994 when she joined Zeppelin TV, now Endemol Spain, as an Acquisitions and Development Executive. She principally worked on acquiring and adapting international formats for the Spanish TV Market and also set up and ran the in-house audience research department. By 1996 the bright lights of London were calling, and Yvonne left Madrid to run Tele Europe, an alliance of production companies that co-developed and co-produced formats within the group.

  In 1998 Carlton-owned format specialist Action Time approached Yvonne to become Sales Manager looking after Latin America and several European territories, where she was responsible for brokering such long running deals as Alphabet Game in Spain and Chance of a Lifetime in Germany, as well as bringing Survivor to Latin America. She went on to become Head of Sales at Action Time until 2003, when Julie Christie appointed her as Touchdown's Director of Sales and Development.

  In 2008 she joined NBC Universal as SVP of Formats and is responsible for developing international format strategy and maximising revenues from the sale and licensing of NBCU’s TV formats to broadcasters and production companies globally.

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  ROB KHOO
  General Manager / Vice-President Development Asia
  activeTV Asia Pte Ltd

  Based in Singapore, Rob Khoo overseas the day to day operations and business development for activetv Asia office, which produces the multi-award winning ‘The Amazing Race Asia’ and also other notable productions such as ‘The Amazing Race Israel’, ‘Cash Cab Asia’, ‘E! News Asia’, ‘Can You Serve’, ‘Ultimate Escape’, ‘Reel Race’ and ‘Game On!’ Also, the Asian and Australian office combines to produce ‘The Amazing Race Australia’.

  Rob has been based in Malaysia, Thailand, China and Hong Kong as part of his broadcast career and has worked with other broadcasting networks such as STAR TV (Associate Vice-President For Production and Ad Funded Projects), Channel [V] International (Assistant Director), MTV Asia Networks and Mediacorp Radios Pte Ltd (Producer).

  Prior to joining activetv Asia, Rob was at STAR TV where he was integral for its Ad-funded business and operations, from conceptualization, production management to development of sponsors package and sourcing of funds, through his extensive network in Asia. At the same time, he also oversaw STAR TV's and Channel [V]'s productions for Malaysia, Thailand, and China.

  At Channel [V] International, Rob describes one of his proudest moments was when 3 of his original productions were among the top 3 programs watched and constantly outperformed the rest of the competition, resulting in improved ratings for the channel.

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  DAVID SEARL
  Managing Director
  ice-TV

  Driven by a passion for developing and producing engaging entertainment, David Searl, founder of ice-TV, is a content veteran in the Asia Pacific region.

  During his 30 year career in the media and entertainment industry David has launched high profile formats across Asia such as Thailand’s Next Top Model, Deal or No Deal, The Chair, The Vault and Wheel Of Fortune.

  David has also created original branded content formats such as THE ARSENAL DREAM, M-THAILAND and THE AD BREAK for the regional markets.  David also lead the team that developed HP SPACE which won the C21/FRAPA award for Best Brand Supported Format in the World at MIPCOM 2010.

  Currently David is Executive Producer of the 50 year old television format The Biggest Gameshow In The World Asia that is being produced at ice-TV’s Malaysian production hub for 6 regional broadcasters.