Jeff Allen, CEO Company: Rallypoint Systems Session: Software Panel

Jeff Allen is a leading international executive and expert in digital media and consumer technologies.  Mr. Allen is a frequent speaker for the venture capital marketplace, entertainment and content distribution, the digital home, and advanced media technologies.  Jeff Allen is the CEO of Rallypoint Systems, a cutting-edge company at the forefront of the consumer electronics and digital media industries.  Prior to Rallypoint, Mr. Allen was founder and managing partner of Rocket Ventures, a Silicon Valley-based venture capital firm focused on software, semiconductors and digital media services, where he sat on the Board of Directors.  Mr. Allen has also advised the U.S. Department of Commerce, the Invest In Sweden Agency, the Small Business Administration, and the State of California on economic development activities as it relates to regional technology competencies.  Mr. Allen holds a BSEE from the University of Michigan.

Dr. Nilkil Balram, Vice President & General Manager, Digital Entertainment Business Unit Company: Marvell Semiconductor Session: Keynote

Nikhil Balram has over 20 years of experience in the area of digital signal/image/video/display processing and is a well-recognized figure in the display and consumer electronics industries.  He conceived and launched the highly successful DCDi® by Faroudja branding strategy, which is used by many leading OEMs. He also conceived and launched the Faroudja certification program and the Faroudja patent licensing program. He has served as an executive at several public companies in these industries including Faroudja, Sage, Genesis Microchip, SONICblue and National Semiconductor.  Dr. Balram has over 30 technical publications and over a dozen filed or issued US patents and applications, and has given invited lectures and keynotes at major conferences around the world. He has a BS, MS. and Ph.D in electrical engineering, all from Carnegie Mellon University.

Doug Bartow, Strategic Marketing Manager Company: Analog Devices Session: Future challenges and architectures panel session

Doug Bartow is the Strategic Marketing Manager for Analog Devices’ Advanced TV Segment. He joined ADI in 1997 and is responsible for developing product strategies for audio, video and interconnect products focused on advanced TV applications. Doug has also held senior marketing management roles at Motorola and Harris Semiconductor (now Intersil). He earned degrees in Marketing and a MBA from the University of South Florida. Doug has also written several technical articles on display interfaces and holds a U.S. patent.

張中慧 恩智浦半導體資深市場行銷經理 Panel Session: Future challenges and architectures panel session

張中慧小姐自2006年11月起擔任恩智浦半導體資深市場行銷經理，主要負責大中華區機上盒的市場行銷工作。

加入恩智浦之前，張中慧小姐曾任職於台灣展達通訊及凱碩科技股份有限公司，分別擔任行銷處協理和美國分公司總經理暨台灣行銷部協理 。

張中慧小姐畢業於台灣淡江大學，擁有電子計算學士學位。

Mike Ching, Director of Marketing Company: Rambus Session: Future Architectures

Michael Ching has over 14 years of experience in high-speed design.  He joined Rambus Inc. in 1996, and currently manages marketing of Rambus’ high-speed interface products and intellectual property portfolio.  At Rambus, he has held various positions in industry-infrastructure enabling and design engineering.  Prior to joining Rambus, Michael designed high-speed I/Os for microprocessors for Intel Corporation.  Michael holds a M.S. in electrical engineering from the University of California at Berkeley.

Henry Choy Company: Jon Peddie Research Session: TV IC Market Status and Trends

Henry Choy is an industry veteran of 21 years with senior level positions in sales and marketing. Henry has been involved with the graphics, video, and multimedia businesses since 1989 and is one of the leading TV semiconductor analyst.  He’s work at a LCD-TV manufacturer ranged from selling to OEMs, building logistics, working with retailers and defining future TV products along with his work at a leading DTV company puts him in a unique position to report and analysis the TV market.  He has spoken at conferences on topics related to video and graphics in the TV, PC and mobile handset markets.  He has contributed to a number of successful start-ups.  He obtained a Bachelor of Science from the University of California, Berkeley with a Material Science of Engineering degree.

Mark Fihn, Publisher and Editor in Chief Company: Veritas et Visus Session: FPD Market and Trends

Mark Fihn is publisher & editor-in-chief at Veritas et Visus, which provides in depth news and information about the focused topics in the displays industry.  Five topics currently are the bedrock for the Veritas et Visus newsletters:  Flexible displays, Display-related standards and regulations, 3D displays, High resolution displays, and Touch panels. Prior to Veritas et Visus, Mark worked for three years at the market research firm DisplaySearch.  He additionally participated for 15 years in computer system and LCD-related procurement and strategy at Texas Instruments and Dell Computer while living in the United States and Taiwan. Mark was educated at St. Olaf College (Northfield, Minnesota), the American Graduate School of International Management (Phoenix, Arizona), St. Edward's University (Austin, Texas), and in the University of Texas at Austin's doctoral program in International Business.

James Goel, VP & GM of Toronto Engineering Company: Silicon Optix Inc. Panel Session: Future challenges and architectures panel session.

James Goel joined Silicon Optix with over eighteen years of experience in semiconductor engineering and management. He ran successful product development teams at Genesis Microchip, Jaldi Semiconductor and Pixelworks Semiconductor.  He holds a Bachelor of Applied Science with a Management Option from the University of Waterloo.

David Grant, Sr. Marketing Manager Company: Cirrus Logic Session: Audio

Grant is responsible for strategic and technical product marketing for DTV applications and is an evangelist for Volume Leveling and Modeling technologies.  With nearly 13 years of semiconductor experience, Grant's areas of expertise include consumer electronic OEM/ODM operations, digital a/v system platform design, semiconductor, software & firmware product marketing, as well as strategic marketing and business development.   Prior to Grant's current position at Cirrus Logic, he has held a number of positions including Eastech , D2Audio, MedianiX Semiconductor and Logic Devices.  Grant graduated in 1995 from Pacific Lutheran University with a Bachelor of Arts degree in computer science.

Mike Harris, CEO and co-founder Company: AnySource Media Session: Software Panel

Mike Harris is the CEO and co-founder of AnySource Media, a provider of software and services which enables traditional Consumer Electronics devices to access next generation content.  Mr. Harris has extensive experience in the digital media industry, having served in senior executive roles in companies ranging from startups to large multinational firms; including OpenPeak, Digital 5, STMicroelectronics and Ravisent Technologies.  Mr. Harris is a graduate of Purdue University, where he earned a degree in computer and electrical engineering.

Wen Li, Sr. Vice President of Marketing and Strategic Planning Company: Trident Session: Future Architectures

Wen serves as a Sr. VP of Strategic Marketing at Trident responsible for corporate strategic planning, and the creation and management of new business. Wen has 30 years of experience serving as manager and executive within large global enterprise and startup in US, Japan and China. Before joining Trident, Wen was Chief Marketing Officer of Huahong International, a Shanghai-based IDM semiconductor company. He was with IBM Thomas J. Watson Research Center for 10 years at the onset of his career as a researcher and research manager. He was a manager and executive at Fujitsu for 11 years through a subsidiary HAL Computer Systems in US. Wen was President and CEO of RedSwicth, a company he started in 2000 and was acquired by Agilent Technologies where he served as VP/GM/CTO in Agilent’s semiconductor business. Wen holds a MSEE and Ph.D. from University of Pittsburgh and a BSEE from National Taiwan University. Wen has 70 publications, 7 books and book chapters, and more than 100 invited talks.

Kathleen Maher, Vice President; Editor-in-Chief, Tech Watch Company: Jon Peddie Research Panel Session: Software in TV's.

Kathleen Maher has worked as an analyst and journalist in technical fields for more than ten years. In addition she has been a founding editor for several publications including the Austin Chronicle, a successful politics and entertainment magazine which has won several awards and has launched the careers of many notable writers in the fields of political journalism, entertainment, and fiction. In addition Maher helped launch Interactivity, a monthly multimedia magazine that  defined the need for informational resources for creative professionals. She was Editor-in-Chief of Cadence Magazine, the award winning resource for CAD users. Formerly, Maher was the Editor-in-Chief of The Peddie Report, one of the most respected insider reports published today. She is the author of several well received reports including the DVD Study and the regular Quarterly Report and a frequent contributor to several publications including Communication Arts.

Hiten Patel, Director of Strategic Marketing and Product Development Company: Portrait Displays Session: Sofware

Hiten Patel is Director of Strategic Marketing and Product Development at Portrait Displays, a developer of Software for LCD Monitors and High Definition TV’s.  He has over twenty two years of experience and knowledge in IC development and product management in video and display processing IC’s, particularly related to new technologies in the Display, TV and Graphics areas.  He has served in various executive roles at Sage, ST Microelectronics, Silicon Monitor, Arithmos, Fujitsu Microelectronics, Radius and Taxan. Mr. Patel holds a Bachelor of Science, Master of Science in electrical engineering from the Indian Institute of Technology.

Jon Peddie, Analyst Company: Jon Peddie Research Session: Opportunities in Video

Dr. Jon Peddie is a pioneer of the graphics industry, starting his career in computer graphics in 1962. After the successful launch of several graphics manufacturing companies, Peddie began Jon Peddie Associates in 1984 to provide comprehensive data, information and management expertise to the computer graphics industry. With those same goals in mind, he left JPA to form Jon Peddie Research in 2001 to provide a more customer intimate environment for clients, and to further explore the business of multimedia. Peddie lectures at numerous conferences on topics pertaining to graphics technology and the emerging trends in digital media technology. Recently named one of the most influential industry analysts, he is frequently quoted in trade and business publications, and contributes articles to numerous publications including as well as appearing on CNN and TechTV. Peddie is also the author of several books including Graphics User Interfaces and Graphics Standards, High Resolution Graphics Display Systems, and Multimedia and Graphics Controllers. Jon Peddie is recognized as one of the leading analysts in the country by AdWeek Magazine.

Keith Potter, CEO Company: Digital TV Labs Session: Worldwide Conversion

Keith Potter is CEO and founder of Digital TV Labs, a UK-based specialist DVB-T Testing and Consultancy company. Keith was previously Managing Director for Cabot Communications, the DVB-T middleware supplier and has been working in European Digital TV since 2000. He previously held senior European Sales and Marketing Director roles at Espial Inc., WindRiver Systems and Ashling Microsystems. Keith holds a degree in Electronics from Bristol University and an MBA.

Wim Renirie, General Manager DRX Product Center Company: Micronas Session: Worldwide Conversion

Wim Renirie holds the position of General Manager DRX Product Center at Micronas (SWX Swiss Exchange: MASN). He joined Micronas in 2003 and is now heading Micronas’ DRX business unit responsible for marketing and development of the DRX product family providing a global demodulator concept for analog and digital reception. The business unit started in the late nineties with new concepts for the reception of analog and digital TV in Europe and over time expanded its activities to the US and China – developing products for all existing and new standards for transmission of analog and digital TV.  Prior to joining Micronas, Wim held management positions in system engineering, project leadership and marketing with SPaSE and Microtune.  Wim received an Electrical Engineering degree from Delft Technical University in the Netherlands. He also holds two U.S. patents.

Skip Talyor, CTO and Founder D2Audio Company: D2Audio Session: Audio

Dr. Taylor's 35 years of experience and vast audio background culminated with the creation of the D2Audio Corporation in April, 2002. As a Founder and Chief Technology Officer of D2Audio, he brings extensive knowledge of the development of new and emerging audio technologies. Under his management, D2Audio created a complete portfolio of high-performance products, ranging from scalable intelligent digital power amplifier solutions to advanced audio processing and enhancement techniques to multi-chip, DSP-based audio signal processing solutions for Consumer, Commercial, Automotive and Professional applications. Through his efforts, D2Audio has been quickly established as the industry leader in audio performance and total system capability.

Before joining Cirrus Logic, Dr. Taylor was Director of Engineering at Peavey Electronics, Inc. and he led the development of state-of-the-art techniques for target recognition, digital image processing and digital signal processing, which ultimately led to several industry-recognized technology awards.