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Communications, Media & Entertainment: Our Leaders' Biographies

Kimberly Stevenson Communications, Media & Entertainment Industry Leader
Kimberly “Kim” Stevenson is vice president of U.S. Communications, Media and Entertainment. She is responsible for accelerating growth in a market that's estimated at $25 billion and growing at a rate of 7 percent a year.
Previously, she was vice president of Enterprise Service Management. In this capacity, she oversaw the global development and delivery of enterprise services, including those in IT Service Management and Business Management. EDS' data center facilities, standard IT operating environment and client integration engineering were also within her scope of responsibility.
Stevenson also held the position of vice president of Information Technology Outsourcing (ITO) Service Delivery. In this capacity, she oversaw the global engineering and delivery of ITO services including mainframe, midrange hosting, workplace and network operating centers.
Previous to this role, Stevenson was vice president of Portfolio Management – Infrastructure Portfolio. She managed the development, market management and strategic planning for EDS IT infrastructure, and also served as vice president for EDS' Desktop, Mobility and Security Services.
Before joining EDS, Stevenson served as the vice president of Marketing and Operations for the eServer iSeries division at IBM. During Stevenson's 18-year career at IBM, she held several senior management positions including vice president of Finance and Operations for IBM's Mid-Market Server division, director of Business Analysis for IBM's Microelectronics division and controller for IBM's Software division.
She is a member of the Corporate Diversity Council, Technology Governance Board, and the management board for external auditors. Stevenson represents EDS on the boards of the National Center for Women and Information Technology, and Metroplex Technology Business Council. She also serves on the Texas IT Cluster Initiative, commissioned by Governor Perry.
Stevenson is a recognized expert in the IT services industry and was named one of the most powerful women in the technology channel by CMP Channel's VARBusiness Magazine. She has been quoted by numerous media outlets such as the New York Times, Forbes, Bloomberg and IT technology trade magazine eWeek. She is also a member of the board of Cornell Alumni Association of North Texas.
Stevenson obtained a bachelor of science degree from Northeastern University and a master of business administration degree from Cornell University.
Sean Meeks, Vice President, Media & Entertainment
Sean Meeks is vice president of Media & Entertainment within EDS’ Communications, Media & Entertainment Industry. As the segment general manager, he is responsible for developing EDS' solutions strategy and client relationships, ensuring service excellence, and leveraging EDS' global capabilities to accelerate our clients’ revenue growth and operational effectiveness objectives.
As a services industry executive, Meeks has more than 17 years' experience in developing solutions to address client business needs in the media, entertainment, telecommunications, high technology, automotive, semiconductor and manufacturing industries. This has included building innovative market solutions, developing strategic relationships with companies as both clients and sales partners, and helping clients drive their business process and technology change initiatives.
Most recently, Meeks led an initiative with Sabre Holdings, a leading travel and transportation company, to design and execute a business transformation initiative that accelerates its move to open systems, implements simplified global best practices for service delivery and modernizes Sabre's business systems to expand its revenue opportunities and substantially improves its operational costs.
Previously, Meeks had executive roles in managing relationships with some of EDS' largest clients, such as General Motors, Sun Microsystems, MCI and Verizon. He led each of those engagements during periods of dramatic business change and organized thousands of global team members in eight countries to transform the way technical services were delivered. This experience included helping clients plan and execute their start-up, alliance, acquisition, divestiture, turnaround and modernization initiatives.
Sean Meeks has a bachelor of science degree in engineering from Western Michigan University.
Timothy Obstarczyk, Vice President, EDS Communications Accounts
Timothy B. “Tim” Obstarczyk is vice president of EDS Communications Accounts. In this role, he is responsible for all facets of the account including applications, technical infrastructure, help desk, strategic planning, client relations, contract negotiations, solution selling and growth.
As an account executive, Obstarczyk has client relationship responsibilities through the management of EDS' data centers, network enterprise and applications environments. He manages the strategy and innovative solutions while his teams focus on day-to-day service delivery. This collaboration ensures EDS' clients achieve superior value.
Previously, Obstarczyk was the account executive for the company's AT&T account, where he successfully transitioned the business model from BellSouth to AT&T. Before moving to BellSouth, he was the client executive for the OnStar division of General Motors (GM), where he leveraged industry and client experience to help OnStar double its subscription base. Before OnStar, he was a service line executive with Distributed Systems & Services (DSS). He was responsible for service excellence, service line transformation and mega-deal pursuits.
In 2000, he was a client sales executive with EDS' Information Solutions in the Midwest region. Obstarczyk joined the sales team after renegotiating a new contract with American Axle & Manufacturing (AAM). Before this assignment, he spent three years as the client executive on the AAM account, headquartered in Detroit, Michigan. He used his leadership skills to enhance the executive relationship and increase business growth at AAM, which had facilities in 14 cities and five countries. During his tenure, Obstarczyk grew his skills through assignments as a systems engineer, systems engineer manager and business development executive. He has several years of experience in the manufacturing sector and has supported the GM account in both technical and executive leadership roles. His strengths include leadership skills; the ability to build strong customer relationships, attract and retain outstanding people; and fiscal management.
Notable career highlights include 15 years' experience leading business transformations by enhancing client relationships based on trust, respect and mutual benefit; improving employee and customer satisfaction; and growing contributions for EDS and its clients. Assuming client executive responsibilities of the OnStar account during the Data Center Consolidation (DCC) and leading the team to a successful migration resulted in improved business performance. Stabilizing the AAM account resulted in increased client satisfaction, employee satisfaction, achievement of client referenceability, and completion of a new three-year extension.
Tim Obstarczyk has a master's degree in business administration at Michigan State University and holds a bachelor’s degree in information systems management from State University College in Buffalo, New York.
Sandi Scullen, Account Executive, Communications, Media & Entertainment Industry
Sandi Scullen is the account executive for Sprint Nextel within the Communications, Media & Entertainment Industry. Scullen is responsible for all activity related to the broad suite of Applications, Business Process Outsourcing and Infrastructure Technology
Outsourcing Services that EDS provides to Sprint Nextel. In this capacity, she oversees account strategy, client relationships, service excellence, sales and financial performance for this strategic account. Previously, Scullen was an account manager for ABN AMRO, a global investment banking client, where she led the Americas region and also global EDS service lines. Scullen oversaw delivery of a broad suite of Trade Floor services, Applications Development and Maintenance, Business Process Outsourcing, and Infrastructure Technology Outsourcing Services for ABN AMRO Global Markets and Global Clients, Transaction Banking Group, and Group Functions business units.
During her tenure at EDS, Scullen also served as an executive director in Portfolio Management, responsible for developing and managing service portfolios within EDS’ IT Outsourcing Services. In this role, she led global product line effectiveness with invest, harvest, divest decisions for various services including IT outsourcing services, hosting services and storage services. She created and globally launched a Managed Storage Service offering that grew to a revenue stream in excess of $500M in four years.
Scullen was also instrumental in selecting partners and defining mutually beneficial market strategies for the EDS Agility Alliance, a partnership with some of the world’s leading technology companies to design, build and run a market-leading services platform and develop technology-based services.
Scullen has more than 23 years of information technology experience. During her EDS tenure, she has led a variety of service excellence, new business development contract renewals and Corporate strategy initiatives. She has managed regional glass-house operational and technical support centers of expertise, client data centers, and service delivery organizations throughout the Americas and internationally.
Scullen has a bachelor of science degree and graduated from EDS' System Engineering Development Program. She has completed EDS' Leadership Development and Account Executive curriculums.
She is a member of Executive Women International and Helping Hands International Adoption Services. She enjoys traveling and boating in her free time.
Andreas Bauer, Senior Industry Executive, IT Strategy & Transformation Communications, Media & Entertainment Industr
Andreas G. Bauer is a senior industry executive with EDS Applications Services Engineering & Portfolio. In his role, he is responsible for refining and promoting the EDS IT Maturity Strategy offering, an activity which forms part of the broader EDS applications services transformation.
Previous to this role, Bauer was the global leader of Communications Industry Frameworks in EDS Portfolio Development. He had global responsibility for the development of thought leadership, frameworks and solutions specific to the communications, media & entertainment industry. He worked with the industry leadership team, account-facing organizations, industry delivery units and ISV partners to develop industry solutions and joint value propositions.
Before joining EDS in 2003, Bauer was a principal with IBM Global Services EMEA Telecommunications practice where he was responsible for developing and delivering industry value propositions to telecommunications clients.
Bauer's career spans over 20 years of experience in business consulting and technology enablement, pre-sales, sales, solution development and delivery, and includes distinguished careers with IBM Global Services, Deloitte Consulting and Dr. Göhring & Partner Management Consultants, a spin-off of James Martin Associates. He has supported numerous engagements and sales pursuits with communications service providers in various countries and geographies. His areas of specialization include IT strategies and transformation planning, process design and reengineering, eBusiness and new services strategies. Functional expertise encompasses marketing, product development, sales, service provisioning and assurance, customer care and billing, and financial management.
Bauer was lead author of the EDS book Delivering Superior Service – Reshaping the Communications Service Enterprise, published in 2006 and presented at the ITU Telecom World conference. He has recently co-authored two whitepapers: Convergence – Reality and Vision and the Customer Service Performance – How to achieve differentiation through superior customer service, both published in 2008.
Andreas Bauer has a master degree in computer science and a master of business administration degree. He is fluent in German, English and Spanish and enjoys music and fine wine tasting.
Alberto Balestrazzi, EMEA South Region
Alberto Balestrazzi is a client industry executive for the EDS Global Communications, Media & Entertainment Industry serving major telecommunications accounts in EMEA including Telefonica and Telecom Italia. He is responsible for innovation, thought leadership and for enabling client growth and transformation. In addition, he drives the EDS partnership relationship with Comverse, Inc. to bring the best value to our clients.
Balestrazzi brings more than 18 years of experience in the Communications industry. He has worked as a management and technology consultant for major telco operators across Europe, assisting them in launching new services and products, reducing operational costs and improving operational excellence through business process improvement and automation.
Before joining EDS in 2003, Balestrazzi was a global relationship partner in the Telecommunications industry with IBM Global Services, responsible for major Telecom accounts in Europe and for Vodafone globally. He has also served as a senior principal for a strategic consulting firm where he led client engagements for Italian and foreign telecom and media accounts. Balestrazzi spent five years with Booz Allen Hamilton as a principal with their European Information Technology Group. He was responsible for strategic planning, business process re-engineering and information technology strategy projects across Europe and specialized in management and technology consulting in the Telecommunications industry. He also was also a manager within the Technology Integration Services division of a major consulting firm.
Balestrazzi recently co-authored A Collaborative ICT Approach, a white paper that discusses how communication service providers can more fully exploit opportunities in the converged marketplace. He holds a degree with honors in Computational Linguistics from University of Bologna (Italy). He speaks Italian, French and English.
Bernard Bland, U.K. Region
Bernard Bland is a director for the EDS Global Communications, Media & Entertainment Industry responsible for providing business advice, technology consulting and related services to UK and European telecommunications clients. He is also the Telecoms client industry executive for the UK and North EMEA Regions of EDS operations serves on the Vodafone Account Leadership Team.
Prior to his current role, Bland has worked with major telecommunications operators around the world. He developed the business case for transforming Sprint's applications portfolio, designed and implemented billing processes and systems upgrades for TeliaSonera, and built economic and operational models for the introduction of a service delivery platform for next-generation services for Telecom New Zealand. He also led an internal project to enhance the transformation methodology for EDS.
Before joining EDS in July 2003, Bland was a partner with PriceWaterhouseCoopers Consulting (PwCC) in charge of the practice responsible for defining, selling, and delivering telecommunications client propositions. For 10 years, Bland managed the UK Business Systems and Infrastructure Management practice, responsible for providing consulting services for telecommunications networks, IT management, distributed systems, business automation and information management. His areas of specialization include public and private network design, implementation and management; telecoms regulation, large scale systems architecture development, technical audit, systems integration, facilities management and outsourcing, tendering and contract negotiations, and systems implementation and operation.
In 1997 he became head of PwCC's Telecoms Strategy and Policy – Telecoms Service and Technology practice. This practice provided a full portfolio of consulting services for voice and data services (definition, costing marketing, etc), fixed and mobile network advice and business and IT systems advice to operators and other service providers throughout Europe.
Bland has over 30 years of experience in the telecommunications and information systems sectors, working in both the supply and demand side. He has an extensive background in network and information systems cost analyses, control and reduction.
Bland is a Chartered Engineer (C.Eng), MIEE, MIGEM and a member of the Institute of Directors.
Doug Chey, Chief Technologist, Communications, Media & Entertainment
Douglas D. Chey is the chief technologist for the Communications, Media & Entertainment Industry group. In this role, he is Responsible for ensuring close alignment with the service lines, regions and industries to drive technology and offering strategies, provide a proactive feedback loop between customer’s needs and the future direction of the HP EDS portfolio offering, and support innovation programs and account engagement activities.
Chey returned to EDS with more than 20 years of experience in the communications, media and entertainment industry. In his first tour at EDS, he was a director for the Business Transformation Services organization, where he provided strategic consulting for several large clients.
Previously, Chey was vice president of Engineering and Network Operations for j2 Global Communications, the premiere provider of Internet faxing (eFax), telephony and unified communications. In his role, he managed all technical aspects of the organization.
Before j2, He was vice president of IT for the Worldwide Studios for Electronic Arts. He was responsible for IT management of the multiple global gaming studios, including Redwood Shores, Los Angeles and London. He led the first coordinated studio planning efforts and established the Worldwide Studios IT Steering Committee.
From 2000 to 2003, Chey was senior vice president of Technology for Sony Pictures Digital Entertainment and DCIO, Motion Pictures and Television Productions of Sony Pictures Entertainment. While at Sony, he created the first movie downloading service known as Movielink. The ground-breaking project was the first initiative in which all five major studios co-funded and collaborated to develop technologies to distribute film content on the internet. The Movielink project later won the President's Award from Sony Corporation. Additionally, Chey was chief architect of Sony Pictures' Digital Studio Initiative, which began the transformation of Sony Pictures from analog production to digital production.
In addition to EA and Sony, Chey has held various leadership positions including CTO and CIO of Cendant Software (now known as Vivendi Games), vice president of New Media IT for the Warner Music Group, and director of systems for Lucas Digital Limited (Skywalker Sound and Industrial Light and Magic).
He is the named patent holder of several inventions relating to digital downloading, caching and distribution.
Chey serves on the President's Advisory Council of Claremont McKenna College; the Board of Visitors of the Drucker Business School; and the leadership council for the Information and Computer Science Department of the University of California, Irvine.
Douglas Chey holds a B.A. degree in economics and a B.S. degree in information systems from Claremont McKenna College, and a master of science degree in management of information systems from Claremont Graduate University (Drucker).
Randy S. Mueller, Client Industry Executive – U.S.
Randy S. Mueller is a client industry executive for the Global Communications, Media & Entertainment Industry group. He is responsible for U.S.-based Communications Service Providers. Mueller's focus is on providing business case driven transformation models for the U.S. Communications market, as well as developing industry solutions for next generation mobility offerings such as Mobile Content and Applications Delivery Platforms, Mobile Device Management and Mobile Enterprise Applications. He leads EDS' product strategy and development efforts in the mobility market for communications carriers.
Mueller brings more than 20 years of experience in the communications marketplace and enterprise software industry to EDS. His background includes executive positions with Ameritech/SBC as the Vice President Product Marketing and Product Management, Chief Sales and Marketing Officer for Callipso, a high-growth, private equity funded provider of VoIP solutions, and Vice President/General Manager of Creative Technology Corporation a provider of data networking and data integration services. Mueller has deep experience in sales leadership, product strategy, product management and strategic planning in the carrier market.
Mueller has led multiple carrier sales organizations serving U.S. Communications Carriers, Cable TV/Data Services Providers, pure play VoIP providers as well as the large enterprise and SMB market for communications services. Mueller was part of the M&A leadership teams at Ameritech that acquired a $3.5B investment stake in Bell Canada, a $600M acquisition of Anixter's Networking Division and approximately $500M in other data related acquisitions. Mueller also personally led all of the post-merger integration teams in the Anixter Networking acquisition at Ameritech that produced over $70M in operational savings in first 9 months. As part of the M&A activities and executive sales and marketing roles at Ameritech, Mueller contributed to the growth of Ameritech's data unit from $50m in revenue in 1996 to over $1.4B in revenue in 2000.
Mueller holds an undergraduate degree from the University of Wisconsin in Corporate Finance. He also holds a MBA from DePaul University with a concentration in Corporate Finance and Business Strategy, and a Masters of Science in Accounting (MSA). He graduated first in his class in both masters programs. Mueller holds two U.S. Patents in the design and launch of the first IP VPN commercial networks and the security models for those networks (Web Services U.S. Patent 6,453,348, Extranet Security Model U.S. Patent 6,697,861). Mueller is also a CPA in the State of Illinois.
Steve Poehlein, Client Industry Executive, EDS Communications, Media & Entertainment Industry
Steve Poehlein is a client industry executive for the Global Communications, Media & Entertainment Industry group. He is responsible for U.S.-based media & entertainment companies.
Poehlein brings more than 16 years of experience in the media and entertainment industry to EDS. Before joining EDS, Poehlein was the vice president, Strategic Studio Relations at Deluxe Digital Studios. In this role, he established the relationship with Walt Disney Studios and its post-production business across all Deluxe divisions and was instrumental in strategic initiatives for Digital Post Production & Delivery.
After serving as MIS director in the design industry, Poehlein served as a software engineer at Metrolight Studios, where he worked on a wide range of TV, commercial and interactive CD-ROM projects.
He was president and CEO of Class6 Entertainment, producing animation for commercials and CD-ROM games for Disney Interactive, Broderbund, Electronic Arts and others. He was instrumental in the inception of Internet content company, planetLingo, Inc., as its director of Production.
Poehlein moved to Walt Disney Feature Animation as manager of Digital Animation Software. He managed development, supporting production in character modeling, animation and rendering for several of Disney's animated films. He transitioned to the role of director of Mastering and Restoration for Walt Disney Pictures and Television.
In that role Poehlein managed a staff responsible for the creation of digital cinema, video masters, scripts and international dubbing reference for all Disney released and distributed films. As head of restoration, Poehlein was instrumental in the development of a program for Disney's classic animated films.
He has been actively involved in the many facets of the entertainment industry for more than 16 years. His contribution to these companies has spanned from management and financial oversight, strategic direction to hands-on technical and creative development. Poehlein is a rare executive that can “see the big picture,” yet understand low-level technical details of an issue. He is adept at cultivating and maintaining relationships and always strives for “win-win” results.
Poehlein obtained a bachelor of arts degree from the University of Cincinnati and a master of architecture, computer aided design and graphics from the University of California, Los Angeles.
Max Speur, Australia and New Zealand
Max Speur has had significant international experience in the Communications, Media & Entertainment Industry in Europe and Asia Pacific. He is currently the Communications, Media & Entertainment Industry leader for North Asia, Australia and New Zealand. In this role, Speur is responsible for innovation, thought leadership and demand creation and for enabling growth and transformation within clients.
Speur was previously with IBM Global Services where he was a business development executive on a variety of engagements in Thailand, China, India and Australia. In this role, he provided leadership and management for major IT outsourcing deals and led the launch of several joint ventures. This involved creating industry solutions, leading value pricing strategies, providing subject matter expertise and offering a balanced approach between business development and delivery.
At IBM Business Consulting Services, Speur was a partner and led the Telecommunication sector in the Netherlands. His focus was on business transformation, industry solutions and executive relationship management.
Speur also worked at Logica, Netherlands, as managing director Telecommunication and later as business director responsible for defining and executing the corporate strategy in EMEA.
Speur holds a master's of business administration, technology science, and a bachelor's of business administration, mechanical engineering. Speur is fluent in Dutch, English and German and is also competent in Chinese and French.
Gregory T. Willis, Client Industry Executive, Global Communications, Media & Entertainment
Gregory T. Willis is client industry executive for EDS' Global Communications, Media & Entertainment Industry. He is responsible for the cable and broadcast segment for Media & Entertainment, with primary focus on broadcast networks, cable networks, cable and satellite operators, broadband, and music companies.
A 24-year veteran of the cable, broadcast and broadband industries, Willis previously held the position of senior vice president, sales for Ascent Media. Willis was responsible for Sales for Ascent Systems & Technology Services businesses. He was responsible for securing major new contracts with Fox News Channel, for the launch of Fox Business Network, The Weather Channel, CBS and U.S. Senate.
Before Ascent, Willis was executive vice president, Affiliate Sales & Marketing for WheelsTV. He was responsible for Affiliate Sales, Marketing, Broadband, and Network Operations and also for the launch of WheelsTV On-Demand and Broadband on Comcast.
In addition, Willis previously held the position of senior vice president of Global Sales Operations & Marketing for PanAmSat. He was responsible for Global Sales Operations, Marketing, Product Management, Customer Relations, Business Affairs and Market Intelligence.
Willis has also held several other leadership positions with prestigious companies including senior vice president, Business Development for Interactive Video Technology; senior vice president, Affiliates Sales & Marketing for Liberty Media's The Box Music Network and DMX Music; vice president, Digital Networks for Scripps Networks; member of the initial start-up team for the Food Network, where he became vice president of worldwide distribution; and vice president, Sales & Marketing for The Charlton Group, a direct marketing firm.
Willis began his media career at HBO, where he spent nine years in various sales, marketing and finance positions in New York and Dallas.
He graduated from Boston University, with a bachelor of arts and is a past board member of Cable in the Classroom. In addition, he is a recipient of Cable Telecommunications Association for Marketing's Gold and Silver Awards, and The New England Cable TV Association’s Public Service Award.
Gregory Willis is a member of CTAM, SMPTE and serves on the advisory committee for IP Media Conference and CTAM Advanced Advertising Committee.

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