Harris Broadcast opens Dubai Academy and names new MEA VP
Published: MEA
UAE: Harris Broadcast has appointed Alain Pecot as its new vice president for the Middle East and Africa. The new appointment is a further example of Harris Broadcast demonstrating strong commitment to this vibrant and growing market. The manufacturer has also launched a new training and demonstration facility, the Harris Broadcast Academy, in Dubai.
Mr Pecot has 20 years of experience in the international broadcast market including positions at Sony and Thomson. For the last five years he has been a senior member of the Harris Broadcast team, notably as regional director for southern Europe; and vice president, transmission systems in Europe and Africa.
‘Everyone taking on a challenging new job says that they are looking forward to working in a growing market,’ said Mr Pecot. ‘In this case, I see that the timing is perfect. Across the region developments are taking place in waves, with much of Africa still in the transition from analogue to digital, while some of the countries in the Middle East now see a much more competitive media marketplace calling for enhanced workflows. What draws it all together is the need for a single, trusted source of advanced technologies, and that is where Harris Broadcast and its deep commitment to the region plays its strongest card.’
Mr Pecot added that the company’s presence in the region continues to grow with the establishment of the new Harris Broadcast Academy, which he calls a major investment in creating a venue for training, education and development.
The new demonstration and training academy in the Middle East is an extension to its existing Middle East and South Asia regional headquarters in Dubai Media City, United Arab Emirates. The academy will offer specialist courses for engineers and operators, and each course will come with a full certification pack.
The Academy, which includes a completely integrated demo room and a fully equipped training centre, has been developed so that Harris Broadcast customers can experience its latest broadcast tools and technologies.
‘We have resources in place around the whole of the region to deliver solutions tailored to each broadcaster’s needs,’ said Mr Pecot. ‘And we have relationships with the best distributors to give us close contact with our customers. All in all, we see across the Middle East and Africa region a real desire not just to modernise broadcast facilities but to leapfrog technologies, taking advantage of the most modern workflows to deliver efficiencies — and most importantly, to provide access to content on any platform that their audiences expect.’
‘The Academy, which includes a completely integrated demo room and a fully equipped training centre, has been developed so that Harris Broadcast customers can experience the latest broadcast tools and technologies,’ added Richard Scott, senior vice president for global sales and service at Harris Broadcast. ‘It provides the venue for comprehensive product and solution presentations, as well as hosting training sessions for customers in the Middle East and beyond.