MEF Executive Questionnaire #7: Jiella Esmat, Sony Pictures

MEF continues to seek new ways to profile its members and promote the thought-leadership of the senior executives within these companies. We are pleased to launch the MEF Executive Questionnaire to reveal the real people behind the industry in an informal and entertaining manner.

This will be a regular feature of the MEF blog, so make sure you subscribe via email or RSS. If you are a senior executive from one of our member companies and would like to be featured then please contact MEF Marketing Director, Stephen Jenkins.

The seventh in the series is from Jiella Esmat, Director Digital Expansion at Sony Pictures Home Entertainment.

1. Please describe briefly your main company activities and your role within that organisation
I look after cross platform digital distribution across all International markets. This is anything fro traditional licensing to preloads and new format deals for Sony Pictures film and TV content.

2. Without necessarily revealing any confidential information, please outline the principal business models your company uses.
We cover all digital distribution models including DTO, VOD, SVOD and FVOD.

3. What has been your company’s greatest achievement to-date?
I'm not in a position to say, there are many across the various divisions.

4. What is your company currently working on that is going to move the industry forward?
Mobile and cross platform digital initiatives including content licensing and partnerships. DECE, led by Sony, is also a big focus with an effort to standardise entertainment ecosystems and bring vast benefits to the consumer experience.

5. What is exciting you most in 2010 (either personally or professionally)?
The vast array of new mobile devices hitting the market with all incredible new audiovisual functionalities and Connected TVs, enabling consumers to stream content direct to their TV sets. I am also incredibly excited about Android and the vast opportunities it will hold for the industry.

6. What is the most important piece of technology in your life?
My iPhone, Mac and DAB Radio.

7. What mobile device(s) do you use?
iPhone and Blackberry.

8. What’s your favourite application?
Shazam.

9. What’s your ringtone?
Silent.

10. Which mobile industry blogs do you regularly read and why?
I read TechCrunch, PaidContent, Mobile News, and other general technology guides.

11. What is the biggest mobile content issue that is likely to affect the industry within the next 12 months?
DRM & cross functionality with other in-home CE devices.

12. Which other MEF member organisation do you most admire?
Qtel, RIM, Orange.