Advisory
mireality's Six Steps to Success
Operating globally at executive level, Maria uses six steps to deliver success and Return on Investment (ROI).
1. Where are you now?
Strategic, commercial, risk and technical audits and due diligence.
2. Where are you going?
Market / product research, risk analysis and vision creation.
3. How do we get there?
Brief, business case with RoI, reporting and plan development, RFQs / RFIs / RFPs.
4. Implement
Lead successful implementation across disparate stakeholders.
5. Operate
Profitably deploy new products and services while maintaining existing offerings.
6. Talk about it
Build brand, share case studies and receive feedback to factor in and repeat.
Technical and Strategic Innovation
Maria brings extensive strategic technical innovation expertise (20+ years as a CTO) deploying successful visual technology, content monetisation and commercial and consumer experiences across Media and Entertainment / TMT: film, TV, video (VOD / OTT), games, audio and ed-tech.
She provides an internationally recognised unique combination of:
- Leading successful implementations with strategy creation, innovation and entrepreneurship
- Negotiation and influencing cross-functionally internally and externally
- Bridging and consolidating alignment between customer and business
- Trusted leader, mentor and coach empowering individuals and advancing team growth
- Excellent credible communicator, published author and global public speaker (200+ times)
(Re)building a VOD or OTT service?
Maria has delivered end-to-end VOD and OTT services from both a SaaS supplier and retailer perspective for premium-level security content from all the major studios and large UK independents. She has advised internationally – ranging from South Africa to small islands – and most recently led Global Solution Engineering for Synamedia across Americas, APAC and EMEA.
Watch Maria’s Video Infrastructure Keynote for a historic overview.
Testimonials: See FilmFlex Movies and Channel 4
Sample Services
Maria’s advisory includes the following:
- iSIZE (start-up in Artificial Intelligence Machine Learning bitrate reduction for video)
- Industrial Advisory Board for the University of Essex, School of Computer Science and Engineering
- BAFTA’s Digital Strategy and Communications Committee. (Only member who is also a BAFTA Voting Member)
- DTG / Ed Vaizey (MP) on the Future of Innovation in Television Technology (FITT) Taskforce
- DTG. Modified D-Book 7 Part B to include requirements for premium VOD
- DECE on global and retail implications of delivery
- YouView on delivering a premium pay on-demand film service
- St George’s (Winsor Castle)
Testimonials: See Digital Television Group (DTG), Future of Television Technology (FITT) Taskforce, and DECE
Maria has run audits, technical and strategic reviews and risk analysis on existing and proposed solutions for start-ups, SMEs, corporates and private equity. She has advised both independently and through specialist firms including providing technical due diligence for private equity via Intuitus, now owned by Endava. She advises on strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, threats and risks and makes recommendations, including for business investment proposals, hundred-day and one-year plans.
Testimonial: See Tesco under Clients
As CTO for the Disney / Sony JV, FilmFlex Movies, Maria built a premium UK VOD film service, prior to many other services, and for under £1M — or less than 1% the cost of YouView. She saved the company £500K per annum and they were profitable from year one. Her high attention to detail as well as the big picture also ensured quality — as attested to in her testimonials.
Testimonials: See MultiChoice and FilmFlex Movies
Maria has successfully negotiated contracts with Disney, Fox, Paramount, Sony, Warner and NBC Universal. These contracts formed the basis for licence deals with all the other content providers.
Read Maria’s article on Content Security Essentials for Studio-Level Video on Demand.
Testimonials: See Sony and Disney under Studios.
Frequently Asked Questions
mireality has worked with start-ups, SMEs, and corporates who are looking to innovate, get a higher return on investment or receive specialist advice. mireality also provides technical and strategic due-diligence for private equity and industry. For government mireality has provided advisory and thought leadership. In a permanent capacity, Maria has been Global VP of Solution Engineering for Synamedia. Maria is open to new opportunities, so reach out.
Pricing has ranged from hourly specialist consultancy or advisory, to fixed-cost projects, to time and materials, to salary for the right role. Contact Maria to discuss your requirements.
Maria is a British / American dual-national. She can work anywhere British or American passports allow, with London, UK as her home base. In her career she has worked globally, including Americas, APAC and EMEA. Remote, hybrid or on-site is possible with minimal notice, including locations in the UK which require a driving licence and car.
Global VP Solution Engineering (and Bids & Proposals), board advisor, Chief Technology Officer (CTO), or related VP innovation, product or strategy roles.
Reach out to Maria to discuss permanent roles. Maria currently only provides board advisory and creative services through mireality.
Maria is a native English speaker and somewhat conversational in Spanish. She also studied Japanese.
Prior Projects Gallery
Awards
As mireality launched in 2012, Maria’s industry peers voted her the 26th most influential person in UK New Television on VOD Professional’s Top 50 list.
TechCityInsider added Maria to their 2014 TechCityInsider 100 (TCi100) list of people who are helping to redefine digital business in London and beyond.
