Brian Herbst, NASCAR, Executive Vice President, Chief Media & Revenue Officer

Brian Herbst is executive vice president, chief media and revenue officer for the National Association for Stock Car Auto Racing (NASCAR) where he leads the sport’s sales vertical and global media business. He also oversees the award-winning NASCAR Productions group, radio broadcaster Motor Racing Network, and the Racing Electronics at-track scanner business.

In 2023, Herbst spearheaded negotiations that secured landmark broadcast rights agreements for NASCAR commencing in 2025 with three new partners – Amazon’s Prime Video, TNT Sports (a division of Warner Bros. Discovery), and The CW Network – joining incumbents FOX and NBC. The seven-year partnerships offer a strategic balance of traditional and emerging viewing platforms while providing the entire NASCAR industry with financial stability and positioning the sport for continued success.

Under Herbst’s leadership, NASCAR’s international media footprint has expanded to over 190 countries & territories and a record-high 36 languages through long-term partnerships with TSN and IMG. Furthermore, Herbst spearheaded the development of NASCAR’s over-the-top efforts, which currently include more than 350 races a year on FloSports. He also oversaw NASCAR’s entry into the sports betting space.

Additionally, Herbst led efforts to build a state-of-the-art NASCAR Productions facility in Concord, N.C., featuring seven control rooms, three studios, and more than 125 employees. The new facility, which opened in 2024, allows NASCAR to produce more live events – which have nearly tripled in recent years – and create more original, non-live programming.

Before moving into his role on the media side in February 2015, Herbst worked for NASCAR’s digital arm, NASCAR Digital Media, where he was responsible for securing new digital partnerships, syndicating content outside NASCAR’s digital platform, and managing NASCAR’s digital rights agreements.

Herbst joined NASCAR in 2005 and spent his early years at NASCAR in the company’s Licensing & Consumer Products division where, in various roles, he managed the e-commerce business, cultivated new licensing relationships for the industry, and rolled out multiple retail programs to support the sale of licensed products.

Herbst was named to Sports Business Journal’s 2020 “40 Under 40” class and was also honored as one of publication’s “Power Players” in Sports Betting in 2019. Herbst serves on the board of The Jack Fanning Memorial Foundation: Angels for Autism, a New York-based charity that raises money for autism.

Mike Zylak, NASCAR, Senior Director of Engineering

Mike Zylak is the senior director of engineering for NASCAR Productions. As an Emmy award winning engineer, Zylak continues to be a leader in developing the At Home Production model for network level broadcasts, as well as NASCAR’s regional live streaming events. His career in broadcast engineering started in 2004 with Game Creek Video and he has continued to be a technology innovator for the past twenty years. Zylak started with NASCAR in 2010 with his primary responsibility being remote and in-house technical production. He is responsible for leading field, transmissions, and broadcast engineering groups at NASCAR. Zylak’s energetic and team focused leadership style continues to bring all of these entities together. His excitement for pioneering broadcast technology and the incredible talent of his team members brings a great level of energy and success to NASCAR’s engineering team.

Zylak is a long-time resident of North Carolina along with his family.

Aaron Baker, SMT, Manager, OPTICS & Operations Support

Aaron Baker is the NHL OPTICS Support Manager at SMT, where he has held multiple roles in the Remote Operations department since January 2016. Baker remotely manages the operational setup of SMT’s OPTICS deliverables for NHL broadcasts and across 32 arenas, delivering fan enhancement graphics such as puck and player trails, shot speed, shot charts, faceoff IDs, and key replays. He oversees daily operations, including running software updates and ensuring deliverables are current.

Baker also leads a Remote Support team of 15, coordinating their tasks through detailed checklists and constant communication with on-site teams. For major events like the NHL Global Series and Stanley Cup Playoffs, he is on-site to ensure smooth operations. Additionally, Baker works with SMT’s remote studio engineers to handle audio and video integration, ensuring that OPTICS deliverables are correctly set up and functional for both broadcasts and in-venue displays.

Bob Becker, Van Wagner, President of Productions

Bob Becker is one of the most respected and influential producers in the sport presentation industry. Becker has overseen game presentation and video operation for some of the highest profile leagues, teams, venues, events, brands, and corporations in the world. He is credited with producing the nation’s most creative and entertaining stadium and arena shows, and has developed high-end digital control rooms that serve as the gold-standard for the global video/message board industry.

Becker’s long list of career accomplishments includes the development, production, and direction of some of the worlds most watched sporting events, including multiple Olympic Games and the past 29 NFL Super Bowls. The Golden Matrix Award winner has also served in lead production roles for the World Series, MLB Field of Dreams Game, MLB International Series Games, Kentucky Derby, US Open Tennis, F1 Miami Grand Prix, Ryder Cup, NHL Winter Classic, NCAA Men’s Final Four, College World Series, Pro Football Hall of Fame Enshrinement & Game, NFL International Series, USFL, and many more.

In 2016, Becker was inducted into the Information, Display and Entertainment Association’s Hall of Fame.

In 2020, Becker’s expertise was highly sought after as the world looked to connect people and businesses in new ways and elevate live and virtual events during the pandemic. Applying his event presentation and fan engagement experience to the virtual world, he led production for TV-broadcast events like the NFL Draft, large-scale conferences hosted by Fortune 500 companies, and the U.S. Department of State’s Summit of the Americas and Summit for Democracy.

Tom Buffolano, Tata Communications / The Switch, Head of Business Development, College Sports

Tom Buffolano is head of business development, college sports at Tata Communications / The Switch. A seasoned expert in the sports broadcasting and entertainment industry, his experience spans business development and partnerships, sales and marketing, rights acquisition, programming and production, distribution, and monetization. Buffolano holds decades of experience growing businesses and driving new partnerships at leading media companies, including MTV Networks, CBS College Sports, LTN Global Communications, BitFire Network/Studios, and LiveU. He co-founded and was Chairman of the SVG College Sports Summit and College Sports Media Awards. Beyond his professional achievements, Buffolano serves as a member of the Board of Directors for the National Blood Clot Alliance.

Brandon Costa, SVG, Director of Digital

Brandon Costa covers the sports video production industry with a focus on live streaming, over-the-top (OTT), social media, and other digital distribution technologies and platforms. He also directs SVG’s internal digital strategies launching the company’s video outfit, ‘SVG On Demand,’ designing and overseeing its mobile application, ‘SVG Mobile,’ and serving as executive producer and host of The SVG Podcast. Costa serves as program director of networking events serving the SVG College and SVG Digital communities. Prior to his time at SVG, Costa spent five years producing digital content for MLB Advanced Media.

Trevor Covey, Deloitte Consulting, Specialist Master – Sr. Tech Architect

Trevor Covey is a senior technology architect with Deloitte, focusing on media and entertainment. He has over 17 years of experience with a wide array of platforms and technologies, and for the past 5 years he has been focused exclusively on cloud technologies. Covey is passionate about delivering practical solutions to business needs that blend the art of the possible in the cloud with the realities of existing environments.

Keith D'Alessandro, NASCAR, Senior Coordinating Producer

Keith D’Alessandro is the senior coordinating producer for NASCAR, Live Events and International Production. An Emmy award-winning live events producer, he also serves as lead producer for NASCAR Productions and NBC’s coverage of the IMSA Weathertech Sportscar Championships. With 30 years of experience in television production, including 25 years in remote production, D’Alessandro has supported some of the biggest events for ESPN, ABC, NBC, Fox, CBS, and other streaming platforms.

D’Alessandro started with NASCAR in 2003, as lead producer of the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series on SPEED Channel and FS1. Prior to NASCAR, he worked in production at ESPN for a decade, starting in studio production working on SportsCenter and many other ESPN studio shows. D’Alessandro then became part of their live event staff, serving as associate producer, tape producer, and ISO producer for ESPN’s original Emmy award-winning NASCAR coverage.

D’Alessandro resides in Davidson, NC with his wife and three children.

Mark Davis, TAG Video Systems, Director of Sales, Americas

Mark Davis serves as TAG Video Systems’ director of sales – Americas. His thorough understanding of the technical aspects behind IP video streaming, broadcast infrastructures, cloud, media, and digital advertising combined with extraordinary problem-solving skills have powered his ability to deliver fresh and practical solutions supporting operational excellence and expanded business opportunities. Prior to joining TAG in 2021 as customer success lead – Americas, Davis was the senior solutions architect at Cox Media; director of sales engineering at BroadStream Solutions; project manager and principal support engineer at S.A.M. (Snell Advanced Media); and served in broadcast supervisory roles at Turner Broadcasting Systems.

Lacey Gandee, ESPN, Supervisor of Production Operations

Lacey Gandee is a supervisor of production operations for ESPN, currently overseeing remotely integrated live events produced in Charlotte for all ESPN’s linear networks and digital platforms and studio productions for The SEC Network. She began her career with ESPN in 2009 as a Quantel video editor and transitioned to studio work in 2014 with the launch of the SEC Network. In 2020, Gandee assumed her current supervisory role, taking on technical support for all productions. Originally trained as a DreamCatcher replay operator, she has significantly contributed to the growth of remote productions at ESPN Charlotte since 2015. Gandee’s team now produces more than 200 events and over 1,000 hours of live studio shows annually.

Stephen Herbster, LiveU, Sales Director, Sports

Stephen Herbster has 30 years of experience in production, post-production, and creative services within professional and collegiate sports industries. Herbster oversaw edit suites and all post-production periphery systems of the Avid infrastructure for the Carolina Panthers and Raycom Sports organizations. He has been responsible for quality control of all post-production for weekly television shows, along with all other daily special projects including highlight videos, year in review videos, commercials, and digital platforms content. As the sales director for sports in the Southeast region, Herbster supports strategic accounts, drives business development, and consults with clients/potential clients on workflow and infrastructure implementations, as well as changes to improve productivity without limiting creativity.

Kristian Hernández, SVG, Senior Editor

Kristian Hernández is currently the senior editor of Sports Video Group. In his role, he is responsible for covering team-based and in-venue productions and various other sports technology topics within the industry. In addition, he is the program director for the annual SVG Venue Summit.

Before joining SVG, Hernández served as co-founder of CHC-TV, the first student-run television studio at Chestnut Hill College in Philadelphia, PA. While at CHC, Hernández produced a daily sports show named “On the Hill with Hernández” — covering all men’s and women’s athletics for the college. Also, Hernández spearheaded the college’s newspaper, “The Griffin”, as its Sports Editor. Hernández graduated with a BA in Communications. Born in Brooklyn, NY, he currently lives in Philadelphia, PA.

Jim Jensen, Panasonic, Senior Category Owner PTZ & Remote System

Jim Jensen is the senior product manager for PTZ and remote systems at Panasonic. He has been with the company for more than 34 years and is well versed in the PTZ and Pro Video business. Jensen enjoys discussions about technology and the tools available to capture images and workflow efficiencies to deliver content to the varied platforms.

Ken Kerschbaumer, SVG, Co-Executive Director, Editorial Services

Ken Kerschbaumer is co-executive director of editorial services for the Sports Video Group and SVG Europe. He was a co-founder of SVG along with Paul Gallo and Marty Porter in 2005 and has been writing about how sports networks and leagues use video and audio technology to deliver a quality TV experience since 1991. Kerschbaumer began his career in 1991 at Television Broadcast magazine before joining Cahners where he was founding editor of Digital Broadcasting magazine. In 2000, he joined Broadcasting & Cable magazine as senior editor of technology where he covered all aspects of broadcasting, cable, and internet content creation and distribution.

Devin Klein, Fox Sports, Senior Manager, Broadcast Operations

Devin Klein is a Charlotte, NC native who has been immersed in professional broadcast for over 20 years in all facets of production, engineering, field operations, and media management. He was with Fox Sports at the forefront of integrating the first iterations of remote production technology with their ‘Home-Run Productions’ and ‘Production Anywhere’ models in the mid-2010’s with sports such as MLS, College Basketball, College Football, and NASCAR.

Today, Klein and the team at Fox Sports continue to implement bleeding-edge technology to improve workflow and cost efficiencies across the board. He strives to ensure quality in communication and collaboration among the many partners involved to make sure each remote production is a seamless experience behind the scenes and for the viewers at home. Klein was a 2022 Emmy Award winner for the Men’s World Cup as a technical supervisor.

Joshua Liemer, NEP VISTA Worldlink, President

Joshua Liemer serves as the president and central figure of NEP’s Connected Solutions Strategy and Facilities. With a modern approach and flair, Liemer leads the advancement of NEP’s Connected Strategy, delivering cutting-edge transmission, production, and technology solutions. His entrepreneurial mindset, coupled with creative insight, has driven the development of numerous innovative connected workflows, ensuring NEP remains at the forefront of the industry. Liemer is a proud alumnus of the University of Michigan.

Martin Lindsay, Sony Electronics, Business Manager

Martin Lindsay is the business manager for the Professional Imaging Group at Sony Electronics, overseeing broadcast cameras, production systems, and workflow solutions. With over 23 years of broadcast experience, he manages Sony’s wireless video streaming products and technologies, ENG camcorders, and integrated production workflows. Recognized as a subject matter expert, Lindsay has been a featured speaker at numerous national and international industry events.

Greg Macchia, Riedel Communications, VP, Business Development, Live Production

Gregory Macchia has 25+ years of experience in the live broadcast production industry. Before joining Simplylive in 2017 to manage the region, he was the SVP, Americas for EVS Broadcast Equipment where he spent over 18 years building the Americas sales and technical operations. Macchia holds a bachelor’s degree in mechanical engineering from Lehigh University.

Adam Marshall, Grass Valley, Chief Product Officer

Adam Marshall assumed the role of chief product officer (CPO) at Grass Valley last September. His trajectory within the company has been defined by a series of impactful roles, showcasing his expertise and leadership.

Starting as the pre-sales director and later advancing to the role of senior global pre-sales manager for AMPP & Playout, Marshall’s career at Grass Valley has been marked by a consistent drive for innovation and strategic direction.

In his current capacity as chief product officer, he remains at the helm of overall marketing responsibility for Grass Valley. Marshall’s visionary approach and deep understanding of market dynamics position him to steer the company’s product development strategies towards greater success and market penetration.

Colin Moran, LTN, VP of Production Products

Colin Moran is vice president of production products at LTN, where he blends technology expertise with live video broadcast innovations. His journey began at Niles Media Group, progressing from an audio engineer and remote engineer to VP of business operations, where he honed his skills in managing complex audio operations for live and recorded broadcasts. Now at LTN, Moran spearheads product strategy and development, creating cutting-edge solutions specifically designed for the live video market. His leadership is pivotal in driving technological advancements and ensuring that the company’s products continually meet the industry’s evolving demands, thereby maintaining LTN’s competitive edge in live broadcasting technology.

Kyle Prunty, FOX Sports, Senior Manager, On-Air Integration

Kyle Prunty is a young broadcast professional who has called Charlotte, NC home for all of his life. Jumping from collegiate productions to network productions straight out of college, Prunty has spent the last 10 years developing solutions and supporting studio and remote productions at FOX Sports. He helped lead remote production solutions for NASCAR on FOX during the COVID-19 pandemic, as well as equipment set up for multiple World Cup events on FOX. Today, Prunty is pursuing a Masters degree from East Carolina University in networking technology, in addition to his daily duties at FOX.

Matt Strickert, NASCAR, Senior Producer, Internal Productions

Matt Strickert is a senior producer for internal productions at NASCAR Productions. He oversees the OTT and streaming productions for NASCAR’s Regional and Weekly Series, which air on FloRacing, along with managing internal productions for NASCAR.  Strickert oversees the production and transmission of broadcasts from race tracks across the county and ‘at-home’ Weekly Series productions from Concord, NC.

Josh Stoner, Canon, Senior Specialist, Pro Rep Team, Broadcast and Cinema Lenses

Josh Stoner is a senior specialist for Canon’s Pro Rep Team focused on broadcast and cinema lenses. For a majority of his career at Canon, Stoner has served as a repair engineer and field support for customers on the front line of productions, and often the sidelines of major sporting events. He has served as the face of Canon for most broadcast customers and done his utmost to ensure no customer ever misses a shot. Stoner’s intimate knowledge of customer needs, equipment operation and Canon technology now help drive product development and lifecycle management as part of Canon’s headquarters, Pro Rep Team. Stoner continues to serve Canon customers by driving implementation of the technology and solutions that modern productions and live streams require as he continues to ensure Canon customers never miss a shot.

Adil Syed, Lawo, Business Development Manager, Media Infrastructures

Recently joining Lawo, Adil Syed is the business development manager for media infrastructures in North America. Beginning his broadcast sales career in the early 2000s, Syed most recently served as the director of sales U.S. at TAG Video Systems, where he achieved notable milestones in promoting integrated monitoring, probing, and multiviewing solutions. Syed holds a B.A. in broadcasting and film from Boston University and lives in Boston, MA.

Graham Taylor, Broadcast Management Group, Executive Producer of Sports

Sasha Zivanovic, Nextologies, CEO and Co-Founder