Deluxe Entertainment Services Group (Deluxe) has hired Paul Wallis as its managing director for the Middle East and senior vice president of Deluxe’s Media Cloud.
As one of the fastest-growing online markets and with IPTV growing faster than the global average, the Middle East region is a key focus for Deluxe.
With a distinguished career in broadcast and telecommunications, Wallis is a respected figure in the region. He joins Deluxe from Imagine Communications where he was sales director for the Middle East and Africa. He managed the transition from Harris Broadcast and was instrumental in developing and securing next generation IP and cloud business for broadcasters in the region.
Prior to this role, Wallis held sales director positions for systems integrators in the UAE and UK, including Media Group International, and spent 18 years with Sony Professional Europe where he was responsible for regional sales teams and led corporate sales training initiatives across Sony’s portfolio from AVIT, media and broadcast to healthcare and retail.
Simon McGrath, senior vice president, Deluxe Entertainment Services EMEA, said: “The Middle East region is incredibly important to Deluxe, where we have been present for some time and continue to win major projects with leading broadcasters and operators. We understand local presence is the best way to support and understand customer requirements. Having our best people in local markets is essential for common business growth. We very much look forward to this year’s CABSAT with Paul leading our team.”
Wallis said: “The television industry is undergoing huge changes as we move from traditional proprietary broadcast hardware to software-defined, cloud based systems. Customers are increasingly looking for more flexible commercial and managed business models. Because of its breadth of resources and international footprint, Deluxe is the one major service provider that is able to take on these changes and help clients realize the new opportunities that they bring. I am looking forward to working with broadcasters, telcos and delivery networks in the Middle East to implement managed solutions and models that utilise Deluxe’s cutting edge technology.”
