SMPTE has announced that Richard Welsh has been elected by its membership to serve as SMPTE president.
Welsh formally began his term on 1st January, after serving as SMPTE executive vice president. His term will extend two years to 31st December 2026.
Welsh is currently the senior vice president of innovation at Deluxe. He has been on the SMPTE board for more than 10 years, most recently serving a two-year term as SMPTE executive vice president. He has also served as SMPTE’s vice president of education and as governor for EMEA, Central/South America. Welsh is also on the board of IBC and the chair/co-founder of the volumetric asset management company Volustor.
Reflecting on the appointment, Welsh remarked: "I am honored to have been elected SMPTE president, and I am excited to work with the whole SMPTE family worldwide in supporting progress across our industry. Since the Society’s inception more than 100 years ago, bringing the moving image to audiences worldwide has been at the heart of SMPTE's mission.”
He concluded: “With video devices in viewers’ pockets and content available to them on demand, SMPTE’s ongoing commitment to delivering the best possible integrity, quality, and experience in media to global audiences is more vital than ever. I'm thrilled to have the opportunity as SMPTE president to deliver on our vision for the media technology industries of unlimited creativity and experiences for everyone.”