Mobile Entertainment

It has been mooted a few times before. But Sitting at a table alongside Ann Williams, CEO of Brazilian transactions provider Okto, and watching Beth Marcus collecting a brace of awards for the company she founded, Zeemote, it became clear that the time had come for some proper flagwaving.

But let’s get things in proportion. For all the achievements of Williams, Marcus and the 48 others listed in the following pages, mobile content remains an overwhelmingly male preserve. Our corner of mobile telephony, a medium arguably more beloved of women than men, still overlooks female executives and consumers. Of the 88 speakers listed in the MEM conference programme, just five were women.

That’s horrible. I say that out of commercial, not political, correctness. How much is this costing us? Look at video gaming – in the middle of a golden age because Nintendo abandoned chasing the hardcore (mostly male) gamer, thought laterally about gameplay and used Nicole Kidman in its advertising.

Of course, these arguments risk grouping all men and all women into two distinct camps. Far too simplistic, I know. And this was why I was nervous about the list. Surely a good executive is a good executive regardless of their shoe size? But every woman I spoke to said no, go for it, it’ll be a rallying call.

And here they are. There are representatives from handset companies, operators, billing providers, D2C specialists, content publishers and more.

The full list, in alphabetical order, is as follows:

Anne Baker
VP of Marketing, Action Engine

Engineering graduate Baker has helped to make Action Engine the on-device portal company choice for brands like AOL and MTV.

Kate Barry
Operations Director, Pitch

Helped to build the UK D2C company into an international force and a leader in the mobile communities space.

Linda Bernstrom
Sales Director for Asia-Pac, Kamera

Bernstrom’s efforts have grabbed the Swedish video company some big deals in Asia Pac countries such as China and Singapore.

Jill Braff
SVP of Global Publishing, Glu

Braff has been with Glu since 2003. Her skills have made Glu a mobile games ‘major’ and the first choice of third parties such as Sega, Hasbro, Atari, Sony Pictures and many others.

Therese Cedecreutz
Director of Business Development, THQ Wireless

THQ was the first of the console games publishers into mobile and remains in its ‘premier league’. Cedecreutz helped the firm bag IP such as Top Trumps and Indiana Jones.

Linda Chaplin
Vice President, Sega Mobile

A 20 year veteran of the games business, Chaplin took control of Sega Mobile Americas last year. Sonic’s just sold his eight millionth unit so something’s going right.

Camilla Crabbe
Head of Content, Blyk

The whole world is watching ad-funded MVNO Blyk right now, to see whether its radical model can work. So far it’s focused on messaging as its ad medium, but Crabbe is looking into the potential of richer multimedia concepts.

Julia Dimambro
MD, CherryMedia

One of the most recognisable faces in the business. Not just because she’s a female running an adult mobile content company and a frequent conference panellist, but because she’s a deep thinker with a genuine passion for the mobile medium.

Rubaba Dowla
Head of Marketing, GrameenPhone Bangladesh

Dowla has brought a progressive approach to the rawest of emerging markets, achieving high mobile net use and m-commerce activity. Has made Grameenphone’s sub-brand djuice a big success.

Jana Eisenstein
UK General Manager, Screentonic

Eisenstein moved to the French ad specialist from 12Snap where she was COO. Under her guidance Screentonic became a key partner for brands entering the mobile ad space. Microsoft bought Screentonic in 2007.

Carole Faure
CEO, Kaolink

Another of the small band of women forging a presence in the male-dominated world of mobile gaming. She’s the founder and CEO of this enduring French developer, which works closely with the behemoth that is Gameloft.

Tanya Field
Group Head of Mobile Internet, Telefonica O2

Former head of content in the UK now in an international role leading Telefonica’s push into the mobile advertising arena.

Amelia Gammon
Director, NBC Universal Mobile

Taking long and short form video plus games into mobile on behalf of the US film studio. Has worked on innovative apps based on Miami Vice and other hit properties.

Melissa Goodwin
Controller of Mobile, ITV

Goodwin made her name at Fremantle before moving to ITV and and is now responsible for taking the giant UK broadcaster into mobile. Quite a challenge. She’s already delivered the 50 part made-for-mobile show The Gym.

Kim Hagberg
Head of Mobile Content Services, TeliaSonera

Sweden’s TeliaSonera is very progressive in mobile VAS, having opened up web access long before most. It even has its own awards. Hagberg leads the charge.

Francine Havila
VP of Corporate Marketing, Spin3

Marketing a gambling company is not easy. This makes Havila’s achievement in building a formidable Spin3 brand all the greater.

Sabine Irrgang
COO, GoFresh

Germany’s GoFresh is nothing less than a mobile phenomenon, with over one million users signed up to itsmy.com, its ad funded social network. Irrgang was a co-founder and currently manages operations.

Sandi Isaacs
Senior Vice President, Interactive & Mobile,
Paramount Digital Entertainment

Isaacs helped create a global mobile business unit for the Hollywood studio. So far she’s closed all manner of distribution deals and set up a D2C storefront too.

Louisa Jackson
Director of Content, VidZone

Jackson co-founded this UK music and video distributor, which now takes content to 140 services globally.

Virginjia Juodyte
CEO, Vertex

Lithuania is not always closely associated with mobile content. But it has Getjar and it also has Vertex, which develops and sells various products under the Lithit Networks umbrella. Juodyte heads it up.

Peggy Johnson
Exeuctive VP of the Americas and India, Qualcomm

Johnson is now masterminding the adoption of 3G for Qualcomm partners in the Americas and India. She became well-known to the content biz as president of Qualcomm Internet Services.

Karine Kaiser
Deputy Director of Marketing and Licensing, Gameloft

Responsible for the vast array of high profile licence deals swung by the French mobie games giant – from various Paramount movies to Vans footwear.

Emma Kaye
CEO, Gate7

Kaye’s background in animation led her to create Gate7, one of the foremost mobile media companies in the fast-growing African market. She serves on the MEF EMEA board.

Sarah Keefe
VP of Marketing, Bango

Over the years Bango has grown from an m-payments network to a specialist in all corners of the mobile internet. It’s even moved into analytics. Keefe has led the marketing effort behind every new initiative virtually since launch.

Helen Keegan
Founder, Beep Marketing

If there’s anyone in the world that knows mobile marketing as well as Keegan, we haven’t met them. Great networker too – she organises the very popular London-based Swedish Beers evenings and is a prominent force in the Mobile Mondays organisation too. She even finds time to blog prodigiously.

Alice Kim
SVP of Business Development, MTV Networks

Kim drives all US carrier and handset deals for MTV Networks, and sets up co-marketing deals. Her boss Greg Clayman even describes her as a ‘rock star’.

Sissel Henriette Larsen
Director of Content, Telenor

Larsen is one of the most familiar female faces in the biz, having founded DRM firm Beep Science before returning to Telenor to head up content strategy.

Bernadette Lyons
MD, End2End

Under Lyons, End2End has been a growing force in content delivery for years, and with the recent purchase of Terraplay it is now emerging as an innovator in games retailing.

Katie McMahon
VP of Business Development, Shazam

Shazam has moved from a wacky
D2C app for identifying songs to a
world force in mobile music.
MacMahon closed the deal to put Shazam on Motorola phones.

Beth Marcus
CEO, Zeemote

At the MEM show Marcus bagged two Meffy awards. They were well-earned. Marcus created the industry’s first gaming controller, Zeemote, which launches imminently.

Laura Marriott
President Emeritus, MMA

Marriott took the MMA from the margins of the business to its very centre, driving membership to over
600 and encouraging the brand and
agency sectors to engage with mobile.

Cindy Mesaros/Carolyn Schloeder
VP of Marketing/President, Moderati

We’re counting the two pillars of US content giant Moderati as one person. Achievements include the ‘booty call’ ringtone, which Mesaros voiced, the saucy minx.

Yoshimi Ogawa
Director of Mobile, Index Corp

Index is a major force in Japan and has subsidiaries in the US, Europe, China and elsewhere. It’s best known for developing Bowlingual, an app that translates a dog bark.

Yen Ong
General Manager, Soundbuzz

Soundbuzz is a major presence in mobile music across Asia Pac. Ong has been instrumental in rolling out services acros Singapore, Brunei, Indonesia, Vietnam and Thailand.

Ji Young Park
CEO, Com2Us

Park’s passion and ideas have made Com2uS number one in Korea, and a growing presence outside it. The company is well-known for its innovation in both casual and massively muliplayer gaming.

Rimma Perelmuter
Executive Director, MEF

Perelmuter is tireless and very well-connected. The MEF had a handful of members when Perelmuter joined. It’s got over 160 now, with chapters all over the world.

Claudia Poepperl
CMO, mobilePeople

After many years as the face of Qpass, Poepperl left to join the Danish search specialist. She is currently closing partnership deals with brands and directory companies.

Lorane Poersch
CEO, Crazyfunbabe

Any woman pioneering female-oriented content products should be on this list. Step forward Lorane Poersch, who’s doing just this with her US-based company.

Lucia Predolin
Head of Int’l Marketing, Buongiorno

Predolin is a key member of the Buongiorno team re-orientating the company’s focus from D2C content into mobile marketing, B2B services and communities.

Jessica Sandin
Head of Mobile Practice, Fathom

Anyone who’s been to a mobile conference will probably know Sandin. During her long spell with Informa, she chaired a few. Now providing consultancy with Fathom.

Suzanne Schantz
Head of Content, Vodafone Global

Voda is apparently gearing up for a huge services re-launch. Schantz, who was with Vizzavi many years ago, will take a central role in it.

Liz Schimel
SVP of Music, Nokia

Schimel might just have the biggest job in mobile now. Nokia wants to take on iTunes and use music to become a services company. Schimel has to make it happen, that’s all.

Ingrid Silver
Partner, Denton Wilde Sapte

If mobile content is to get bigger and more corporate, it’s going to need lawyers. None know more about the biz than MEF board member Silver.

Sophia Stuart
Director of Mobile, Hearst Digital

Hearst has arguably driven harder into mobile than any other magazine brand. Stuart’s unit has launched nine mobile sites for brands such as Cosmopolitan and Esquire.

Rosemary Tan
Director of Mobile, Sony Pictures TV

Currently driving SPTI’s Asian operations from Hong Kong. Tan has an impeccable 10-year music industry background having worked with Universal and BMG.

Anne Thomas
Head of Business Development, Wapple

From its original and modest UK base, Wapple has made a global impact by making it easy to create and manage mobile internet sites. Thomas is one half of the partnership behind the company.

Ann Williams
CEO, Okto

The founder of what has become a powerhouse in the huge Brazilian content market. Okto offers SMS and WAP services to operators, brands and financial institutions.

Geraldine Wilson
VP, Yahoo Europe Connected Life

Wilson’s remit is to grow Yahoo! business in broadband, mobile and TV in Europe. She joined from Vodafone, where she was MD of UK content services among other roles.

Midori Yuasa
President, Capcom Mobile

Appointed in 2005 to head up Capcom's mobile and interactive division. Previously with Sony Pictures Digital in a similar role.

Fiamma Zarife
Director of Value Added Services, Claro

With 28 million entertainment-mad subscribers Claro is sitting on one of the most exciting content opportunities in the world. Zarife is directing the strategy.

To check out the overall industry Top 50 we put together back in December, click here.