Foster collaboration: Paul Whybrow charting SMPTE’s next chapter, from Oceania to Asia-Pacific
By Shaun Lim
Appointed in January 2026 as Regional Governor, Asia & Pacific, SMPTE, Paul Whybrow, who is the Managing Director of Varda Creative Leadership, will be driving key SMPTE initiatives across the region. APB+ sat down with Whybrow to discuss his leadership journey with SMPTE Oceania, the challenges facing the Asia-Pacific industry, and his vision for deeper collaboration, practical training, and stronger participation in SMPTE standards.
What motivated you to take on the role of Asia-Pacific Region Governor at SMPTE, and how does your background at Varda Creative Leadership form your approach?
Whybrow: Being elected by the SMPTE membership in the Asia-Pacific Region as Governor is a great honour. It places me alongside industry legend Tony Ngai in representing the members and community on the SMPTE Global board.
Over the past five years as Chair of SMPTE OCEANIA in Sydney, I have been very proud to lead a board that redefined SMPTE’s relevance in a broadcast industry that has steadily contracted and shifted towards streaming, reshaping traditional engineering as a profession. We embraced the challenge of diversifying our membership and board — now 50% women — while strengthening our core values of connectivity, technology standards, knowledge sharing, education, and engaging the next generation of technology professionals.
Our recent METexpo show and conference was a true highlight, drawing over 1000 attendees. We delivered low-cost ST 2110 training for members, a free two-day conference, and a hands-on creation and delivery experience for students from Sydney and Auckland. This success has firmly established us as the hub of the Oceania media technology community. Through it, I have gained invaluable experience in motivating, engaging, and serving our members during challenging times, lessons which I am excited to bring to a wider community.
I was fortunate that Varda Creative Leadership, my business of nearly 10 years, was built on training and consulting to develop stronger business leaders. My experience as a professional credential assessor with Deakin University in Melbourne and in presenting leadership courses honed my conviction that SMPTE Oceania needed to not just to survive, but to flourish. There is still much to do, but the new Chair and board are well positioned to ensure SMPTE remains relevant and productive.
What do you see as the biggest opportunities and challenges for SMPTE members in the Asia-Pacific region over the next two years?
Whybrow: SMPTE celebrates 110 years this year, which is an extraordinary milestone for a member organisation born from Hollywood’s need to standardise film production so audiences could watch movies on a single type of projector. Since then, SMPTE has set global standards, connected professionals, and shared knowledge via education through every major shift in the screen industry: the advent of sound, colour television, digital broadcasting, and streaming. While challenges have come and gone, SMPTE has continually adapted to remain relevant to the industry.
The Asia-Pacific region faces challenges that mirror those of the global industry: the rapid shift to streaming, declining advertising revenues for local TV channels, and the uncertain impacts of AI.
Audiences in Asia have been ahead of the curve compared to the US and Europe, showing strong comfort with streaming and mobile-first content. Yet, consolidation among dominant streamers will likely continue to shift significant viewership and revenue towards US-based platforms. This creates a second disruption, as local broadcasters struggle to retain advertising income, thus putting pressure on technology jobs in the region. The final challenge and opportunity lies in AI’s impact on production and employment. With new use cases emerging constantly, it is difficult to predict outcomes with certainty.
So where does SMPTE help the community in this rapidly evolving environment?
As an organisation, we need to keep adapting and providing the support and connectivity we have always offered but delivered in more relevant ways. In Oceania, for example, we have introduced low-cost ST 2110 training alongside AWS courses, giving members practical access to career-sustaining skills. Our ability to convene cross-industry events and connect technologists helps bridge knowledge gaps and foster trusted informal networks. This is critical at a time when CEOs and content creators expect far more from their technology leaders with fewer resources.
If we can strengthen our student sections to connect directly with industry and open pathways to jobs, that will be a practical way SMPTE supports the next generation, who will quickly become the innovators in the AI era.
How do you plan to foster stronger engagement and collaboration among SMPTE members across such a diverse geographic area?
Whybrow: I admit my confidence lies in the Oceania area, while my experience across India and the greater Asian region is more limited. As a British-born Aussie, I know I have much to learn about the cultures and differences across the broader landscape and I am eager to do so and put that knowledge into practice.
Right now, I want to explore how SMPTE Oceania can connect more closely with the wider region. Can we create more cross-regional events, share knowledge more broadly, and link student sections across countries? Expanding ST 2110 training across the region is one practical step. And with Sydney, Perth, and Auckland sitting in time zones much closer to Hong Kong, Singapore, and other Asian cities than LA or London, there is real opportunity to build shared training, webinars, and activities that strengthen collaboration.
In short, I thrive on collaboration and will continue seeking opportunities to make this happen. When I first became Chair, the SMPTE section was Sydney-only, and I am proud that we have since expanded to Auckland and The Pacific. I see no reason why we cannot build stronger connections across the Asia-Pacific region. After all, we share many of the same challenges and opportunities, and working together will only strengthen our community.
Which emerging technologies or workflows do you believe will most significantly reshape broadcast and media in Asia-Pacific?
Whybrow: Being open, my background is as a user of technology in content creation, production and channel playout. So here I defer to the advice of fellow industry experts and leaders on what they see as most significant.
In 2026, more broadcasters are expected to embrace IP infrastructure, with SMPTE’s ST 2110 firmly established as the industry standard. Complementary IP technologies such as NDI and NVI are also gaining traction, offering flexible options for both broadcast and AV applications.
At the same time, AI is becoming increasingly visible, with trials focused on workflow efficiency and early-stage content generation (AIGC). While AIGC remains nascent, its potential is drawing strong interest.
Cloud and remote production are likewise undergoing more rigorous testing, as broadcasters in different markets assess cost-benefit models — particularly for live events — driving adoption of hybrid approaches that balance efficiency with reliability.
How do you envision Asia-Pacific perspectives influencing SMPTE’s global standards and initiatives?
Whybrow: If you have a passion for creating new standards that support your work, I encourage you to join a SMPTE standards committee most relevant to your expertise. These are global teams that welcome wide participation, and I would love to see greater involvement from across the Asia-Pacific region.
Non-members may not realise that SMPTE standards are now free to all members, providing another strong reason to join. Standards meetings are convened as needed to discuss, debate, and build consensus on the frameworks that underpin our broadcast and streaming industry.
I am pleased to share that in December, New Zealand is expected to host the global standards meeting, most likely in Wellington and Auckland. This three-day event will be a unique opportunity to engage directly with standard makers from around the world.
Finally, I welcome questions, comments, or pointers and you can reach me @ pwhybrow@m.smpte.org
