Re:fine Bolsters Management With Head Of Operations

Newly rebranded content processing and re-purposing business re:fine, encompassing the companies previously known as 24-7DVD, Vode and Caseys Film and Video, has added a key player to strengthen its executive team in the shape of Brett Symes.
Symes is a Digital Media Specialist and will fill the role of Head of Operations at re:fine, starting mid February.
With extensive experience of conceiving and managing strategic projects his proven project management skills and effective management of technologies and timescales has been borne out in the last few years in his job at Ascent Media Group.
Symes most recently was Project Manager at Ascent overseeing the mammoth task of digitising over 15,000 of BBC Worldwide's programmes, storing over 60,000 assets and distributing 1000s of hours of content to end providers such as iTunes. Other clients on his watch included Sony Pictures, Disney, Universal Music Group, Sony BMG and BBC Motion Gallery.
Previous to his position at Ascent, he was General Manager at Stream Digital Media & Music and Agency where he managed a team of employees whose roles spanned digital media encoders, DVD authors, designers and producers.
Symes explained his move: "I am delighted to join the re:fine team, the company is fantastically positioned, both technically and geographically, to offer clients both the depth and the breadth of service that they require."
He continued: In an increasingly fractured distribution market we need to be able to not only service a multitude of end delivery platforms but also help and guide our clients through the often complex process of file based distribution.
"The bringing together of the three separate companies under the re:fine banner allows us to do just that while still fulfilling their existing tape and DVD/Blu-ray based requirements. re:fine's aim is not to be the biggest, but it is to be the best."
Symon Roue, Chief Executive Officer of re:fine, said: "Brett is probably one of only a handful of people in the UK that has a real detailed grasp of the changes going on in digital media and what it means for the future of film and television. Our goals and vision are perfectly aligned and I'm very proud to have Brett on our team. Brett's experience spans every facet of our business and to top it off, he's a great leader too."
The re:fine brand is designed to highlight the company's commitment to the physical and digital centralisation of content, assisting clients in exploiting content for packaged media (DVD and Blu-ray) and digital media platforms and also to fulfill international tape dubbing and HD requirements. Allowing clients to do all their processing work in one place means re:fine will offer economies of scale both in terms of expertise and cost.
(KMcA/BMcC)