Meet the deputy head of broadcast sales

Gilbert Sawaya, deputy head of broadcast sales at Mark Roberts Motion Control (MRMC) tells TVBEurope how the overlap of technology with creativity makes the industry a fascinating place to work

By Matthew Corrigan

Published: February 24, 2025 Updated: February 25, 2025

Gilbert Sawaya, deputy head of broadcast sales at Mark Roberts Motion Control (MRMC) tells TVBEurope how the overlap of technology with creativity makes the industry a fascinating place to work

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Talk us through an average day in your role Throughout my time at MRMC my role has changed quite a bit. I would say this is partly due to the nature of MRMC as a company, adapting to changes in market demand and constantly refocusing its strategies to stay on top of the game. Currently, my role as deputy head of broadcast sales is split into two main, yet distinct functions. The first is a focus on internal processes, and looks at improving efficiency and ensuring we are delivering what we are promising to our customers. On the other side of the spectrum, I work directly with the end users, understanding their requirements, capturing their use cases and workflows in order to advise on a suitable solution for them. In some cases, I join them for the installation and commissioning which is always the most fun part of the job.

Gilbert Sawaya, MRMC's deputy head of broadcast sales How did you get started in the media industry? As far as I recall, especially in my younger years, I was always interested in photography and film, buying myself my first camera at a young age and aspiring to become a well-known photographer, but never making it farther than the family photographer at Christmas gatherings. I think joining MRMC replaced that feeling of failure with accomplishment when I found myself playing an important role in enabling other, actually skilled people, to create video and photos using our equipment. Being the facilitator now, for others, gave me a similar feeling of success.

What training did you have before entering the industry? All the training that I received when I first started with MRMC came from my peers, and managers who had been in the industry for much longer than I was. Later on, the exposure and interactions in the role are what taught me the skills I have today. As part of the job, we are constantly attending trade shows and tech events focused on broadcast and media technologies. We travel to large events such as NAB (Las Vegas), and IBC (Amsterdam), our two major shows focused on broadcast and TV. There we meet with our partners, and competitors and speak of the achievements and challenges we've faced. Luckily for me, my role at MRMC also included on-site technical support, where I advanced my technical skills by taking part in robotic installations for events such as at the World Cup, and the summer and winter Olympics.

Why do you enjoy working in the industry? The media industry is vast, and the technologies that are used in this industry vary massively. From suppliers of software who create products for streaming videos, to hardware for changing video formats, to automation systems, IT and connectivity: wired and wireless to audio systems, recording and playback and immersive technologies. The list goes on and on, and it is all quite interesting in my opinion, however, at MRMC I believe we have the most appealing of them all, as we get to work with physical robotic arms and push the boundaries of how video content is captured.

What piece of advice would you offer someone looking to explore a role similar to yours? I would encourage anyone thinking of joining this industry to have a go and explore their options. The role, whichever it may be, will take you close to the forefront of technology and innovation. Whether directly or indirectly, you will be exposed to the overlap of technology and creativity. This in my opinion is what makes any role in this industry attractive. I started without much experience in robotics, especially not the way they are used nowadays for film and video capture. However, I found the people in the industry generally welcoming and supportive, and the work very rewarding.

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