2:15 PM - 3:30 PM
Track III:
VC and Investment in the Entertainment & Technology Space: Games, Wireless & Broadband
The VC and Investment community has always led the way in recognizing the newest opportunities in the technology and entertainment space. There are even signs of post-bubble investment and an IPO reversal on the horizon. VC funds are always available for the right idea and in this session, we will focus on the four sectors leading the entertainment and technology space today, broadband, wireless, the DTV/SVOD content and the digital home and technology and games opportunities. Broadband has been the Holy Grail for the entertainment industry for years, but what it represents today, is the reality of locking in millions of users. Wireless represents the explosive technology of the moment, DTV/SVOD represents the next explosive area of growth in the entertainment business - bringing new content to millions of consumers and games represent the next threshold of entertainment.
Michael Montgomery, President, Montgomery & Co., LLC
David O. Higley, Managing Director & Head of Digital Media Technologies, UBS Investment Bank
Mark Stevens, Partner, Fenwick & West
Hassan Miah, Managing Director, Media and Entertainment, Intel Capital
Richard Siderman, Managing Director, Credit Analyst, Telecommunications and Cable Group, Standard & Poor's Ratings Services
Ralph Terkowitz, General Partner, ABS Capital Partners
Joey Tamer, President, S.O.S. Inc., Moderator
David O. Higley, Managing Director & Head of Digital Media Technologi
es, UBS Investment Bank: David joined UBS from Prudential Volpe Technology Group where he was head of the Interactive Media and eBusiness Groups. During his career, Dave has raised over $6 billion for his clients and advised on over $2.5 billion in M&A and restructuring transactions. Prior to investment banking, Dave was a securities attorney at Thelen Reid & Priest, a national law firm based in San Francisco. During his time at Thelen, Dave was involved in numerous equity and debt offerings and M&A transactions for emerging growth companies. Dave has a bachelors degree in Business Administration from the University of Southern California (where he was part of the Business Scholars Program) and a Law Degree from the University of Virginia.Mark Stevens, Partner, Fenwick & West: Mr. Stevens represents companies (ra
nging from newly formed startup teams to mature public companies), venture capitalists and investment banks involved in the information technology industries, with particular focus on complex transactions. As a lawyer and a business principal, Mr. Stevens has lead teams handling merger, acquisition and divestiture transactions with total announced value in excess of $20 billion. He has directed over 25 initial public offerings of technology companies and hundreds of strategic alliance transactions, ranging from technology and distribution partnerships to multinational joint venture transactions. The following are among the clients Mr. Stevens has represented: Electronic Arts Inc., Excite@Home, Inc., Kleiner Perkins Caufield & Byers, Morgan Stanley, O'Reilly Associates: Education - Northestern University School of Law, J.D. cum laude, Order of the Coif; Santa Clara University, B.S. in mathematics magna cum laude.Michael Montgomery, President Montgomery & Co. Michael Montgom
ery serves as president of Montgomery & Co. and heads the firm’s media and entertainment practice. Mr. Montgomery has an extensive background in the entertainment industry and has worked at some of the world’s largest media companies, including the Walt Disney Company and Dreamworks SKG. Mr. Montgomery advises client companies on merger and acquisition opportunities and financings, and is a member of the Executive Committee at Montgomery & Co. Prior to joining Montgomery & Co. in 1999, Mr. Montgomery was the chief executive officer of Sega GameWorks, a joint venture between Sega, Universal Studios, and DreamWorks. At its peak, SegaGameworks employed 1,000 people in over 30 sites worldwide. Before that, Mr. Montgomery was a senior executive for DreamWorks SKG where he structured and led its successful efforts to raise $1 billion in private equity financing. Mr. Montgomery joined DreamWorks in 1995 after serving as the executive vice president and chief financial officer of EuroDisney, where he played a key role in the fiscal and operational restructuring of the Company. He moved to Paris to assume that role in 1993. Before that, he was the vice president and treasurer at the Walt Disney Company, where he was responsible for the numerous innovative financing arrangements conceived and executed for Disney, including their film financings, overseas royalty financings and the initial public offering of EuroDisney in 1989. Before joining Disney, Mr. Montgomery worked at ARCO in its treasury organization, and later served as president of ARCO Solar in Europe. Mr. Montgomery was the point person for the sale of the Arco Plaza and the financings associated with its $4 billion restructuring in 1985. Mr. Montgomery currently serves on the board of directors of the Neighborhood Youth Association (NYA). He has also been on the board of directors of Corus Pharma and Pathogenesis, a public pharmaceutical company that was acquired by Chiron for $700 million in 2000. Mr. Montgomery received his M.B.A. from the Amos Tuck School at Dartmouth College, where he also holds a B.A. degree as a Rufus Choate Scholar with magna cum laude honors.Richard Siderman, Managing Director, Credit Analyst, Telecommunica
tions and Cable Group, Standard & Poor's Ratings Services: Richard Siderman is a managing director and head of Standard & Poor's Ratings Services' telecommunications & cable group, which rates debt and preferred stock on approximately 250 companies globally. These include diversified telecommunications companies, wireless and tower companies, satellite companies, cable companies and competitive local exchange carriers. Richard joined Standard & Poor's in 1987, concentrating on the cable television, entertainment and casino industries. He has been quoted on emerging telecom issues in national print media and has appeared on several business television networks including CNBC, CNNfn and Bloomberg TV. Prior to joining Standard & Poor's, Richard held financial management positions in the cable television industry. Richard holds a bachelor's degree in Biological Sciences and an MBA in Finance, both from Rutgers University.Ralph Terkowitz joined ABS Capital Partners in January 2004 as a sp
ecial partner who focuses on companies within the media & communication and technology sectors. His role includes identifying investment opportunities in the media and communications space while leveraging his operational experience to help execute growth strategies across the ABS portfolio. Previously serving as CIO/CTO of the Washington Post Company, Terkowitz brings more than 20 years of operating, financial and technical experience to ABS. During his tenure at The Washington Post Company, Terkowitz worked with the Post's six major divisions on all technology and development operations. He also led negotiation of the major vendor outsourcing agreements with AT&T and IBM, among others, while leading the effort to implement strategic sourcing and improving operating processes within the company. Since 1996, Terkowitz has had primary responsibility for The Washington Post's venture investment portfolio. Under his direction, performance exceeded that of other corporate venture investors who manage for both strategic value and investment returns. Also while at The Washington Post, Terkowitz served as founder and CEO of its electronic publishing subsidiary, WashingtonPost.Newsweek Interactive (formerly DigitalInk). Under his leadership, the subsidiary became known for its innovation and led the industry in developing new revenue models for electronic media. One of the products created by Terkowitz, washingtonpost.com, continues to be among the most visited news and information sties on the Internet. Terkowitz graduated from Cornell University with an AB Cum Laude in Chemistry and distinction in all subjects. He holds a Master's degree in Chemical Physics from the University of California, Berkeley.Joey Tamer, President, S.O.S., Inc.: Joey Tamer is a widely-acclaimed