MUMBAI: The Society of Motion Picture & Television Engineers (SMPTE) earlier this week  announced the election of Richard Welsh as its new president, taking office on 1 January 2025. Welsh, who previously served as SMPTE’s executive vice president, will lead the organisation for a two-year term, concluding on 31 December  2026.

“I am honored to have been elected SMPTE president and look forward to collaborating with the SMPTE community globally to advance our industry,” Welsh stated. He highlighted  that for over a century, SMPTE’s mission has been to bring moving images to audiences worldwide. Given the proliferation of video devices and on-demand content, Welsh believes the Society's commitment to ensuring high-quality media experiences is more crucial than ever.

As the current senior vice president of innovation at Deluxe, Welsh brings over a decade of experience on the SMPTE board, including roles as vice president of education and governor for EMEA and central/south America. He is also a board member of IBC and co-founder of Volustor, a volumetric asset management company.

Welsh began his illustrious career at Dolby Laboratories, ultimately rising to director of digital cinema services. He also led operations for Technicolor’s digital cinema and localisation services and currently serves as an associate lecturer at Southampton Solent University while co-founding Sundog Media Toolkit

SMPTE executive director Sally-Ann D’Amato praised Welsh as an “innovative thinker with bold plans for the future.” 

She highlighted his commitment to expanding the organisation’s reach to diverse audiences and fostering early-career professionals, expressing eagerness to collaborate on turning his vision into reality.