Emergent adds Gunkel in EMEA push

Emergent has appointed Ben Gunkel as its business development director for EMEA. 

Emergent, which launched at IBC last month, provides a suite of AI-powered tools and creative services related to data visualisation and graphics generation. The UK and Middle East are of particular interest to the company, where it claims the, “appetite for next-generation content solutions is exceptionally high.”

Gunkel joins Emergent after holding similar roles at the likes of Disguise, Verso Live, and Red. He also spent over 10 years at Playbox, rising to chief commercial officer. Disguise co-founders Grig Mindlin, David Jorba, and Miguel Yabrudes also worked at Disguise, after their previous company Polygon Labs was acquired by the business. 

“The industry needs brave partners who are ready to roll up their sleeves and enable real efficiencies,” said Jorba, who is now chief business & strategy officer at Emergent. “While we are headquartered in New York City, it is fundamental to our strategy to invest early in the EMEA region with key partnerships, resources and infrastructure. Ben Gunkel is exactly the right business development leader to spearhead that investment.”

Gunkel added: “This is a transformative moment for media production in EMEA. The opportunity to merge my experience in graphics and software innovation with Emergent’s cutting-edge AI platform is incredibly exciting. We are ready to bring AI efficiencies to our customers and partners, ensuring their success in this new era of content creation.”