She has served as executive director for 12 years

SMPTE Barbara Lange

Barbara Lange is to stop down from her executive director role at SMPTE.

Lange has served in the position for 12 years, with achievements including the creation of a new three-year strategic business plan process; rebranding SMPTE and the Society’s web presence; the launch of the SMPTE Digital Library; a capital fundraising campaign and celebration of the Society’s centenary; publication of more than 200 engineering documents; the first virtual presentation of the Society’s annual technical conference; successful navigation of the pandemic; and the launch of the Rapid Industry Solutions (RIS) program. 

Lange will be involved in the search for her successor, and the SMPTE Board of Governors will focus on candidates able to build on the organisation’s progress.

SMPTE President Hans Hoffmann said: “Under Barbara’s leadership, SMPTE has become a truly international society committed to facilitating industry interoperability through industry standards, making relevant education accessible to all industry members, and fostering a vibrant and inclusive membership community.

“Every organization faces difficult times, and the pandemic crisis over the past 18 months presented new and unexpected challenges for all of us. Despite these challenges, and thanks to transformational work directed by Barbara over the years, the Society has truly established itself as a home for media professionals, technologists, and engineers around the world. We thank Barbara for her tremendous work in leading SMPTE into its second century, and we wish her well in her future endeavors.”

He added on the search for a new executive director: “For us it is important that the new leader understand non-profit organizations and the digital transformation of our industry, and that they can work with the SMPTE home office to build on their many achievements.

“We look forward to a leader who will embrace the Society’s commitment to being a diverse and inclusive society, and who can further transform SMPTE to generate value for our global membership and foster ongoing growth. As the media industry is in an unprecedented and constant evolution, this work will be both challenging and rewarding.”

Lange said of her next steps: “Living through this pandemic, it really makes you think about your life. As I neared the end of my SMPTE contract, I realized I am now ready to discover the next steps of my career.

“I am passionate and interested in several new directions. From working to increase the diversity in technology, particularly girls taking up STEM fields, to studying the growing concerns around sustainability in media tech, there are plenty of areas to focus my attention and offer my skills. While I will miss working daily with my SMPTE family, and particularly the home office team in White Plains, I look forward to new opportunities ahead.”