How many years have you been a judge?
This is my first year for the Telly Awards but I have been a judge elsewhere since 2025.
Disclaimer: It’s important to emphasize that this is an officially declared outside activity, carried out entirely on a voluntary basis and formally approved by the European Parliament. In this role, I act in a strictly personal capacity, and any views I express as a judge are solely my own
What excited you about judging for the Telly Awards?
Immensely honoured to serve as a judge for the Telly Awards, New York, US!
Even though judging takes place online, it feels to me like sitting in a darkened theatre, watching emerging talent step on stage. There’s a unique excitement in seeing new visions unfold frame by frame. Not every piece will dazzle, but each stories, whether whispered or unleashed with force, carries the pulse of the courage to create, and that alone is compelling. To be part of this process is a privilege: it’s helping to draw back the curtain on diverse voices, allowing their work to draw in audiences and elevate the art of visual storytelling.
What was your first job in the industry? What did it teach you?
It was for and at the UN’s COP15 in Copenhagen, where I had the privilege, as coordinator of Euratom’s Task Force on Communication, to propose, prepare, and organize an discussion featuring leading personalities who spoke about research and fusion, for a sustainable, lowcarbon future. World-class distinguished speakers, including Prof. Sir David King and New Scientist’s Chief Editor Roger Highfield, shared insights over two hours, with key moments broadcast live via satellite. The event marked a milestone in showcasing Europe’s commitment to cutting-edge low-carbon R&D and the role of fusion in the sustainable energy mix.
What project are you most proud to have worked on?
It is our short film ‘OUR STORIES, OUR CHOICE’, which was produced with my amazing team in 2025 on a voluntary basis and that has already won five international awards, including three from the Telly Awards.
What’s the most challenging part about your job and/or the industry?
One of the trickiest parts in the video/film production is turning subjects that might normally make people yawn into something genuinely engaging. It takes humour, creativity, and persuading clients that creating work which stands the test of time requires thought, patience, and careful craft.
What do you look for to determine excellence in video?
Excellence in a video begins with its story, unfolding in time and guiding the audience on a profound emotional journey. Every image, sound, and movement should carry weight, leaving moments that linger and resonate. True excellence is when a video or film is felt and remembered.
What are your current roles and responsibilities and what do you love most about your job?
I would focus my answer to my role as a Telly Awards Judge that also reflects my job. My primary responsibility is to be fair, open-minded, and fully engaged. Having seen a couple of thousands of videos in production, I shall evaluate each work with a balance of technical craft, storytelling, and emotional impact, respecting both the creator’s vision and the goal it serves. What excites me most about this role is the connection to the new, the thrill of discovering a fresh perspective, an unexpected approach, or a story told in a way I’ve never seen before, and the opportunity to recognize and celebrate work that inspires and pushes boundaries.
What initiatives or projects are you working on now that excite you?
We have several exciting projects in the pipeline, including a short film on the transformative power of reading. While I can’t reveal everything just yet, the thrill of bringing these ideas to life and seeing them resonate with audiences is what excites me most.
Do you have any specific practices you lean on to spark creativity?
I start by burying myself in books, reports, and endless research, then drag my trusted and talented team into brainstorming sessions to see what sticks. It’s amazing what a mix of lone tinkering and group chaos can spark!
What inspired you to pursue your career path?
It’s people who inspired me: a mathematician who won the battle against my Ancient Greek & Philosophy teacher and nudged me from humanities to science; or my PhD professor at Imperial College London who taught me to pursue excellence with humility.
It’s also childhood memories of watching cult films at open-air cinemas with my parents, and playing Dickens’ Scrooge on stage at school, that sealed my love for turning complex ideas into captivating stories.
And of course Europe! and the values we stand for: the very reason why I chose to turn down a highly prestigious role at CERN in Switzerland, my birthplace, where I would have been responsible for the 23 km Large Hadron Collider (LHC) cryostat, in order to join the European institutions instead. It was a deeply difficult decision, as CERN was also a lifelong dream, and at the time having to choose between the two options was a personal torment.
But mostly it is my wife and daughters, who urged me to marry science with art!
In your experience, what is a significant change you are seeing happen in the video, television, and/or film industry, and what insight can you share about how to navigate it?
Even with AI, vertical formats, streaming platforms, and VOD shaking up the industry, Odysseus is still making it to the big screen in 2026! proof that the story’s still boss. My tip: embrace the gadgets, play with the screens, but never forget to let the story lead.
