General Manager, Innovation, Telstra BigPond (Sydney)

Jason is based in Sydney and is the General Manager, Innovation at Telstra BigPond. Jason has driven BigPond's Web 2.0-based innovation projects such as The Pond in Second Life and the RSS/widget service, I-Pond, since he returned to Telstra twelve months ago after working as a barrister at the Victorian Bar. His role is to help Telstra become a technology-based 21st century communications and media company, identifying and implementing growth strategies.

Jason's background spans publishing and online services as well as law. He has held a range of media and technology management roles both in Australia and overseas, being previously the founder and chief executive of one of Australia's pioneering interactive agencies, itvworld.com, Editor-in-Chief for Microsoft's MSNBC television and Internet service, Associate editor (Computers) at the Sydney Morning Herald newspaper and Computer & Arts Editor for The Herald and Herald Sun newspapers.

Jason's company, itvworld.com, commercialised the InOrbit interactive television service management system it developed after securing a series of Government grants and shareholder investments. It had interactive television customers worldwide including the BBC in the UK. The company also developed hundreds of widely syndicated interactive video programs and created a world-leading digital rights management solution (after twice winning a Telstra Broadband Development Fund Grant).

Jason has continued to publish widely throughout his corporate and legal practice, including a book, Law On The Line (ISBN: 0-644-45996-4), his personal Web site at www.netvideo.com.au and a lecture series for the Australian film and new media industry conducted at the Australian Film, TV and Radio School's Centre for Screen Business.