Editors Insights
In this special edi on, we are proud to feature Saola Donald,
Chief Technology Officer of News Central TV, on our cover a visionary leader reshaping the African broadcas ng landscape through innova on, strategic thinking, and technological excellence. His recogni on as one of Africa's most influen alCTOsreflectsnotonlyhisdeeptechnicalexper sebut alsothetransforma veimpactofhisforward-lookingleadership inthemediasector.
With more than 15 years of experience across diverse markets, Donald stands at the forefront of broadcast moderniza on on the con nent. He has played a pivotal role in redefining how stories are produced, delivered, and experienced by audiences. His work includes driving end-to-end digital transforma on, deploying cloud-na ve workflows, introducing IP-based broadcast systems, and integra ng AI-powered content tools that enhance newsroom agility and elevate audience engagement.
At News Central TV, Donald has built a seamless, future-ready newsroom environment that enables journalists and produc on teams across Africa to collaborate effortlessly. Under his guidance, the organiza on has strengthened its ability to deliver faster, more accurate, and more compelling stories. His leadership philosophy centers on using technology to enhance human crea vity, encouraging a culture where innova on, experimenta on,andcon nuouslearningthrive.
This special edi on celebrates leaders whose vision and dedica on are shaping the next genera on of technological advancement across industries. By showcasing trailblazers like Saola Donald, we aim to highlight impac ul strategies, spark new ideas, and inspire emerging execu ves who are commi ed toredefiningAfrica'smediaandtechnologyfuture.
Through this feature, we honor Donald's contribu ons and the broader narra ve of progress he represents one in which technology serves as a catalyst for stronger storytelling, deeper connec ons,andamoreinformedAfricanaudience.
Editor-in-Chief
DONALD DONALD SAOLA SAOLA
O Contents
Clāra Ly-Le
Inanerawheretechnologyisreshapinghowstoriesare
told,shared,andremembered,SaolaDonaldstandsat theforefrontofAfrica'sbroadcastevolution.Asthe ChiefTechnologyOfficerofNewsCentralTV,he representsanewwaveofleadersmergingengineering depthwithvisionarythinkingchampionsofamediafuture whereinnovationandAfricannarrativesrisesidebyside. HisjourneyfromabuddingengineerinNairobitooneof thecontinent'smostinfluentialCTOsisastoryofpurpose, transformation,andarelentlessbeliefinthepowerof technologytoamplifytruth.
AJourneyBuiltonPassionandPurpose
Donald'sstorydidnotbegininaboardroomorwithagrand plantoleadmajormediainfrastructures.Itbeganwith curiosityafascinationwiththemechanicsofbroadcast systemsandtheartofcapturingrealitythroughtechnology Overmorethan15years,hiscareerunfoldedacrossthe mediaecosystem,movingthroughsystemsintegration, broadcastinfrastructuredesign,anddigitaltransformation forcablenetworksandmediagiants.
FromNairobi,wherehehonedhisearlyengineering instincts,toprojectsacrossEast,West,andSouthernAfrica, Donaldbuiltareputationformergingtechnicalprecision withcreativeunderstanding.Hisbodyofworkreflectednot justcompetence,butcommitmentadesiretoelevate Africanmediathroughglobal-standardsystems.
Thiscombinationofskillandpurposeeventuallyledhimto NewsCentralTV,afast-growingpan-Africannewsbrand renownedforitsboldapproachtostorytelling.ForDonald, theopportunityrepresentedmorethanaroleitwasa mission."NewsCentralisoneofthefewplaceswhere technologyisn'tjustasupportfunction;itdrivesstrategy, efficiency,andconnection,"hereflects.Joiningthe organisationofferedhimacanvastomodernisemedia deliveryinarapidlyevolvingdigitallandscape,buildinga technologybackbonethatcouldkeeppacewiththe continent'sshiftinginformationneeds.
Redefining
NewsDeliveryThroughTechnology
AtNewsCentralTV,Donaldhashelpedredefinehow audiencesacrossAfricaaccessnews.Technology,inhis view,isthebridgebetweenvisionandimpact.Underhis leadership,theorganisationembracedcloud-based workflows,IP-firstbroadcastsystems,anddigital-native contentstrategiesthatalignwithmodernconsumption habits.
Thenewsroomtodayoperatesasatrulyintegrated ecosystem,whereautomation,roboticcameras,andmultiplatformdistributionensurethataudiencesreceivetimely, high-qualitystorytellingwhetheronTV,mobiledevices,or socialplatforms.Reportersfromdifferentregionsacross Africacontributeseamlesslytoaunifiedproduction system,acceleratingthedeliveryofbreakingnewsand givingbroadervisibilitytodiverseAfricanperspectives.
ThisshiftreflectsDonald'sbeliefthatdecentralised journalism,supportedbysmartinfrastructure,isthefuture ofthecontinent'smedialandscape.
InnovationRootedinImpact
AmongthemanyprojectsDonaldhasspearheaded,several standoutnotjustfortheirambition,butfortheir measurableimpactonoperationsandaudience engagement.
OneofthemosttransformativewasNewsCentral's migrationtoacloud-enablednewsroomecosystem.The resultwasastreamlinedenvironmentwherenews gathering,editing,andpublishingmovedfasterandmore collaborativelythaneverbefore.Productionbottlenecks diminished,andfieldreportersbecamemoreempowered andagile.
DonaldalsointroducedAI-supportedsystemsforcontent taggingandrecommendationtechnologythatensures audiencesencounterrelevantstoriesinrealtime.Onthe broadcastfront,IP-basedcontributiontoolsreplaced traditionalsatellite-dependentworkflows,enablinglive reportsfromacrossthecontinentwithgreaterflexibility andsignificantlylowercosts.
Interactivegraphicsenginesanddata-drivenvisualtools furtherelevatedthenetwork'son-airexperience, particularlyinpolitical,business,andelectioncoverage. Thisintegrationofadvancedgraphicsandstorytellinghas positionedNewsCentralamongAfrica'smostforwardthinkingbroadcastbrands.
HarnessingAI,Data,andAutomationResponsibly
Asglobalmediaundergoesdramatictransformation, DonaldhaschampionedthestrategicuseofAI,analytics, andautomationtechnologiesheseesnotasdisruptors,but asamplifiersofjournalisticexcellence.
AInowsupportstranscription,translation,andnoisereductionprocesseswithinthenewsroom,accelerating contentproduction.Dataanalyticsplaysacentralrolein shapingeditorialchoices,helpingteamsunderstand audiencebehaviour,refinestorytellingformats,and optimisedistributionstrategies.
Automationhasbroughtconsistencyandreliabilitytothe broadcastchain,fromplayouttostudiooperations.Yet Donaldinsiststhattechnologymustnevererodethehuman essenceofstorytelling.Everyautomatedprocessincludes humancheckpointstoprotectaccuracy,integrity,and editorialvalues.
BalancingInnovationwithAfrica'sRealities
Despitetheremarkableprogress,Donald'sroleisnot withoutchallenges.WorkingacrossAfricarequires navigatingconnectivitylimitations,powerinconsistencies, andvariedregionaltechnologystandards.Designing systemsthatremainresilientinthefaceofthesechallenges demandscreativityandadaptability
Anotherchallengeliesinorganisationaladoption.As technologyevolvesrapidly,ensuringteamsembracenew toolsrequiresstructuredtraining,transparent communication,andcontinuousengagement. Cybersecurity,too,remainsatoppriorityintoday's interconnectedmediaworld.
Donaldapproachestheseissuesproactivelythrough redundancyplanning,strongvendorpartnerships,ongoing training,andaculturethatseeseverychallengeasan opportunitytolearnandevolve.
AMilestoneThatDefinesHisVision
Amonghismanyachievements,theprojectthatbestreflects hisleadershipphilosophyisNewsCentral'send-to-end digitaltransformation.Heoversawacomplete reengineeringofthebroadcastworkflow,transitioningthe organisationfromhardware-heavysystemstoaflexible,IPdrivenarchitecture.
Cloud-enabledingestandediting,automatedplayout,and mobile-firsttoolsforfieldreporterschangednotjusthow contentisproduced,buthowquicklyandcollaboratively thenewsroomoperates.Breakingnewsturnaroundtimes droppedsharply,digitalcontentoutputexpanded,andteam synergyimproveddramatically
ForDonald,therealmilestonewasnotthetechnologyitself itwaswitnessingtheorganisationembraceafuture-ready mindset,confidentandreadytoinnovate.
FosteringaCultureofLearningandIdeas
Asaleader,Donaldbelievesinnovationthriveswhere curiosityisencouraged.Hisdepartmentreflectsthis philosophythroughcontinuoustraining,vendor-led learningsessions,innovationsprints,andanopen-door culturewhereeveryideanomatterhowsmalldeserves consideration.
Teammemberswhoproposenewconceptsareoften empoweredtoleadimplementation,fosteringownership, confidence,andleadershipcapability.“Learningisa mindset,”heoftensays,andunderhisleadership, experimentationisnotanoccasionalexercisebutacultural norm.
TheTrendsShapingtheNextMediaFrontier
Lookingahead,Donaldidentifiesseveraltrendsthatwill fundamentallyreshapeglobalmediaandparticularlythe Africanbroadcastlandscapeoverthenextfiveyears.
Amongthem:
• AI-drivencontentautomation
• Cloud-nativebroadcasting
• Hyper-personalisednewsconsumption
• Cross-platformstorytelling
• IP-basedproductionpoweredbySMPTE2110and NDI
• ImmersivemediadrivenbyARandadvanced visualisationtools
Forbroadcastersthatmoveearly,theseshiftsrepresent profoundopportunitiestoreinventhowaudiences experiencenews.
AMessagetotheNextGenerationofTechLeaders
Asoneofthecontinent'smostinfluentialCTOs,Donald's advicetoaspiringleadersisgroundedinhumilityandrealworldwisdom.
Leadwithpurpose,hesays.Stayadaptable.Understandthe business,notjustthetechnology.Valuepeopleover systems.Becourageousenoughtochallengeoutdated norms.Andaboveall,protectintegritybecauseinanage dominatedbymisinformation,technologymustdefend truth,notdistortit.
FinalThoughts
Ultimately,Donald'sjourneyillustrateshowvisionary leadershipcantransformnotonlyorganisationsbutentire industries.HisworkatNewsCentralTVunderscoresa profoundtruth:whentechnology,purpose,andpeople unite,mediabecomesmorethaninformationitbecomes impact,empowerment,andpossibility.
Clāra Ly-Le
Founder and Managing Director of EloQ Communications
ClāraLy-Le,FounderandManagingDirector
ofEloQCommunications,aleadingPRand marketingagencyinVietnam,hasoveradecade ofexperienceblendingsharpbusinessinsightwitha bold,innovativeapproachthatchallengesindustry norms.AlongsideherleadershipatEloQ,sheservesas ViceDeanoftheFacultyofPublicRelationsand CommunicationsatVanLangUniversity,whereshe bridgesacademiaandindustrybyequippingstudents withreal-worldskillsanddrivingtheprofessional growthofVietnam'sPRsector.Respectedasbothan industryleaderandaneducator,Clāraisdedicatedto nurturingtalentandshapingthefutureof communications.
Herearethekeyhighlightsfromtheinterview:
Brieftheinceptionstoryofyourorganization?What inspiredyoutoestablishELoQCommunications?
IamClāraLy-Le.EloQCommunicationswasbornout ofmyvisiontobridgeglobalbestpracticesinpublic relationswiththeuniqueculturalandmarketdynamics ofVietnamandtheASEANregion.Isawacleargap that,whileVietnam'scommunicationsindustrywas vibrantandfullofpotential,manybrands,bothlocaland international,struggledtoconnectauthenticallywith Vietnameseaudiences,andlocalagenciesoftenlackeda trulyglobaloutlook.
In2018,IfoundedEloQCommunicationstoaddressthis need.Fromdayone,ourmissionhasbeentocombine strategicinsight,creativity,andculturalsensitivityto
helpclientstelltheirstoriesinwaysthatresonateboth locallyandglobally Today,EloQisamulti-awardwinningagencyservingclientsfromstartupstoFortune 500sacrossASEAN,helpingbrandstelltheirstories withclarity,creativity,andculturalintelligence.
Whataretheinitialchallengesthatyoufacedduring theinceptionandhowdidyouovercomethose challenges?
Atthestart,thechallengewasshiftingmindsetsin Vietnam'sPRindustryfromtransactional,pay-for-play mediatoethical,strategiccommunication.Weinvested timeineducatingclientsonthelong-termvalueof authenticstorytellingandrelationship-building.Another hurdlewasearningcredibilityasayoungagencyamong establishedcompetitors.Iovercamethisbyleveraging myPhDexpertise,internationalnetwork,andproven resultstobuildtrust.Bystayingtransparent,delivering measurableoutcomes,andupholdinghighprofessional standards,EloQestablisheditselfasamulti-awardwinningagencyknownforintegrity,creativity,and culturalintelligenceacrossVietnamandASEAN.
Canyoushareyourleadershipjourneyandwhat inspiredyoutobecomealeaderinyourfield?
Mypathtoleadershiphasbeenaboutadaptabilityand vision.Iembraceacollaborativestyle,empowering peopletobringtheirideasforwardandowntheirresults. Whatinspiresmemostisseeingbothmyteamand clientsgrow,whetherthat'sayoungprofessionalgaining confidenceorabrandfindingitsauthenticvoice.
Leadership,forme,isaboutcreating anenvironmentwheretrust, creativity,andsharedsuccessthrive.
Whatkeyqualitiesdoyoubelieve areessentialforaleaderintoday's businessworld?
Adaptabilitytonavigateshifting marketsandtechnologies,empathy tounderstandandconnectwith diversestakeholders,andintegrityto makedecisionsthatbuildlong-term trust.
Whattrendsdoyoubelievewill shapeyourindustryin2025and beyond?
IseethreemajortrendsshapingPR in2025andbeyond:theriseofAIpoweredtoolstransforminghowwe monitor,analyze,andpersonalize communication;growingdemandfor authenticityasaudiencesbecome moreskepticalofpolishedcorporate messaging;anddeeperintegrationof ESGnarrativesasbusinessesareheld accountableforsocialand environmentalimpact.
Whatadvicewouldyougiveto aspiringleaderslookingtomakea differenceintheirrespectivefields?
Focusonimpact,notjustposition. Buildyournetworkwith authenticity;relationshipsoftenopen doorsskillsalonecan't.Andnever compromiseyourintegrity.Trustis thecurrencythatsustainsinfluence overthelongterm.Mostimportantly, leadwithpurpose.Whenyour decisionsalignwithaclearmission, you'llinspireothersandcreate changethatlasts.
Canyoudescribetheprimaryareaofinnovationyou arefocusingonwithinyourbusiness?
AtEloQCommunications,ourkeyinnovationliesin craftingculturallyintelligent,fullyintegratedcampaigns thatcutthroughthenoiseinVietnamandacross ASEAN.Wespecializeintailoringbrandmessagesso theyresonateacrossmultiplechannels–traditional media,socialplatforms,andon-the-groundactivations–whilepreservingauthenticity.Whatsetsusapartisour commitmenttomeasurableimpact:everycampaignis backedbyclearKPIsandtransparentreporting.This ensuresourclients,fromlocaldisruptorstoglobal leaders,gainnotonlyvisibilitybutalsolong-termtrust andinfluenceintheirtargetmarkets.
Briefusaboutyourfutureroadmap?
Lookingahead,EloQCommunicationswillexpandour footprintacrossASEAN,buildingastrongernetworkof localexpertstodeliverseamlessmulti-market campaigns.InVietnam,weaimtodevelopnewservice lines,suchasadvancedcrisisreadinessprogramsand sector-specificPRconsulting,toaddresstheevolving needsofourclients.Wewillcontinuetoinvestintalent development,ensuringourteamstaysaheadofindustry trendswhilemaintainingtheculturalintelligencethat definesourwork.Ourgoalremainsclear:tobethe trustedpartnerforbrandsseekinghigh-impact,authentic communicationthatbuildslastinginfluenceinSoutheast Asia.
THE ROLE OF IOT AND EDGE COMPUTING IN THE NEXT GENERATION OF ENTERPRISE NETWORKS
nthecurrentfast-pacedtechnologicalenvironment,organizationsarepersistentlyexploringnovelmethodsto
improvetheiroperations,minimizelatency,andobtainreal-timeinsights.TheincorporationoftheInternetof Things(IoT)andedgecomputingwithinenterprisenetworksissignificantlyinfluencingthedevelopmentofnextgenerationenterprisenetworks,providingincreasedefficiency,scalability,andintelligencetobusinessesacrossdiverse sectors.
WhatisIoT?
TheInternetofThings(IoT)denotesasystemofinterconnecteddevicesthatcancommunicateandsharingdata autonomously,withouttheneedforhumaninvolvement.Thisconceptincludesawiderangeofdevices,suchas industrialsensors,intelligenthomeappliances,wearablegadgets,andconnectedautomobiles.Thesedevicescollect significantdatathatcaninformbusinessstrategies,optimizeoperationalprocesses,andelevatecustomersatisfaction.
ThegrowthofIoTisanticipatedtobesubstantialasorganizationsincreasinglyembraceadvancedtechnologiesand dependoninsightsderivedfromdata.
WhatisEdgeComputing?
Edgecomputingrepresentsadecentralizedcomputingarchitectureinwhichdataprocessingtakesplacenearthe sourceofdatageneration,asopposedtobeingtransmittedtocentralizedcloudservers.Byhandlingdatalocallyorat thenetwork’speriphery,edgecomputingminimizesbandwidthrequirementsanddecreaseslatency This characteristicrendersitparticularlysuitableforapplicationsthatdemandtimelyresponsesandsituations whereimmediatedecision-makingisessential.
TheConvergenceofIoTandEdgeComputing
TheintegrationofIoTandedgecomputingisrevolutionizingenterprisenetworksbydeliveringthe necessaryinfrastructuretofacilitateadiverserangeofintelligentapplications.Belowaretheways inwhichthesetechnologiesaretransformingbusinesses.
Real-timeDataProcessingandDecision-Making
IoTdevicesproducesubstantialamountsofdatathatcanbeutilizedinreal-timewhenprocessedattheedge. Edgecomputingenablesorganizationstoanalyzeandprocessdataatitssource,whichisessentialforapplicationsthat requireimmediateaction,suchaspredictivemaintenance,remotemonitoring,andautonomoussystems.Byexecuting decisionsattheedge,companiescanswiftlyaddresschallengesorseizeopportunities,therebyenhancingefficiency andreducingdowntime.
ReducingLatency
Oneoftheprimarybenefitsofedgecomputingistheconsiderabledecreaseinlatency.Byprocessingdataattheedge, iteliminatestheneedforinformationtotraverseextensivedistancestoreachacentralizeddatacentre.Thiscapability enablesorganizationstorespondtodatamoreswiftlyandefficiently.InenvironmentsdrivenbytheInternetofThings (IoT),wheretimeisoftheessence,reducinglatencyiscrucialforensuringseamlessoperations,particularlyinsectors suchasmanufacturing,healthcare,andtransportation.
EnhancedSecurity
AstheprevalenceofIoTdevicescontinuestorise,thesignificanceofsecurityforenterprisesgrowscorrespondingly Utilizingedgecomputingallowsforlocaldataprocessing,whichminimizesthevolumeofsensitiveinformationsent tothecloud.Thisapproachaidsinalleviatingsecuritythreatsandpotentialbreaches,therebyprovidingenhanced controloverdataaccessandmanagement.
ScalabilityandFlexibility
EdgecomputingenhancestheabilityofbusinessestoexpandtheirIoTnetworkswithgreaterefficiency.Byallocating computationalresourcesacrossvariousedgedevices,organizationscanmanagerisingdatavolumeswithoutstraining centralizedsystems.Thisdecentralizedframeworkallowsenterprisestocreateadaptableandscalablenetworksthat canreadilysupportfutureexpansion.
FutureofIoTandEdgeComputing
AsIoTdevicesevolveincomplexityandedgecomputingtechnologyadvances,organizationswillpersistintheir effortstoinnovateandenhancetheirnetworks.Thecapacitytogather,analyze,andrespondtoreal-timedatawill emergeasasignificantcompetitiveedgeforcompaniesstrivingtomaintaintheirleadershipinvarioussectors. Additionally,ongoingprogressinartificialintelligenceandmachinelearningwillfurtherunleashthepotentialofIoT andedgecomputing,facilitatingthedevelopmentofmoreintelligentandagileenterprisenetworks.
