Management

The Knowledge Leaders

In 1991, a group of United Press International veterans launched Wieck Media to fill a growing need for timely, precise delivery of digital images.

In 2005, Wieck Australasia began operations with a team trained by Australia’s leading newspaper empires and experienced in public relations to fulfill the growing shift towards online technologies in the industry.

Today, Wieck uses leading-edge compression and editing techniques, advanced web technologies and searchable databases to keep up with the changing world of digital media — but it’s our unmatched editorial experience that makes our clients and their audiences breathe easier when deadlines are near.

Drawing upon decades of experience, our seasoned management team leads a talented, dedicated staff that delivers unmatched customer satisfaction.

Key members of our team include:

 

Paul Pearson, Managing Director, Wieck Australasia

Paul Pearson is one of the most experienced imaging managers in Australia and has built his career in the forefront of media imaging and image distribution.

In the 1990s, Paul developed one of Australia’s first services to offer web-based media access to image and text content.

Paul Pearson began his career in imaging with one of Australia’s great consumers of media content, the Sydney Morning Herald, where he was an award-winning news and sport photographer.

He has demonstrated a career-long commitment to understanding the needs of the media, reading the emerging trends in technology, and marrying the two to deliver the best possible result for clients and media alike.

In his founding role at Wieck Australasia, his principal contribution is this unmatched experience and knowledge of the real-world needs of media and how to meet them on behalf of corporations seeking media exposure.

 

Warren Kirby, CEO, Wieck Australasia

Warren Kirby is unmatched in the scope of his experience which covers virtually all aspects of media and public relations disciplines.

Warren began his career as a photographer with The Australian before working in Parliament House, Canberra, for all News Limited publications.

In 1995 he moved into Public Relations and immediately identified the need to change from traditional press release mail-outs (complete with B&W prints) to electronic delivery of client material.

Warren has continually been at the forefront of technological change. Throughout his career he has identified shifts in the media landscape and the evolving technologies behind them. This insight has earned him the respect of both clients and their audiences.

As a founding member of Wieck Australasia, Warren is uniquely qualified to help clients identify their greatest needs for online communication and implement solutions that consistently exceed expectations.

 

Management of Wieck Media US

Jim Wieck, Founder and Chairman

Jim Wieck, a 23-year veteran of United Press International, has always had a knack for finding ways to help reporters cover breaking news and hit their deadlines, even under the most difficult circumstances.

During his wire service career, Wieck served on the editorial committee that implemented the agency’s first nationwide computer system in the mid-1970s. He also arranged ship-to-shore services in the North Atlantic that enabled reporters to provide daily coverage of the successful search for the sunken ocean liner Titanic. And when an 8.1 earthquake struck Mexico City, leaving local media with no means of communications, he authorised the leasing of a private jet outfitted with long-range international communications technology to fly in reporters and photographers and provide the world with the first eyewitness accounts of the tragedy.

Since co-founding Wieck Media in September 1990, Wieck has continued to provide journalists with a vital link to news sources through Wieck-powered online newsrooms and databases.

Tim Roberts, President

As an award-winning photographer with United Press International and Agence France-Presse, Tim Roberts spent a decade capturing both triumphs and tragedies on film — from Super Bowls, the Final Four and the Olympics to natural disasters, hostage situations and the final days of the Branch Davidian standoff. This first-hand experience as a photojournalist proved invaluable when Roberts joined Wieck in early 1991 to help launch operations for what was then known as Wieck Photo DataBase — with The New York Times as its first client.

As photo editor for the enterprise, Roberts soon began researching the new digital technology and formats available for compressing, storing and transmitting photographs. Within six months of the startup, Roberts was experimenting with a system of delivery that enabled newspapers and magazines to dial in via modems and download photo files in less than one-third the time required by previous technologies.

By the mid-1990s, Roberts was leading the fast-growing company’s migration to Web services. He was appointed President in January 2002 after serving nearly three years as Vice President and General Manager.