Roland Sars

Roland Sars has extensive work experience in the technology industry. Roland is currently the CEO and Co-Founder of Media Distillery, a company specializing in AI-driven video analysis technology for the entertainment industry. Media Distillery's customer base includes major operators and broadcasters worldwide.

In addition to their role at Media Distillery, Sars is also a Founding Partner at Shamrock Ventures, a pre-seed and early-seed impact fund that focuses on tech startups creating social and environmental impact.

Sars has a strong background in startups and entrepreneurship. Roland was a Founding Board Member and later the Chairman of the Dutch Startup Association, the largest independent representative for startups, scaleups, and innovation in the Netherlands.

Prior to their current roles, Sars worked at Acronis as the Vice President of Service Provider Sales, where they managed the integration and transition of employees and customers following the acquisition of BackupAgent. Roland also led the cloud sales team for Europe and CIS.

Before their time at Acronis, Sars was the Founder and CCO of BackupAgent, a global cloud backup vendor. Roland built the company from scratch and raised funding from notable venture capital firms. BackupAgent became a recognized brand and onboarded over 900 service providers worldwide.

Roland Sars has a diverse and extensive education history. In 1998 to 1999, they attended Delft University of Technology, where they obtained a Propaedeutic diploma in Aerospace engineering. Roland then went on to study at Aspect International Academy in San Francisco, USA, from 1999 to 2000. However, the specific degree and field of study during this period are not provided. Subsequently, in 2000 to 2006, Roland pursued their Master of Science in Business Administration (MScBA) at Erasmus University Rotterdam. Finally, in 2003 to 2004, they attended Instituto Tecnológico Autónomo de México, where they obtained an MSc. in Business Administration. Roland's educational journey continued in 2015 when they attended Nyenrode Business University for the Nyenrode Executive Program, focusing on Senior Leadership Development.