Marquis Who’s Who Honors Erin Bigelow for Expertise in Live Television and Streaming Production Innovation
Erin Bigelow-Umar brings more than 23 years’ expertise to her role as head of production operations and strategy at Amazon Live
She demonstrates exceptional leadership in managing large-scale production teams, an overseeing production crews, engineering support, post production and creative design departments.
CARY, NC, March 11, 2025 /24-7PressRelease/ — Erin Bigelow-Umar has been selected for inclusion in Marquis Who’s Who. As in all Marquis Who’s Who biographical volumes, individuals profiled are selected on the basis of current reference value. Factors such as position, noteworthy accomplishments, visibility, and prominence in a field are all taken into account during the selection process.
A distinguished expert in live television, streaming production, and extended reality (XR) innovation, Ms. Bigelow-Umar currently serves as the head of production operations and strategy at Amazon Live. Drawing on a career spanning more than two decades, she demonstrates exceptional leadership in managing large-scale production teams, overseeing production crews, engineering support, post production and creative design departments while ensuring the seamless execution of live-streaming operations. She leads strategic initiatives focused on optimizing production workflows, scaling studio operations, and integrating automation technologies.
Prior to joining Amazon in 2023, Ms. Bigelow-Umar spent a decade at Yahoo and Verizon Media, where she played a pivotal role in advancing live production technologies. As director of studio production, she spearheaded the development of Yahoo Finance’s transition to fully remote live programming within 48 hours in response to the COVID-19 pandemic, ensuring uninterrupted global broadcasts. She also led the development of a dedicated Broadcast AR facility for Yahoo Brands, including Yahoo News, Yahoo Sports, Huffington Post, and Yahoo Finance, pioneering the integration of XR into live content creation.
Ms. Bigelow-Umar’s career at Yahoo began in 2013, where she held key leadership roles, including deputy head of studios and head of East Coast studio operations. She was instrumental in designing and building 13 state-of-the-art television studio environments, including an $11 million refurbishment of the former AOL Studios for Yahoo Studios. Under her leadership, Yahoo Studios became a hub for XR storytelling and immersive content production. Earlier in her career, she worked as a control room director and technical director for ABC News Digital as well as a DGA production associate for Good Morning America, and a director/technical director at The Comcast Network. In 2011, she co-launched a women-owned and operated livestreaming company, VirtualArtsTV, where she held the role of vice president of broadcast design and technology.
Beyond her professional endeavors, Ms. Bigelow-Umar is an active member of the Directors Guild of America and a dedicated mentor within the Lumberjacks Thrive Externship Program. Passionate about community engagement, she has served as the creative director for the 4thU Artivists community theater group focused on ending systemic oppression and gender-based violence. A dedicated volunteer on boards and committees in her faith community as well as on her co-op board, Ms. Bigelow-Umar regularly gives back to the communities she calls home.
Ms. Bigelow holds a Bachelor of Arts in Electronic Media Production from Northern Arizona University. She has furthered her expertise with a certificate in Organizational Leadership from Villanova University and a certificate in Transformational Nonprofit Leadership from the University of Notre Dame. Additionally, she is the recipient of an Edward R. Murrow Award for Breaking News Coverage at ABC News. She attributes her success to her drive, her commitment to her teams’ success, transformative innovation, the support of her exceptional co-workers throughout her career as well as her family’s unending encouragement.
Born in Princeton, New Jersey, Ms. Bigelow-Umar is a devoted mother and an advocate for arts education. Looking ahead, she is committed to driving initiatives within large-scale media operations that prioritize employee well-being, fostering a sustainable and supportive work environment that enhances both productivity and creativity. In the long-term, she is passionate about launching a nonprofit organization dedicated to theater for teens, aligning her expertise in media production with her commitment to community-driven impact.
About Marquis Who’s Who®:
Since 1899, when A. N. Marquis printed the First Edition of Who’s Who in America®, Marquis Who’s Who® has chronicled the lives of the most accomplished individuals and innovators from every significant field of endeavor, including politics, business, medicine, law, education, art, religion and entertainment. Who’s Who in America® remains an essential biographical source for thousands of researchers, journalists, librarians and executive search firms around the world. The suite of Marquis® publications can be viewed at the official Marquis Who’s Who® website, www.marquiswhoswho.com.
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