North America Forum 2024, Washington D.C.

Alan Davidson leads NTIA, the President’s principal advisor on telecommunications and information policy. As NTIA Administrator, Alan oversees a federal agency with more than 500 employees working to close the digital divide, manage federal spectrum resources, and build a better Internet.

Mr Davidson has spent the last 25 years working at the intersection of Internet technology, public policy, and the law. In his roles in government, public interest groups, and companies, Mr Davidson has focused on how society makes choices about the technologies we build.

Before joining NTIA, Alan worked at Mozilla Foundation, a global nonprofit that promotes openness, innovation and participation on the Internet. As Mozilla’s Vice President of Global Policy, Trust and Security, he led public policy and privacy teams promoting an open Internet and a healthy web. Mr Davidson served in the Obama-Biden Administration as the first Director of Digital Economy at the U.S. Department of Commerce. He started Google’s public policy office in Washington, D.C., and as Director of Public Policy, led government relations and policy in North and South America for seven years until 2012.

Mr Davidson has been a long-time leader in the Internet nonprofit community, serving as Director of New America’s Open Technology Institute where he worked to promote equitable broadband access and adoption. As Associate Director of the Center for Democracy and Technology, Alan was an advocate for civil liberties and human rights online in some of the earliest Internet policy debates.

He is a graduate of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and the Yale Law School, and is a member of the District of Columbia Bar.

Bio coming soon ……

Jennifer Bachus is the Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary for the Bureau of Cyberspace and Digital Policy. Previously she served as Chargé d’Affaires, a.i. and Deputy Chief of Mission at the U.S. Embassy in Prague, Czech Republic. Prior to that, she served as Office Director for Central Europe at the U.S. Department of State; Special Assistant in the Office of the Under Secretary for Economic Growth, Energy, and the Environment; Deputy Chief of Mission at the U.S. Embassy in Pristina, Kosovo; Political-Economic Counselor in Astana, Kazakhstan; and head of the American Presence Post in Toulouse, France. She also served in Vietnam and Jamaica, as well as on a fellowship at Tufts University’s Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy.

She has an M.A. from the College of Europe in Bruges, Belgium, and a B.A. from Brown University. She speaks Czech, French, and Russian, and might still manage to mangle a few words of Vietnamese.

Johannes Bahrke is Counselor for Digital Policy at the EU Delegation to the United States in Washington DC. Prior to his posting, he was European Commission Coordinating Spokesperson for digital policy, research and innovation in Brussels. He accompanied notably the proposal, negotiation, and implementation of the Digital Services Act, Digital Markets Act, the Artificial Intelligence Act, and the EU Chips Act. Before joining the EU Institutions end-2014, Johannes worked as a managing editor for German national TV ZDF. Johannes studied media and communications in Siegen, Germany, and London, UK, and holds an MA in European political studies from the College of Europe in Bruges, Belgium.

Will Johnson leads Verizon’s federal regulatory and international public policy teams and has responsibility for representing Verizon on a wide range of regulatory and policy issues, including spectrum policy, broadband regulation, and network transformation. Before joining Verizon in 2004, Will was a litigator at Hogan & Hartson in Washington, DC, and before that at Long, Aldridge & Norman in Atlanta, GA. He also clerked for Chief Judge R. Lanier Anderson and for Judge Ed Carnes, each on the 11th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals. Will currently serves on several boards, including the Emory College Alumni Board, the International Institute of Communications, the Media Institute, and the National Exchange Carriers Association. He previously served as Chairman of the Board for Miriam’s Kitchen, a nonprofit aimed at ending chronic homelessness in Washington, D.C

Dr Allyson Leacock, Chairman of the Barbados Broadcasting Authority and Director of National Transformation Initiative, Government of Barbados, is also an independent media and human development consultant. She led a coalition of 112 Media Houses in 24 Caribbean countries for 12 years and trained over 2000 Caribbean broadcasters. She served on the Executive Board of the Global Media AIDS Initiative (GMAI) and was elected for 2 terms as Chairman of the Global Steering Committee for the World AIDS Campaign. She was also Cultural Affairs Specialist at the US Embassy covering the Caribbean and Officer-In-Charge and Student Coordinator at the University of the West Indies Distance Education Centre (UWIDEC), now the Open Campus.

Dr Allyson Leacock was conferred with the Order of the Republic (OR) in Barbados National Honours on 30 November 2023. The award was given by the President of Barbados – In ‘recognition of sterling contribution to broadcasting, media relations, corporate communications, training, human resource development and educational technology, as well as distinguished service to Barbados as Head of National Transformation Initiative’.

Dr Leacock has a wide-ranging professional background including in executive management in corporate communications, media, needs assessment, training, human resource development and leadership, as well broadcast media including production and presentation as TV News Anchor, and as General Manager of the Caribbean Broadcasting Corporation.

She holds Masters and Ph.D. degrees in Educational Technology, Concordia University, Canada and BA (Double First Class Honours) in English and Education and the Diploma in Education (Dip.Ed with distinction) from Stirling University, UK. Her training also includes Diplomas in Human Resource Management, Facility Management, Arts Management and Alternative Dispute Resolution.

A former national athlete, gymnast, dancer and actress, Dr Leacock is trained in sign language, is a volunteer with Special Olympics and Barbados Council for the Disabled.

Carole House is the White House National Security Council (NSC) Special Advisor for Cybersecurity and Critical Infrastructure. Most recently outside of government, she was an Executive in Residence at Terranet Ventures, Inc., and a Nonresident Senior Fellow at the Atlantic Council. She has served as the Chair of the Technology Advisory Committee (TAC) to the Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) and previously served at the NSC as the Director for Cybersecurity and Secure Digital Innovation. Ms House first joined the NSC from the U.S. Treasury’s Financial Crimes Enforcement Network (FinCEN), where she led cybersecurity, virtual currency, and emerging technology policy efforts. Prior to FinCEN, she worked as a Presidential Management Fellow supporting the White House Office of Management and Budget’s Cyber and National Security Unit and the U.S. Senate Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs on cybersecurity, supply chain risk management, and critical infrastructure protection policy issues. Ms House is a former Army Captain who served in chemical defense and military intelligence until November 2014, including a deployment to Kandahar Province, Afghanistan, from 2012 to 2013 in support of Operation Enduring Freedom. She holds a BA in international affairs from the University of Georgia and an MA in security studies from Georgetown University.

Cheryl Miller is Vice President of Digital Policy. Miller is an accomplished technology executive and a strong advocate for a safe, secure, interoperable and open Internet. She joined USCIB in 2024 and brought with her a broad range of experience in the digital space across government agencies, the private sector and the nonprofit sector.

Ms Miller’s experience in government includes serving as Assistant Chief Counsel for Telecommunications and Technology and the US Small Business Administration’s Office of Advocacy, and Deputy Staff Director for Technology and Innovation for the US Senate’s Small Business Committee. In both roles she worked closely with key agencies such as the FCC, FTC, DOJ, and US State Department on key regulatory and legislative issues in the digital space.

Her previous private sector roles include serving as the Director of International Public Policy and Regulatory Affairs for Verizon, an International Organizations Policy Manager for Meta, and a Manager for Regulatory Affairs at France Telecom. She has also served as a private sector member of the United Nations’ Multistakeholder Advisory Group (MAG) for the Internet Governance Forum, a Vice Chair for the Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN’s) NomCom Committee which reviews and selects ICANN board members and has been a part of numerus international delegations on digital issues.

Ms Miller is also a former professor at The George Washington University, where she helped to launch their Intellectual Property Law Program as part of their Paralegal Studies Program. She is dedicated to helping disadvantaged students access advanced technology, and in her past role as Executive Director of the Kuma Foundation, helped to launch their first Kuma Lab in Pune, India.

Ms Miller is a graduate of Georgetown University and received her law degree from the Catholic University’s Columbus School of Law.

Clete Johnson provides advice and advocacy to clients navigating the complex terrain at the intersection of technology and security. Having served in a wide variety of national security and cybersecurity leadership roles on Capitol Hill, in the national security and intelligence communities, in the regulatory arena, and in the Executive Branch, Mr Johnson focuses in particular on improving the effectiveness and efficiency of government-industry collaboration.

Mr Johnson was Secretary Penny Pritzker’s Senior Adviser for Cybersecurity and Technology at the US Department of Commerce, where he coordinated the Department’s cybersecurity initiatives and the Department’s support for the Commission on Enhancing National Cybersecurity. He was also the Department’s representative for National Security Council staff deliberations on cybersecurity, encryption, and other policy issues at the intersection of technology and security.

Previously, Mr Johnson was appointed by Federal Communications Commission (FCC) Chairman Tom Wheeler as the FCC’s first Chief Counsel for Cybersecurity. In this position, he helped develop the FCC’s cybersecurity mission, focusing on creating new legal mechanisms for government collaboration with private sector stakeholders to improve the security and reliability of communications infrastructure. He was also the primary drafter of the charter for the Cybersecurity Forum for Independent and Executive Branch Regulators, a coordinating body of regulatory agencies which is presently chaired by the FCC.

Prior to his time at the FCC, Mr Johnson was Senator John D Rockefeller IV’s designated counsel on the Senate Intelligence Committee and counsel for defense, foreign policy, and international trade. In these roles, he was a leading staffer on bipartisan Senate cybersecurity initiatives and the primary staff drafter of the legislation that codified the National Institute of Standards and Technology’s collaborative process to work with industry to develop and update the widely-praised Cybersecurity Framework.

Before his government service, Mr Johnson worked for a major Washington-based law firm, where he practiced in the areas of international trade, defense, and security. Earlier, he served as an Army officer.

He is a graduate of the University of Georgia School of Law, where he was the editor-in-chief of the Georgia Journal of International and Comparative Law, and he received a master of science degree in international relations from the London School of Economics and Political Science. He received his bachelor’s degree from Harvard, where he graduated cum laude, cross-enrolled at MIT for service as Executive Officer of its Army ROTC Paul Revere Battalion.

Courtney Dozier joined the National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) as the Deputy Director for the Broadband Equity, Access, and Deployment (BEAD) Program, which will expand high-speed internet across all 56 states and territories. Courtney brings over 15 years of leadership, management, and oversight of complex projects and multidisciplinary teams across dozens of states and federal initiatives.

Prior to joining NTIA, Ms Dozier served as Policy Director to former Governor Ralph Northam and as Chief Deputy at the Virginia Department of Housing and Community Development. She previously led advocacy efforts across multiple issue areas to achieve evidence-based policy change at the state level for the Pew Charitable Trusts.

Ambassador David Gross co-chairs Wiley’s Telecom, Media & Technology Practice. He is widely recognised as one of the world’s foremost experts on international telecommunications and Internet policies, having addressed the United Nations (UN) General Assembly and led more U.S. delegations to major international telecommunication conferences than anyone else in modern history. Noted as bringing “innovation and vision to the rapidly changing TMT industry” by Who’s Who Legal and as one of the “Top 30 Telecommunications lawyers in the world” by Euromoney, Ambassador Gross draws on more than 30 years of experience as a lawyer, global policymaker, and corporate executive to assist US companies seeking to enter or expand international businesses. He also advises non-US companies, and industry organizations seeking to invest in, monitor, and understand the US and international markets, as well as national governments. Ambassador Gross advises companies and others on international and domestic telecoms, Internet, and high-tech strategy focusing on both specific markets and international organizations such as the International Telecommunication Union (ITU), the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD), and the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC), as well as many regional organisations.

David Weller is Senior Director of Emerging Tech, Competitiveness & Sustainability Policy at Google. His team develops Google’s public policy views around AI & emerging technology, economic opportunity & competitiveness, and sustainability — focused on how we can harness technology responsibly to address major societal challenges and improve people’s lives everywhere. He previously led Google’s trade policy work.

Prior to joining Google in 2013, Mr Weller was a partner at WilmerHale and advised technology and other businesses regarding market access challenges, in international dispute settlement proceedings, and on international trade policy issues.  Mr Weller previously served as Deputy Assistant US Trade Representative for China, Hong Kong and Taiwan as well as USTR Assistant General Counsel. He was USTR’s chief legal advisor on China trade issues and chief lawyer for negotiations of free trade agreements with Morocco and Bahrain, and also represented the U.S. in WTO dispute settlement proceedings.

Mr Weller has worked and lived in China, Hong Kong and Vietnam. He is a graduate of Harvard College and Columbia Law School.

Elizabeth Oluoch has extensive experience developing and driving strategies to promote a global interoperable Internet in intergovernmental fora. As the Government and IGO Engagement Director (UN/ITU) at the Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN), she provides leadership in engagement with permanent delegations to the United Nations and ITU Member States.

Prior to joining ICANN in August 2022, Ms Oluoch worked at the Internet Society for more than a decade, where she served in various capacities in the Public Policy team, including leading the organization’s engagement at the UN and ITU, as well as liaising with Technical/Operational communities and Civil Society organizations on Internet related matters. She also oversaw the IETF Policymakers Program, an interactive training program, which brought governments to an IETF meeting to strengthen their knowledge of the Internet’s operations and the IETF standards development process.

Ms Oluoch holds a Master’s degree in public policy from American University in Washington DC.

Gabriela Lago serves as the Senior Director of Regulatory Affairs at EchoStar, where she oversees public policy, regulatory compliance, and market access strategies across more than 90 countries. Her work ensures alignment between the company’s satellite broadband and mobility services and the complex regulatory landscapes of its global markets.

With extensive experience in policy, licensing and compliance, Ms Lago has a proven track record of navigating both international and domestic regulatory frameworks. Before joining EchoStar, she held increasingly senior roles at COMSAT Corporation, Intelsat, and OneWeb, contributing to advancements in satellite communications. She also worked with Telcordia (formerly Bell Labs) and Neustar to implement large-scale telecommunications solutions at a national level.

Ms Lago is deeply engaged with key international and regional organizations, including the International Telecommunication Union, the Inter-American Telecommunications Commission, and the Caribbean Telecommunications Union. As co-lead of the Americas Regional Working Group for the Global Satellite Operators Association, she helps shape industry collaboration in the region. Ms Lago is also a frequent speaker at global forums, addressing topics such as public policy, regulatory frameworks, spectrum management, digital transformation, and satellite technology.

She holds a Bachelor of Arts from the University of Buenos Aires and a Master of Science in Business Administration from George Mason University.

Ira Keltz is Acting Chief of the FCC’s Office of Engineering and Technology.

OET is the Commission’s primary resource for engineering expertise and provides technical support to the Chairperson, Commissioners and FCC Bureaus and Offices. Mr Keltz is responsible for developing national spectrum policies, including allocating spectrum, setting technical and service rules for RF devices, and implementing procedures for equipment certification.

Mr Keltz has totaled over 29 years at the FCC spanning two separate stints. He previously served as Deputy Chief of OET, Chief of OET’s Electromagnetic Compatibility Division and Deputy Chief of OET’s Policy and Rules Division. Prior to serving in OET, Mr. Keltz held various positions in the Commission’s Wireless Telecommunications Bureau. Mr Keltz has also worked for the law firm DLA Piper as well as Loral Advanced Projects and LSA, Inc. He has been awarded the Federal Communications Bar Association’s Excellence in Government Service Award and WiFi Forward’s Wi-Fi Pioneer Award.

Mr Keltz earned a Master’s Degree in Electrical Engineering from the George Washington University and a Bachelor’s Degree in Electrical Engineering from the University of Michigan.

Jacquelynn (Jackie) Ruff has more than 25 years of experience in global law and public policy around policy frameworks for digital services, Internet governance, digital trade, expansion of broadband connectivity, and women and technology. Since February 2019 she has been a consulting counsel at the law firm of Wiley Rein where she provides legal, regulatory and public policy guidance on international issues impacting telecom, media, and technology industries.

Previously, Ms Ruff was Vice President of International Government Relations and Policy at Verizon Communications. Her responsibilities included leading work in international organisations such as the UN International Telecommunication Union, the OECD, ICANN, and the Internet Governance Forum, and regional organisations CITEL and APEC. She also represented Verizon on federal advisory committees to the US Department of State, the US Trade Representative, and the US Department of Commerce. Ms Ruff was a board member of the US Telecom Training Institute and co-chair of the Digital Trade group of the US Council for International Business, and she participated in the Policy and Spectrum Groups of the GSM Association. She is currently a Director of the International Institute of Communications. She is also a professorial lecturer at the George Washington University Elliott School of International Affairs.

Ms Ruff joined Verizon in 2004 from the International Bureau of the Federal Communications Commission (FCC), where she was Associate Chief and Chief of Staff for the Bureau. Previously she practiced with the communications and Latin America groups of an international law firm and served as staff for a US Senate Committee.

She has a BA from Radcliffe College/Harvard University, MA from Harvard University, and JD from the Georgetown University Law Center.

Jay A. Schwarz is Vice President, Global Public Policy at Comcast NBCUniversal where he focuses on broadband policy at the federal, state, and local levels. Previously he held roles at the Federal Communications Commission in the Chairman’s office, the Wireline Competition Bureau, the Wireless Telecommunications Bureau, and the Office of Strategic Planning.

Mr Schwarz holds a Ph.D. in Economics from the University of Pittsburgh as well as degrees in Civil Engineering from Texas A&M University.

Jeffrey Marks serves as Vice President, Government and Policy Advocacy at Ericsson, a global communications equipment manufacturer. In that role, Jeff leads Ericsson’s advocacy efforts before U.S. regulatory agencies and the Administration. He draws on his deep knowledge and experience on a wide range of key telecom policy issues, including broadband deployment, spectrum, net neutrality, open network architectures, and national security. Jeff joined Ericsson from Nokia, where he spent over 12 years leading regulatory policy development and advocacy. He also spent over 10 years at major law firms, including in the Communications Practice Group at Latham and Watkins. Jeff resides with his family in the Capitol Hill neighborhood of Washington, DC.

Joe Catapano is the Director of Stakeholder Engagement for the North America region at the Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN); he also oversees ICANN’s academic engagement at the global level. In this capacity, Mr Catapano connects members of the private sector, civil society, government, academia, the technical community, and end users with ICANN’s work in the global Internet governance space, as well as its policy development processes.

Prior to ICANN, Mr Catapano was a Communications Officer at the United Nations Foundation where he worked on US-UN relations, peacekeeping, and the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). He has extensive experience in the nonprofit and private sectors, previously holding strategic communications roles at Pfizer, Inc. and the American Association of Pharmaceutical Scientists.

Mr Catapano obtained his MA in Political Science from American University in Washington, DC, and his BA in Communications from Quinnipiac University. He is based in the Washington, DC Metro Area.

John Evans has over 20 years’ experience working in the area of competition, regulation and consumer protection.

Mr Evans joined Coimisiún na Meán in July 2023 as the Digital Services Commissioner. The Government decided that An Coimisiún will be designated as Ireland’s Digital Services Coordinator, implementing and enforcing the EU Regulation known as the Digital Services Act in Ireland. As Digital Services Commissioner, Mr Evans has responsibility, among other things, for:

• Leading, in close co-operation with the Online Safety Commissioner, on the enforcement and implementation of the Digital Services Coordinator’s functions within Coimisiún na Meán Developing the procedures necessary to implement the Digital Services Act, such as the certification procedures for awarding trusted flagger status and vetting researchers regarding access to data.
• Representing the Irish Digital Services Coordinator as member of the European Board of Digital Services.
• Developing effective relationships with Digital Services Coordinators in other Member States.
• Ensuring close cooperation with the European Commission in the enforcement and implementation of the regulation of the Digital Services Act for very large online platforms and search engines.

John Marinho is Vice President of Technology and Cybersecurity at CTIA. He leads efforts to help the wireless industry secure its networks and devices against cybersecurity threats, implement industry technology programs, and advocate for sensible and practical regulations based on industry led solutions. He founded the industry’s Cybersecurity Working Group (CSWG) and serves as CTIA’s primary leader with government agencies on cybersecurity. During his tenure he deployed national technology programs for mitigating contraband devices, deployment of secure branded calling, anti-theft device security, Robocall mitigation, Location Accuracy for 911 services, the 5G Security Test Bed and the IoT Cybersecurity Certification program.

He holds the Bell Labs President’s Award for Innovation and was awarded several Bell Labs patents in the field of wireless network optimization, network design and RF technology. Mr Marinho is the retired Chairman of the TIA TR45 Standards Committee and is the recipient of the CTIA and TIA Industry Service Award for his efforts in setting wireless industry standards.

He holds degrees from the Rutgers Graduate School of Management and the New Jersey Institute of Technology in electrical engineering.

Jonathan Cohen is a Partner in the D.C. office of the law firm Wilkinson Barker Knauer. He leverages deep knowledge of the legal, regulatory, political, and public policy landscape in D.C. to help clients understand and manage risk and overcome regulatory and transactional challenges. His clients range from innovative start-ups and non-profits to Fortune 30 companies practice and his work spans advocacy, transactions, and appellate litigation, including in online content regulation and artificial intelligence. Mr Cohen draws on a long career practicing law and on knowledge gained through his work in government, on political campaigns, and in the media, where he started as a news reporter. Mr Cohen joined WBK in 1998 after serving 5½ years in government, first at The White House and then at the FCC, where he held senior staff positions in the Chairman’s Office, the Office of Plans and Policy, the Mass Media Bureau, and the Wireless Telecommunications Bureau. While at the FCC, Mr Cohen co-wrote the FCC’s spectrum auction rules (which have become the global standard) and directed the FCC’s first broadband PCS auction, which at the time earned recognition from the Guiness Book of World Records as the largest auction in world history.

Mr Cohen co-chairs the Emerging Issues in Technology committee of the FCBA-The Tech Bar® and is frequently asked to speak in educational settings and at industry gatherings. He has been honored as a “Best Lawyer®” and singled out for nationwide recognition for “outstanding service” on corporate and commercial transactions, and is perennially selected as a Washington D.C. SuperLawyer. He also devotes time to pro bono practice, focusing on criminal justice issues and promoting responsible tech practices.

Mr Cohen was educated at The Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania and earned his law degree from Georgetown University.

Kate Goodloe serves as Managing Director with BSA | The Software Alliance. She works with BSA members to develop and advance policy positions on privacy, as well as artificial intelligence and law enforcement access.

Ms Goodloe has also served as an adjunct faculty member at the George Washington University Law School, where she taught a seminar on artificial intelligence law and policy. Before joining BSA, Ms Goodloe was a senior associate in the Privacy & Cybersecurity practice at Covington & Burling LLP. In that role, she counseled technology companies on a range of privacy and law enforcement access issues and represented companies in privacy-related litigation, as well as in investigations by the Federal Trade Commission and by Congress. She previously served as a Law Clerk for the Honorable J. Frederick Motz of the U.S. District Court for the District of Maryland.

Ms Goodloe is a graduate of the University of Missouri School of Journalism and the New York University School of Law. She is based in BSA’s Washington, DC, office.

Bio coming soon …..

Kenley Joseph is the Tech and Telecom Policy Counsel at the Multicultural Media, Telecom & Internet Council, where he advocates for equitable access to telecommunications and technology for minority communities.

Previously at Willkie Farr & Gallagher, he advised clients on a variety of regulatory issues before the Federal Communications Commission.

A graduate of Howard University School of Law, Mr Joseph brings extensive experience in spectrum policy, regulatory compliance, and digital inclusion efforts.

Leila Wright began her career practising competition law and commercial litigation at a national law firm. She joined the Competition Bureau in 2013, where she served in several senior executive roles, including as Deputy Commissioner for Digital Enforcement and Intelligence, leading on data analytics, intelligence, and behavioural economics. Leila was also the Associate Deputy Commissioner for the Policy, Planning and Advocacy Directorate, where she led major initiatives aimed at promoting competition, including in-depth studies on how to foster competition and innovation in Canada’s financial services and telecommunications industry.

Ms Wright also directed a comprehensive study of Canada’s broadband industry and led the Bureau’s participation in several CRTC proceedings.

Ms Wright has a Juris Doctor, University of Toronto, Bachelor of Arts (Honours), Political Studies, Queen’s University and a Bachelor of Science, Life Science, Queen’s University

Leslie McKnew is Senior Vice President & Deputy General Counsel, leading Cisco’s Regulatory Affairs organization with Cisco’s Legal department. She leads a team of more than 60 lawyers, operational specialists, program managers, engineers, and subject matter experts who are focused on a broad range of regulatory topics, including, among others, data and privacy, global trade, cybersecurity, ESG, Responsible AI, human rights, environmental affairs, and telecommunications. The Regulatory Affairs team is responsible for policies and strategies to navigate regulatory frameworks across the world.

Ms McKnew has held several other leadership roles at Cisco. She led Cisco’s global litigation and employment law teams, as well as the legal team focused on Cisco’s data and collaboration businesses. Leslie also spent a year in a business role focused on developing and launching software buying programs. She joined Cisco as its first in-house trademark counsel and built the trademark function and team.

In her role, Ms McKnew has been recognized as a key leader in supporting Cisco’s transformational journey, managing strong team performance, developing exceptional talent, driving key transformational capabilities, and supporting her business partners.

Prior to Cisco, she was an associate at the Morgan Lewis law firm focused on IP and commercial litigation. She has a BA degree in Political Science from the University of California, Davis, and graduated from the University of San Francisco School of Law.

Lynn Robinson became Director General of the International Institute of Communications (IIC), in March 2020.

Lynn is an experienced senior director and trustee / non exec-director, having held key senior leadership positions in the technology, built environment, regulation, accreditation and dental industries. She has extensive experience of professional membership bodies working within the full spectrum including, Regulatory bodies, Industry associations and Chambers of Commerce. Lynn is a well-known and established ambassador in these areas having led on many strategic programmes to aid engagement, growth, retention, change management, stakeholder and political engagement.

Melanie Kaplan leads on Internet and digital governance issues in the U.S. State Department’s Cyberspace and Digital Policy Bureau. In preparation for the 2024 Summit for the Future, she served as one of the U.S. lead negotiators for the Global Digital Compact.

Before joining government, Ms Kaplan spent five years at Amazon Web Services (AWS) on the Public Policy team promoting digital transformation and cybersecurity for governments, nonprofits, startups, and enterprise customers. Prior to AWS, Ms Kaplan worked at The Cohen Group supporting Fortune 500 clients in the technology, infrastructure, and other sectors. Early in her career, she worked for the Group of Fifty, a network of Latin American CEOs led by Moises Naim.

Ms Kaplan has a Master’s degree from Georgetown University’s School of Foreign Service and a Bachelor’s degree from Wellesley College. She speaks Spanish and Portuguese.

Mike Nelson is a Senior Fellow in the Carnegie Endowment’s Asia Program, which helps decision makers understand and address the impacts of emerging technologies, including digital technologies such as Big Data, machine learning, and online collaboration.  Prior to joining Carnegie, he started the global public policy office for Cloudflare, a startup that has improved the performance and security of more than 10 million websites around the world. Dr Nelson has also served as a principal technology policy strategist in Microsoft’s Technology Policy Group. In addition, Dr Nelson has taught courses and done research on the future of the internet, cyber-policy, technology policy, innovation policy, and e-government in the Communication, Culture, and Technology Program at Georgetown University.

Before joining the Georgetown faculty, Dr Nelson was director of internet technology and strategy at IBM, where he managed a team helping define and implement IBM’s next generation internet strategy. From 1988 to 1993, he served as a professional staff member for the Senate’s Subcommittee on Science, Technology, and Space and was the lead Senate staffer for the High-Performance Computing Act. In 1993, he joined Vice President Al Gore at the White House and worked with President Bill Clinton’s science adviser on issues relating to the Global Information Infrastructure, including telecommunications policy, information technology, encryption, electronic commerce, and information policy.

Bio coming soon …..

Olaf Steenfadt is the Founder and Managing Director of Global Media Registry (GMR), a charitable social enterprise that promotes transparency, accountability and pluralism in the information space. With his background in news reporting and investigative journalism, he is a speaker, lecturer,
entrepreneur and globally visible expert on digital media policy and ethics. Two of his signature projects include the “Media Ownership Monitor” and the “Journalism Trust Initiative” which he developed and implemented on behalf of the press freedom watchdog Reporters Without Borders.

Mr Steenfadt previously worked for national German public broadcasters ARD and ZDF in various roles.

He is a member of the “High-level Expert Group on Fake News and Online Disinformation” of the European Commission and of the “Committee of Experts on Quality of Journalism in the Digital Age” and the “Committee of Experts on Media Environment and Reform” at the Council of Europe.

Robert Pepper is Senior Fellow, Global Digital Inclusion Partnership. He was previously Head, Global Connectivity Policy and Planning, Meta until August 2024.  He helped lead Meta’s connectivity and technology policy activities focusing on new technology development, deployment and adoption. Dr Pepper previously was Cisco’s Vice President for Global Technology Policy for more than a decade working with governments across the world helping them develop their digital strategies and address areas such as ICT and development, broadband plans, IP enabled services, wireless and spectrum policy, the Internet of Things, security, privacy and internet governance.

As Chief of the Office of Plans and Policy and Chief of Policy Development at the FCC for 16 years beginning in 1989, Dr Pepper led teams designing and implementing the first US spectrum auctions, developing policies promoting the development of the internet, implementing telecommunications legislation, and planning for the transition to digital television.

Before joining the FCC, he was Director of the Annenberg Washington Program in Communications Policy. His government service also included Acting Associate Administrator at the National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) and initiating a programme on Computers, Communications and Information Policy at the National Science Foundation.

His academic appointments included faculty positions at the Universities of Iowa, Indiana, and Pennsylvania, and as a research affiliate at Harvard University. He chairs the US Department of State’s Advisory Committee on International Communications and Information Policy and has served on the board of the US Telecommunications Training Institute, the US Department of Commerce’s Spectrum Management Advisory Committee and the UK’s OFCOM Spectrum Advisory Board.

Dr Pepper received his BA and PhD from the University of Wisconsin-Madison.

Samir Jain is the Vice President of Policy at the Center for Democracy & Technology (CDT). He leads CDT’s policy advocacy and manages CDT’s core policy teams in conjunction with its CEO. His work includes shaping and overseeing execution of CDT’s policy agenda and strategy, and representing the organization before policymakers, regulatory agencies, civil society, industry, and the media.

Mr Jain has 25 years of experience in senior roles in government and private practice working at the forefront of technology law, policy, and regulation. He served in the Obama Administration as Associate Deputy Attorney General at the Department of Justice and as Senior Director for Cybersecurity Policy for the National Security Council. In those positions, he advised leadership at the White House and DOJ on cybersecurity and technology policy; coordinated development of cybercrime and privacy legislation and policy in areas such as encryption and defense of critical infrastructure; managed responses to significant cyber incidents; and led the team responsible for international engagements on issues such as law enforcement cooperation, cyber norms, and cyber-enabled intellectual property theft. He was a primary architect of the Presidential Policy Directive on United States Cyber Incident Coordination and played a key role in developing the Executive Order authorizing sanctions for malicious cyber-enabled activities.

Mr Jain also was a partner at the law firms of WilmerHale and Jones Day. He started his career as a communications lawyer and worked on regulatory and litigation matters ranging from net neutrality to electronic surveillance. As the Internet emerged, he played a lead role litigating landmark cases such as Zeran v. America Online, establishing that Section 230 of the Communications Decency Act generally immunizes social media and other online services from liability for third-party content.

Over time, his practice spanned advising on cyber risk mitigation; leading data breach and cyber incident responses; counseling clients on global privacy compliance, and handling investigations by the FTC and state Attorneys General; advising on law enforcement and national security issues; and counseling on issues affecting emerging technologies, including artificial intelligence (AI) and the Internet of Things.

Mr Jain has served on the Education Advisory Board for the International Association of Privacy Professionals (IAPP), as an Affiliate with the Technology Policy Program at the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS), and as an adjunct professor at George Washington University Law School. He holds a B.S. from Stanford University and a J.D. from Harvard Law School.

Mrs Willie-Matoorah is a Senior Attorney-at-Law with over twenty-three (23) years of practice; twenty-one (21) of which have been spent in the telecommunications industry. Mrs Willie-Matoorah was appointed Commissioner, National Telecommunications Regulatory Commission (NTRC), Saint Lucia in February 2022. She served previously as the Director/Secretary to the Commission for nine (9) years. Mrs Willie-Matoorah has also served as in-house Legal Counsel to the Commission for a five year period from 2003- 2008. During a 3-year period of detachment, as an employee, from the Commission, Mrs Willie- Matoorah established a private practice with a fellow Senior Attorney-at-Law and currently remains a Partner in the Law Firm- Willie-Trotman, Matoorah & Co.

Mrs Willie-Matoorah has attained a law degree with honours – LL.B. (Honours) Bachelors of Law, post-graduate qualifications, firstly as a graduate of Law School- Legal Education Certificate (L.E.C) followed by the completion of a Master’s Programme with merit – LL.M. (Merit). At Masters level, she pursued a Telecommunications Law specialisation in addition to a Corporate Finance and Management, Intellectual Property over the Internet, and Regulation and Infrastructure of Arbitration.