Digital Transformation in the Emerging and Developed American Markets

Robert Quinn is responsible for AT&T’s public policy organisation and is Chair of the AT&T Foundation, serving in this capacity since October 2016.

Previously, Mr Quinn served as Senior Vice President — Federal Regulatory, leading the AT&T Federal Regulatory group responsible for all regulatory matters affecting AT&T and its affiliates before the Federal Communications Commission. Prior to this, he was Senior Vice President — Federal Regulatory and Chief Privacy Officer, responsible for customer privacy policies at the international, federal and state level across all lines of businesses.

Mr Quinn started his career with AT&T as Vice President — Federal Regulatory Affairs for AT&T Corp. in Washington, DC, where he represented AT&T before the Federal Communications Commission and the United States Department of Justice. Before joining AT&T, he spent 5 years as a trial attorney with the Chicago, Illinois, firm of Mayer, Brown & Platt (now Mayer Brown).

Mr Quinn graduated from the University of Illinois, Chicago with a bachelor’s degree in English. He also received his JD with honours from DePaul University in Chicago, Illinois, where he served as Managing Editor of Lead Articles for the DePaul Law Review.

Bio coming soon ……

Allan Ruiz Madrigal currently serves as Executive Secretary of COMTELCA (Regional Telecommunications Technical Commission), and has had the distinction of working with several global corporations, including Lucent Technologies, Alcatel, Intel, General Electric and ICE (Costa Rica’s incumbent telecom operator).

Mr Ruiz offers more than 25 years of experience worldwide in the development of ICT projects and telecommunications in both the public and private sectors. He is an expert in digital technologies, radio spectrum management, microwave and wireless networks, mobile telephony, rural telephony, broadcasting, digital television, satellite and broadband plans. He is also an expert tutor, coordinator at CEABAD and has represented the Republic of Costa Rica in the Inter-American Telecommunication Commission (CITEL) and in the International Telecommunication Union (ITU).

He has been Director of Radio Spectrum and Vice Minister of Telecommunications at the Ministry of Science, Technology and Telecommunications, Costa Rica. He has also been a professor at the University of Costa Rica in telecommunications.

Mr Ruiz has a BS from the University of Costa Rica in Electronics and Telecommunications and hold a master’s degree in Telecommunications from the Universidad Politecnica de Madrid.

André Müller Borges is currently Secretary of Telecommunications at the Ministry of Science, Technology, Innovation and Communications. He has 28 years of executive experience in companies such as NET Serviços / Globo, Oi, TVA and Alcoa in the legal, regulatory, Institutional and strategic, holding positions of Executive Vice-Presidency and management, as well as acting in law firms, such as TozziniFreire and Bettiol Advogados.

Dr Müller Borges was previously also vice-president of the Brazilian Association of Pay-Per-View Television – ABTA, Director of Telecommunications of the Federation of Industries of São Paulo – FIESP and a Member of the Regulatory and Competition and Arbitration Commissions of the Brazilian Bar Association, Federal Council and Sectional of São Paulo, respectively.

Dr Müller Borges is a graduate of the Faculty of Law of PUC-SP, with an extension at the Chicago School of Business,

Ann LaFrance retired from Squire Patton Boggs (US) LLP on 30 June 2022.  She was a senior partner in the New York office of Squire Patton Boggs and a founding member of the Firm’s global Data Practice. She was also an active participant in the Firm’s Communications Law Practice. Her experience covers a broad range of issues affecting the provision and regulation of advanced digital services and applications in the United States, Europe, the Middle East and the Caribbean.

Ms LaFrance began her legal career in 1980 with Squire in Washington, DC, where her practice focused on US and international telecommunications transactions, regulation and legislation. In 1996, she moved in-house to work as Chief International Counsel of MCI Communications Corp. (now Verizon), based in Washington, Brussels and London. Following her return to private practice in the Firm’s London office in 2004, she has advised a broad range of tech, telecom and multinational clients operating across a variety of sectors, as well as government and regulatory bodies, on data protection policy, GDPR compliance, international transfer agreements, AI ethical guidelines, blockchain, regulation of dominant operators, and the interplay between regulated “electronic communications” status and privacy laws in Europe, the U.S. and around the globe.

Since her return to the U.S. in 2019, Ms LaFrance continues to advise on complex cross-border data protection, e-privacy and cybersecurity matters, including transfer risk assessments post Schrems II and integrated approaches to global data protection compliance. She is currently advising clients on the new wave of U.S. state privacy laws that will take effect in 2023.

Ms LaFrance served as the Firm’s first Data Protection Officer in the UK and the EU and on the Firm’s data governance board. She is a Member of the Board of the International Institute of Communications and currently serves as its Vice President.

She is admitted to practice in New York, Massachusetts and the District of Columbia and is a Registered Foreign Lawyer in England and Wales.

Ms LaFrance also served as a International Institute of Communications Board Director 2016-2023.

Professor Antonio García Zaballos is Lead Specialist on telecommunications in Institutions for Development and also leader of the broadband initiative. He has more than 15 years’ experience in the telecommunications sector where he has worked for various companies.

Additionally, Professor García Zaballos is member of the steering committee at the IEEE on connectivity and the Internet for All Initiative at the World Economic Forum. He has an extensive experience in the telecom sector where has been working in different positions of responsibility.

At Deloitte Spain he led the practice of regulation and strategy for Latin America and the Caribbean, and previously he was the Head of the Cabinet for Economic Studies of Regulation in Telefónica of Spain, and also was Deputy Director of Economic Analysis and Markets at the Spanish Telecom Regulator (CMT). Professor García Zaballos has provided advisory services to Regulators, Telecom Operators and Governments in countries such as Saudi Arabia, China, Ecuador, Argentina, Dominican Rep., Paraguay, Polonia, and the Czech Rep.

Professor García Zaballos holds a PhD in Economics from the University Carlos III of Madrid and is an associated professor of applied finance to Telecommunications at the Instituto de Empresa Business School. He is author of several publications on economic and regulatory aspects of telecommunications.

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.

Cristian Aguilar was appointed as the Vice-Minister in charge of Telecommunications and Transports of Guatemala in January, 2016. Previously, from 2013 to 2015, he worked for the Superintendence of Tax Administration as a Systems Analyst and Project Manager.

Mr Aguilar graduated in Science and Systems Engineering from the University of San Carlos of Guatemala. He also holds a Masters in Business Administration specialising in Strategic Management from the Superior School of Higher Management of the Mesoamerican University.

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.

Ambassador Gross is also an Advisory Council member at the International Institute of Communications.

David Geary is General Counsel Caribbean for the Digicel Group, responsible for legal and regulatory affairs in the region. He joined Digicel in the South Pacific in 2010 and moved to the Caribbean in 2013.

Mr Geary is admitted as a solicitor in Ireland and in England & Wales and practised anti-trust and regulatory law with major law firms in Sydney, Brussels and Dublin.

Mr Geary previously worked for Batelco, the fixed and mobile incumbent operator in Bahrain.

Mr Geary is a graduate of the European University Institute and the University of Limerick and currently sits on the GSMA Chief Policy and Regulatory Officers’ Group for Latin America. He is a former chair of EU & International Affairs Committee of the Law Society of Ireland.

Mr Geary is the author of various publications and is a regular contributor to discussion on the future of the industry in the Caribbean region.

Eduardo Guzmán represents telecommunications, media and technology (TMT) companies on regulatory and dispute resolution matters in the US and Latin America. He regularly advises carriers and providers on the implications of regulatory policy involving telecommunications, broadband, video services, and emerging technologies. On the dispute resolution front, he defends TMT companies in litigation, administrative proceedings, appellate matters, and arbitration proceedings that require a deep understanding of the telecommunications industry and its regulatory frameworks.

Mr Guzmán also has experience advising international companies and government entities in the development of public-private partnerships (“P3s”) and similr projects in the telecommunications and technology sectors, including projects for the deployment of fiber optics, conduit, and infrastructure to support broadband deployment.

Mr Guzmán has extensive experience in the Caribbean, where he has more than 15 years of experience represent government entities, corporations, and industry groups in Puerto Rico and has counseled companies considering entering the Cuban market.

Dr Elisa Mariscal Medina has worked in competition matters for almost 20 years. She is managing director with Global Economics Group, a firm specialising in economic analysis of legal, regulatory and policy matters throughout the world. She is an Economics and Law Adjunct Professor at CIDE (Centro de Investigación y Docencia Económicas), and an associated fellow of its Interdisciplinary Program in Competition and Regulation (PIRCE). She is currently serving her second year as a member of the Federal Telecommunications Regulator’s (IFT) advisory council.

She has been Editor-in-Chief of Competition Policy International (CPI) since 2013, which publishes a bi-annual academic journal, bi-monthly magazine, and a daily newsletter, covering antitrust and competition policy issues around the world.

Prior to this, Dr Mariscal headed the General Directorate for Unilateral Conduct Investigations at the Federal Competition Commission (CFC) of Mexico. In this role, she led one of the largest unilateral conduct investigations for the CFC into exclusive dealings and fidelity rebates programs. During her seven-year tenure at the CFC, she was advisor to the Chairman, Deputy General Director of Economic Studies and Deputy General Director of International Affairs.

Before working with the Mexican competition agency, Dr Mariscal was an economic consultant at Cornerstone Research and LECG, where she worked in in antitrust, regulation and intellectual property issues in the US, Canada and Latin America,

Dr Mariscal received her bachelors degree with honours from ITAM (Instituto Tecno lógico Autónomo de México), and a PhD. and MA in economics from the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA). She is the author of a number of papers and studies.

Elizabeth Rojas Levi is the Director of Public Affairs and Government Relations for the Americas Region at the Nokia Corporation, a global innovation leader in the Internet of Things and home to R&D powerhouse, Nokia Bell Labs and Nokia Technologies. In this role, Ms Rojas Levi oversees international advocacy and public policy efforts, manages diplomatic relations with intergovernmental institutions and multi-lateral development banks. She also oversees the growth and development of Nokia’s innovation and sustainability brand across the region to include: The United States, Canada, and Latin America. She serves as a private sector adviser to the US Department of State International Telecommunication Advisory Committee (ITAC).

Ms Rojas Levi formerly served as the Deputy Director of Federal Affairs and Executive Branch Liaison for Governor Rick Scott. In this capacity, she represented the Governor and the State of Florida in Washington, DC and worked in the federal policy areas of infrastructure, environment, health care, and international affairs and led the Governor’s efforts to authorize the largest environmental restoration program in the world, the Florida Everglades.

Ms Rojas Levi’s passion is to promote stories of empowerment on fields where women are least represented: in technology and politics. She is a founder and co-chair of RightNOW Women, an organisation that seeks to provide financial support to qualified women to run for federal office. She is also an advocate for women in decision-making roles in the technology sector.

Ms Rojas Levi graduated summa cum laude with a dual degree in Economics and Political Science from the University of Florida and with a Master’s in International Business Administration (MIB/MBA) from the McDonough School of Business at Georgetown University. She’s a native speaker of Spanish and fluent in Portuguese.

Emma McClarkin was first elected as a Member of the European Parliament in 2009 and was re-elected in 2014. Previously, Ms McClarkin worked for the Rugby Football Union as their government relations executive.

In the European Parliament, Ms McClarkin is the Conservative Group Coordinator and Spokesperson on the Committee on International Trade, leading the Group on trade matters. She is at the forefront of opening up trade deals and modernising existing ones, promoting free trade and preventing the European Commission from pursuing protectionist trade policies, particularly in the realm of public procurement.

Ms McClarkin also sits on the Culture and Education Committee, working on audio-visual issues, copyright, and good governance in sport.

On the Internal Market and Consumer Protection Committee, she has taken on files ranging from Defence Procurement to the Digital Single Market.

In parallel with Committee work, Ms McClarkin is a member of the EP-US delegation, the European Parliament’s main forum for relations with the United States, and Chair of the Commonwealth Forum, a Brussels-based association that promotes relations between the European institutions and the Commonwealth countries.

Ms McClarkin leads campaigns against illegal wildlife trade and the exploitation of children online. Additionally, she continues her work on raising awareness of breast cancer in the European Parliament. She is very passionate about these three topics.

Enrique Iglesias is a Telecommunications Specialist in the Division of Connectivity, Markets and Finance of the Inter-American Development Bank. His functions are based on support to the governments of Latin America and the Caribbean to develop agendas of broadband and digital economy through mechanisms of technical assistance and loan operations.

He previously worked as a strategy and operations consultant based in Madrid where he had the opportunity to provide services to the leading telecommunications companies in Europe and Latin America.

Mr Iglesias is a Telecommunications Engineer from the Universidad Autónoma de Madrid and holds a Master’s Degree in Banking and Financial Markets from Universidad Carlos III in Madrid.

Ernesto Orozco has previously served as an advisor at the National Television Commission (CNTV) and a member of the Board of the National Television Authority (ANTV), as well as a professional at the National Broadcasting Network –Inravisión.

Mr Orozco is an electrical engineer graduated from the Universidad del Norte of Barranquilla, Specialist in Engineering Management Systems from the Pontificia Universidad Javeriana University, Specialist in Regulation and Management of Telecommunications and New Technologies from the Univeridad Externado de Colombia and Master in Business Administration (MBA) from INALDE Business School of the Universidad de la Sabana.

Ezequiel Dominguez is the head of Europe and Americas at Cullen International, a company monitoring and benchmarking regulatory developments in communications markets, including post, telecommunications, media and digital economy. From 2010- 2015, Mr Dominguez led the coverage of the fast-growing telecoms and television sectors in Latin America (now Americas), having been co-founder of the service.

Mr Dominguez is a lawyer and has spent over 12 years analysing regulation and market developments in communications markets at EU level, in the Member States and Latin America. Prior to his collaboration with Cullen International, Mr Dominguez was a senior researcher at Informa Telecoms & Media in London. He has also worked as an external legal counsel for the National Telecommunications and Post Commission in Greece (EETT) and was a researcher at the E-Government Laboratory, Department of Informatics and Telecommunications of the University of Athens.

Mr Dominguez holds a Diploma in Telecommunications Law from Queen Mary, University of London.

Fernando Borjón is currently in charge of the Telecommunications Investment Promotion Agency (PROMTEL), by appointment of the President of Mexico. On this responsibility, he leads Promtel as part of the Public Private Partnership the is in charge of deploying Red Compartida, the Wholesale wireless network of Mexico. He also leads the promotion activities to increase investment for the deployment of telecommunications and broadcasting infrastructure.

Mr Borjón has more than 30 years of professional experience, working in the academic sector as well as in the Federal Public Administration. In September 2013, he held the position of Commissioner at the Federal Institute of Telecommunications, a chair for which he was appointed by the President and ratified by the Senate of Mexico. During his term at the Institute, he actively participated in the implementation of various constitutional and legislative goals establishd from the Telecommunications Reform of 2013, that were focus on increasing competition in the telecommunications and broadcasting sector.

In compliance with the international commitments acquired by Mexico, he has chaired the Expert Group on the International Telecommunication Regulations, from the International Telecommunications Union (ITU), which is responsible for ITRS revision, since 2016. He has also been the Chairman of the ITUs Plenipotentiary Conference on 2010 and Chairman of the ITU Council from 2010 to 2012.

Mr Borjón holds a bachelor’s degree in Biomedical Engineering from the Universidad Iberoamericana, with a Master in Sciences in Industrial Systems of Measurement from Brunel University, where he obtained the Best Master’s thesis in Great Britain, awarded by the Institute of Measurement and Control from United Kingdom. He has also received degrees in Management and Leadership, as well as in Strategy and Innovation from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and Sloan School of Management, Cambridge, MA, USA, respectively.

Fernando Loureiro is Senior Director of Public Policy and Government Affairs for Intel Latin America. Responsibilities include enhancing Intel’s visibility and influence with policy-makers and developing Intel’s technical and public policy agendas in the region.

Mr Loureiro was previously Head of Public Policy and Corporate Communications at Roche Pharmaceuticals, Dell and Compaq. At Dell he was also responsible for site selection across the globe, and was in charge of the Brazilian Programme of Investment Promotion and Technology Transfer, run by the Ministry of Foreign Relations and the Inter-American Development Bank in Brasilia. Early in his career he held several executive positions at Itautec Informática.

Mr Loureiro has a bachelor and a masters degree in Business Administration from the São Paulo University, a post-graduate degree in Foreign Affairs from ESSEC Business School in France; specialisation in Strategic Alliances from Wharton School, a specialisation in High Impact Leadership from Columbia University, specialisation in Marketing Champions at INSEAD/France and is Certificate in Change Management Leadership by Cornell University. At FVG Brazil, he has taken the CEO International Program.

Germán Darío Arias Pimienta is an Expert Commissioner for Commission for Communications Regulation of Colombia. He has acquired experience in the public and private sectors to building the telecommunications regulatory policies in Colombia.

His professional career started in 1995 with Empresas Públicas de Manizales in Colombia (Public utility companies of Manizales), where he played a key role in restructuring the institution, as a result of the entry into force of the Public Utility’s Act.

In August 2003, Mr Arias joined the Sector’s Development Directorate team of the Ministry of Communications. In that tenure, he contributed to the achievement of various regulatory challenges, namely: the opening of the long distance market, the interconnection between operators; the allocation of additional spectrum to mobile operators as a response to the growing service demand and to the freeing of frequency bands for the use of wireless access technologies, such as Wi-Fi.

Mr Arias returned to the private sector between 2007 and 2013, as Regulatory Affairs Manager with Empresa de Telecomunicaciones de Bogotá (ETB), (Bogota’s Telecommunications Company), where he led the definition of a comprehensive regulatory strategy combining economic, legal, financial and technical elements and their implications on the company´s business strategy.

Mr Arias also served as Manager of the ICT and Agro Initiative at the Ministry of Information and Communication Technologies, intended to ensure that ICTs improve the quality of life of peasants while they help increase land productivity in Colombia.

Mr Arias is an Economist with a Masters Degree in Information Technology Management from Instituto Tecnológico de Monterrey and Specialisation in International Business Management.

Gerry E George has been a Commissioner with the National Telecommunications Regulatory Commission (NTRC) of Saint Lucia for the past 6 years.

He is an ICT Consultant and had been providing technical solutions to businesses in the ICT space for over 20 years. Mr George’s background is in technology and economics. He is an active member of the Saint Lucia ICT Association (SLICTA) and the Caribbean Network Operators Group (CaribNOG) and his advice is frequently sought after by fellow colleagues on technical matters. Mr George was a part-time lecturer for the University of the West Indies Management Information Systems program for more than 7 years.

An avid supporter of Open Source software and technologies, Mr George also takes an active role in Caribbean development and social issues and is always interested in exploring ways in which technology can be applied to improving the way of life in the Caribbean region.

Dr Heber Damian Martinez is an attorney by profession and Professor at the Pontificia Universidad Católica Argentina (UCA) (Argentine Catholic University). Previously Dr Martinez was the corporate affairs and institutional relations manager for the Telefe Group, as well as Chairman and Vice Chairman of the Argentine Association of Television and Radio Broadcasters (ATA). He was also a member of the Board of Directors at the International Broadcasting Association and Chairman of the Employers’ Commission of Independent Communication Media (CEMCI). Dr. Martinez is one of the Vice-chairmen of the Study Group 16 – “Multimedia coding, systems and applications” of the ITU Telecommunication Standardization Sector.

Héctor Huici over the last 32 years has achieved a vast experience in regulation and ICT public policy both in the public and private sector

He has served as former ICT Secretary of Argentina (2016-2019) and former Undersecretary of Connectivity and Communications (2024). During the times of the privatization of the telecommunications services in Argentina during the 90’s he was legal and regulatory manager of the regulatory agency.

He has also been independent consultant of the IDB, ITU and Access Partnership. He has also been partner in the law firms Bomchil, Pinedo, Huici & Asociados and Sanchez Elía, Pinedo & Huici.

He is teacher in both private and public universities in graduate and post graduate courses and author of more of 50 articles of his expertise (administrative law, public utilities, telecoms, energy) in local and foreign publications.

He currently serves as Undersecretary of Simplification and De-Regulation of the Ministry of Deregulation and State Transformation.

Irely Aquique Pineda is the Director of IP Enforcement at IMPI, which she joined in 1994. She has collaborated with different divisions such as the Department of Substantive Examination in the Directorate of Trademarks and at the Directorate of IP Enforcement and was Head of the Department of Lapse and Cancellation at the Department for Prevention of Unfair Competition. From 2006 – 2013 she was Deputy Director of Well Known Trademarks, Investigation, Control and Processing of Documents within the same Directorate.

Ms Aquique Pineda has participated in several national and international IP courses, including some organised by WIPO, APEC and others by the INTERPOL.

She holds a degree in law from the “Universidad Internacional”.

Under IsabelleMauro’s leadership, GSOA and its member CEOs lead the effort to showcase the benefits of satellite communications for a more inclusive and secure society – vital to bridging the world’s digital divide, achieving the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals and realizing the 5G ecosystem.

Ms Mauro has 25 years experience in the Telecoms and Technology sector, starting at the GSMA, where she was responsible for government and international Affairs. In 2015 she moved to New York to join the World Economic Forum as Head of Information, Communications and Technology Industries, managing the portfolio for 60+ Tech companies globally and leading initiatives on inclusive and sustainable digital transformation.

Ms Mauro is passionate about inclusion and sustainability. She is Chair of the High-Level Advisory Board of the DigitalGoesGreen Foundation. She also sits on the Advisory Board of Women in Tech and is a member of the UNESCO Advisory Group for the Declaration on Connectivity for Education.

Ms Mauro holds an MSc in European Politics and Policy from the London School of Economics. She is fluent in French, English, Italian and Spanish.

Iván Mantilla is Vice Minister of Connectivity in the ICT Ministry, where he has been part of the modernization of the sector.

Previously, he served as a policy advisor at the National Spectrum Agency (ANE) and as the Director of Digital Development at the National Planning Department (DNP).  He has also served as Development Engineer in the Applications Institute of the Advanced Information and Communication Technologies in the Community of Valencia, Spain and as a professor on radiocommunications at Polytechnic University of Valencia, and on digital economy and ICT policies at Universidad Externado de Colombia.

Mr Mantilla has published more than thirty scientific papers, most of them for international journals.

Mr Mantilla received holds a PhD in Telecommunications, a Master’s degree in Technologies, Systems and Communication Networks from the Universidad Politécnica de Valencia in Spain, and a Master’s degree in Strategic Thinking and Prospective from the Universidad Externado of Colombia.  The Cum Laude for engineer’s degree, the international certified Cum Laude for PhD’s degree, Mr Mantilla was recognised as an illustrious graduate by the Universidad Santo Tomás. He received his undergraduate degree on telecommunications engineering from the Universidad Santo Tomas of Bucaramanga, Colombia.

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.

Previously, Ms Ruff was a consulting counsel at the law firm of Wiley Rein where she provided legal, regulatory and public policy guidance on international issues impacting telecom, media, and technology industries.

Ms Ruff was also 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.

Javier Tejado was appointed Vice President of Grupo Televisa in 2010, in charge of institutional, media and governmental relations. He previously held the position of legal director for Televisa.

From 2012 to 2015, he was First Vice President at the National Broadcasters’ Association in Mexico (CIRT), having previously been Secretary to the board.

For 15 years, Mr Tejado has been a columnist for newspapers such as Reforma and El Universal. For his journalistic work, in 2001 he earned a special acknowledgment from the National Journalism Awards. He makes a weekly contribution on national public radio (IMER) and on two of the largest radio networks in the country: Radio Fórmula and ACIR.

Before joining Televisa, Mr Tejado worked for the Mexican Government, The World Bank, and the Mexican Supreme Court.

Mr Tejado has taught law, telecommunications and media at the Instituto Tecnológico Autónomo de México (ITAM) and at Universidad Iberoamericana (UIA). He has also been Assistant Professor at the Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy, USA.

Mr Tejado holds a BA in Law from Instituto Tecnológico Autónomo de México (ITAM), a Master´s degree in International Relations from the Fletcher School (Tufts), and a LLM from Yale Law School.

Juan Antonio Ketterer is the Chief of the Connectivity Markets and Finance Division of the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB). He is responsible for the financing programs of the Bank in the areas of fintech (including digital payments and financial inclusion), digital connectivity infrastructures and green investments.

He also leads an extensive research program on the interaction between the financial services industry and digital change, and in applying digital technologies to find innovative solutions to the problems of long-term financing.

Mr Ketterer has worked extensively with the international financial sector, with emphasis on financial engineering, capital markets, and digital finance (fintech). This includes managing positions with different financial and trading firms, and with the Spanish Derivatives Exchanges.

Mr Ketterer has a PhD in Financial Economics from the University of Minnesota. He became professor of finance at the Tepper Business School of Carnegie Mellon University and at the Kellogg Graduate School of Management of Northwestern University.

Juan Pablo Adame is a Mexican politician and a member of Partido Acción Nacional (National Action Party).

As a member of the Mexican Congress (2012-2015), Mr Adame lead the Digital Agenda and IT Committee and had leadership on the amendments that stablished the internet access as a human right, and the new Federal Law for Telecommunications and Broadcasting that gave better conditions for competence and access to this services.

Mr Adame has a bachelor’s degree on Foreign Affairs from Instituto Tecnológico de Estudios Superiores de Monterrey (ITESM), Masters Degree on Government and Public Policy from Universidad Panamericana, and a Master Degree on Democracy and Parliament from Universidad de Salamanca.

Karim Lesina was appointed Executive Vice President, Chief External Affairs Officer for Millicom in November 2020. In this role, Karim oversees the group’s Government Relations, Regulatory Affairs, Corporate Communications and ESG functions. His focus is on developing and driving Millicom’s global engagement to support of business objectives and particular responsibility for special situations and reputation strategies.

Before joining Millicom, Karim held the position of Senior Vice President, International External and Regulatory Affairs at AT&T, directing the internal international and regulatory affairs teams, as well as the external and regulatory affairs teams across AT&T and its global affiliates.

Before his term at AT&T, Karim was at Intel as the Government Affairs Manager for Europe, Africa and the Middle East. Rounding out a strong portfolio, he acquired extensive agency experience through his work with multinational public relations and communications firms at the commencement of his career.

Karim is an active member in several industries and community organizations, including current service as Co-Chair of the Corporate Council of the Meridian International Center, as Board member of IREX, a nonprofit organization committed to global development and education, as Vice-Chair of the US-Colombia Business Council, as Board Member of the United States Telecommunication Training Institute, and as member of the GSMA Chief Policy & Regulatory Officer Group. He is also a member of the Board of Cogni, a digital banking app based in NYC and Co-Founder of the Centre for Latin America Convergence (CCLATAM), a pioneering think tank dedicated to advancing the realms of policy discussions and transformative change across the diverse landscape of Latin America.

Born in Dakar (Senegal), Karim is an Italian-Tunisian national and has a master’s degree in Economics of Development at the Catholic University of Louvain-la-Neuve, Belgium.

Mr Lesina also served as a International Institute of Communications Board Director 2013-2022.

Lindsey Fussell is Group Director for Networks and Communications. She leads Ofcom’s work in the telecoms, post and network sectors, where we aim to protect consumers’ interests and promote competition.

Before joining Ofcom in April 2016, Ms Fussell held a range of senior leadership roles at public bodies. She was Public Services Director at HM Treasury, where she led on devolution, education and culture, defence and criminal justice. Ms Fussell supported the Varney review for public service transformation, and led major aspects of the 2015 Spending Review.

Ms Fussell holds a degree in Modern History from Oxford University, and is a member of York University’s governing Council.

Guillermo Alarcón joined the Inter-American Development Bank in May 2017 to support governments of member countries to improve regulatory frameworks and help design and implement national broadband plans and ad-hoc pilot projects.

Mr Alarcón previously held the position of Head of Network Development – CTO Latin America, Rivada Networks in Mexico City (2015), and has worked at Alcatel Lucent as Global Director, Government Broadband Initiatives (2014), and in a variety of positions in Alcatel-Lucent Mexico and Telmex & Telmex International, Alcatel-Lucent.

While at Alcatel Lucent, he received a number of awards. Mr Alarcón is a Telecommunications engineer from the National Polytechnic Institute in Mexico and holds an Executive Masters in Management from École Superior du Commerce ESC-Lyon. Networks, as network head for Mexico and later for LatinAmerica. He also contributed to the technical responses to Alabama, Arizona and Michigan Firstnet request for proposals.

Mr Alarcón is a Telecommunications engineer from the National Polytechnic Institute in Mexico and holds an Executive Masters in Management from École Superior du Commerce ESC-Lyon.

Manuel Kohnstamm is Senior Vice President and Chief Corporate Affairs Officer for Liberty Global. He is responsible for developing and implementing Liberty Global’s regulatory strategy, public policy, government affairs and corporate communications. Mr Kohnstamm is an executive officer of Liberty Global and sits on Liberty Global’s Executive Leadership Team and the Regulatory Committee.

Mr Kohnstamm joined the Europe operations of Liberty Global’s predecessor in September 1999 and held several positions in corporate affairs, public policy, and communications. He was appointed to his current position in January 2012. From 1992 until he joined Liberty Global, Mr Kohnstamm worked at Time Warner Inc., most recently as Vice President of Public Affairs in Brussels for its subsidiaries Time Inc., Warner Bros., and Turner Broadcasting. Prior to joining Time Warner, Mr Kohnstamm worked with the consulting group European Research Associates in Brussels where he conducted macro-economic and policy studies on the telecommunications and defense industries.

Mr Kohnstamm is a member of VodafoneZiggo’s Supervisory Board as well as a member of the Board of Directors of Liberty Global’s subsidiary Telenet Group Holding NV, a Liberty Global subsidiary and a Belgian public limited liability company.

Mr Kohnstamm is Co-chair of GIGAEurope, an industry association bringing together independent private telecoms companies. In addition, Mr Kohnstamm is a trustee of the non-profit organisation Street Child, a charitable organisation focused on improving the lives of some of the poorest and most vulnerable children in the world.

Mr Kohnstamm graduated in Political Science and holds a Doctorandus Degree in International and European Law from the University of Amsterdam. He also holds a Postgraduate Degree in International relations from the Clingendael Diplomat School in The Hague, and successfully completed the Cable Executive Management Program from Harvard Business School, Boston (MA).

Maria Paola Levati was appointed Investment Director within the Ministry of Communications of Argentina in August 2016.

Ms Levati started her professional career with Price Waterhouse & Co., specialising in financial institutions. She has worked for local and international banks in different managerial roles within the financial, accounting and reporting areas. In 2000 she accepted a Director’s position in the largest insurance company of Argentina, La Caja de Ahorro y Seguros SA, where she participated in due diligences and takeovers of several companies from various sectors. In August 2008 she joined Telecom Argentina, as a Real Estate Director.

Ms Levati graduated as an accountant from the University of Buenos Aires.

Bio coming soon…

On September 10, 2013, Mario Germán Fromow Rangel was ratified by the Senate of Mexico as Commissioner of the Federal Telecommunications Institute (IFT) until February 28, 2021.

At present, he is also the Chairman of the Permanent Consultative Committee II: Radiocommunications (CPP.II) of the Inter-American Telecommunication Commission (CITEL) and a Vice President of the Committee on Digital Economy Policy (CDEP) of the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD).

Commissioner Fromow Rangel’s career spans of over 26 years in both the public and private sectors at national and international level in technology and knowledge transfer, public policy and regulation on Broadcasting, Information and Communication Technologies (ICTs) and Telecommunications.

Commissioner Fromow Rangel was a member of the Institute of Electronics, Information and Communication Engineers (IEICE) of Japan.  He has participated as Deputy Head of Delegation of Mexico in the following International Telecommunication Union (ITU) World Conferences; World Radiocommunications Conference 2019 (WRC-19) in Sharm el-Sheikh, Egypt; Plenipotentiary Conference 2018 (PP-18) in Dubai, UAE; Plenipotentiary Conference 2014 (PP-14) in Busan, Republic of Korea;World Conference on International Telecommunications 2012 (WCIT-12) in Dubai, UAE, with Full Power granted by the President of the United States of Mexico to sign ad referendum the Final Acts and Plenipotentiary Conference 2006 (PP-06) in Antalya, Turkey.

He is a Communications and Electronics Engineer from the National Polytechnic Institute (IPN) of Mexico and has a Master of Science in Engineering from Keio University in Japan. He was a Researcher on Optical Communications at the Research and Technology Development Laboratories of the Japanese company Kokusai Denshin Denwa (KDD) and also a Research Associate at the Media Lab of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT).

Dr Martha Suárez is President of the Dynamic Spectrum Alliance and has over 15 years of experience in the telecommunications industry. In her current role at the DSA she advocates for laws and regulations that will lead to more efficient and effective spectrum utilization, which is essential to addressing key worldwide social and economic challenges.

Dr Suárez was General Director of the National Spectrum Agency in Colombia, for over 3 years, having originally joined the ANE in 2013. Before that, she was awarded with a Marie Curie Fellowship and worked at the Instytut Technologii Elektronowej ITE in Poland for the Partnership for Cognitive Radio Par4CR European Project.

Dr Suárez is an Electronics Engineer, with a Masters degree in high frequency communication systems and is Doctor in Electronics from the University Paris-Est.

Michael O’Rielly is currently Principal at MPORielly Consulting, LLC, a Visiting Fellow at the Hudson Institute’s Center for the Economics of the Internet, and a Senior Fellow at the Media Institute.

He served as a Commissioner at the Federal Communications Commission from 2013 through 2020. Before joining the FCC, Mr O’Rielly held a variety of leading staff positions during 20 years on Capitol Hill in both the U.S. Senate and House of Representatives, ending as Policy Advisor in the Office of the Senate Republican Whip.

Oscar Reyes is President of Consejo Nacional de Televisión, the broadcast regulator in Chile and Director of the digital newspaper ‘Cambio21’ (Chile).

From 1990-2009 Mr Reyes was an advisor on communications to various ministries in Chile, such as the General Secretariat of the Government, Home Office, Foreign Office, Agriculture, Defence, and Mining. He was an advisor to the President and several Senators and Deputies of the Senate and has been an advisor on communications to presidential candidates in Honduras, Peru, Dominican Republic and El Salvador.

Mr Reyes has been a Correspondent in Chile with NBC (US), RAI (Italy), and Venevision (Venezuela).

Mr Reyes was a lecturer at the School of Journalism at the University of Chile. He has also worked as a journalist and news manager in various Chilean media and served as Executive Director of the television channel ‘Telenorte’ (Chile).

Mr Reyes graduated as a Journalist from the University of Chile with additional studies in sociology, corporate communication and political science and post titles in corporate and political communication from the Catholic University, Chile and the George Washington University, USA.

An expert on telecommunications public policies and digital development, Mr Bello worked for the Chilean Government from 1997 to 2010. Between 2002 and 2006, he was Head of the Division of Regulatory Policy and Studies of the Telecommunications Sub-Secretariat and, during the Presidency of Michelle Bachelet (2006-2010), he was the Telecommunications Vice Minister. He was part of the Global Commission on Internet Governance and is currently a member of the MultiStakeholder Advisory Group of the Internet Governance Forum and the High-Level Advisory Group of Internet Jurisdiction.

Mr Bello is an Economist from the University of Chile and has an MBA from the ESADE Business School.

Rachael Bender is Legal Advisor to Chairman Ajit Pai at the Federal Communications Commission, and focuses on wireless, international and engineering issues for the Chairman’s office.

Ms Bender previously served in the Commission’s Wireless Telecommunications Bureau, where she worked on broadband infrastructure deployment and competition issues. Prior to joining the Commission, Ms Bender was Senior Policy Director of wireless trade association Mobile Future, where she concentrated on spectrum policy and wireless competition issues. She has also previously held clerkship and internship positions at CTIA, Comcast and the Telecommunications Industry Association.

Ms Bender graduated from the Catholic University of America, Columbus School of Law with a certificate from its Institute for Communications Law Studies. and from the University of Maryland, College Park, where she earned her BA in Government and Politics. She is an active member of the Federal Communications Bar Association.

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.

Robert Pepper is also an Advisory Council member at the International Institute of Communications.

Sebastian Kaplan has been Director of Regulatory Affairs LATAM for Millicom since January 2016, and is responsible for coordinating the regulatory affairs of the Group’s operations in Latin America.

Mr Kaplan previously served as Latam Regional Legal Director for Groupon. From 2012 to 2015 he was the Regional General Counsel (Legal and Corporate Affairs) of Claro Argentina, Uruguay and Paraguay. Before that (2000-2012) he worked for Argentina’s largest law firm, Marval, O’Farrell & Mairal, in the Telecommunications, Media and Technology Department advising some of the largest mobile and media companies in the region.

Mr Kaplan holds degrees from the Universidad Nacional de Rosario School of Law, a Master in Laws (LLM) from Northwestern University School of Law and a Certificate in Management (CM) from Kellogg School of Management.

Sebastian Cabello is an accomplished digital technology policy expert with vast experience driving collective action, public-private partnerships across Latin America. He serves as CEO at SmC+ Digital Public Affairs supporting different global digital players as well as advising the Inter-American Bank (IDB) and the Latin American Internet Association (ALAI). He is also research fellow at the Center for Technology and Society at Universidad de San Andres, Argentina. Between 2010 and 2018, he was Head of Latin America at the GSMA, the global association of the mobile industry, and led the organization’s advocacy activities in the region. He is one of the creators of the We Care Campaign, the capacity building center CE-Digital, the Latin American Congress on Telecommunications (CLT), and most recently the IDB BEST network. He has been part of the National Committee on Spectrum of Colombia and the Latin American Internet for All Advisory Committee of the World Economic Forum.

Sonia Gill is an attorney at law, development practitioner and former broadcast journalist, and media regulator.  She is also the first woman to be appointed as Secretary General of the Caribbean Broadcasting Union (2014-2018 & 2021 – present).

Sonia’s tenure at the CBU has been marked by a number of achievements including: new initiatives such as introduction of the programming sharing portal CBU Media Share and enhancement of time-tested features such as the Caribbean Media Awards which have been expanded to include digital and print media.  During her tenure CBU has deepened collaboration with UNESCO, UNICEF Eastern Caribbean, PAHO and the Public Media Alliance, and established new partnerships under MOUs with the CARICOM Climate Change Centre, the Caribbean Disaster and Emergency Management Agency, the Advanced Television Systems Committee and satellite company Eutelsat, among others.

Sonia was also at the helm of CBU’s mobilisation of replacement transmission equipment for radio services in Anguilla, Dominica and the Turks and Caicos, with the help of PMA, World Broadcasting Unions, CBC Canada, and the BBC after the catastrophic hits by Hurricanes Irma and Maria in 2017.

An honours graduate of the University of the West Indies (UWI) and the University of London (UoL), between stints in service to the CBU Sonia served as the Multi-Country Manager and Head of Programme for UNOPS in the Dutch and English Caribbean.

Prior to her return to Barbados she was the Assistant Resident Representative and Governance Advisor of the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) office covering Jamaica, Belize, the Bahamas and the Turks and Caicos Islands.  There she oversaw the implementation of award-winning projects focussing on Local Governance with emphases on security and safety, as well as the role of the media in promoting transparency and anti-corruption.

After post-graduate studies in Mass Communication at UWI Mona, Sonia held the post of Assistant Executive Director, and Executive Director (Ag.) of the Broadcasting Commission of Jamaica for over a decade.  There she was crucial to the development of the Children’s Code for Programming, the first comprehensive content standards policy for broadcast media in the English-speaking Caribbean.

Sonia was also a faculty member of the Caribbean School of Media and Communications (CARIMAC) at the UWI, Mona, lecturing in Media Skills as well as Media and Language.

Sonia began her career as a Reporter, Editor and Producer at the Caribbean Broadcasting Corporation in Barbados, winning the Barbados Association of Journalists award for Best Radio Story in her first year at the CBC.

Sonia is a member of both the Barbados and Jamaica Bars, and for more than a decade lectured in Constitutional and Administrative Law.