Annual Conference 2026

Abdul Karim Fakir bin Ali is the Managing Director of the Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission (MCMC), bringing more than three decades of leadership and industry experience across telecommunications, digital infrastructure, technology strategy and the broader digital ecosystem.

An engineer by training and a technology leader by experience, his career has closely followed the evolution of connectivity in Malaysia and the region—from building and operating telecommunications networks to leading technology strategy, advancing national digital infrastructure and contributing to the development of an increasingly connected digital economy.

Before assuming the role of Managing Director of MCMC in July 2025, Abdul Karim held senior leadership positions with leading telecommunications companies including Maxis, Digi and DTAC Thailand. At Maxis, he served in key technology leadership roles, including as Chief Technology Strategy Officer and Chief Network Officer, where he led major network and technology initiatives, national mobile coverage programmes and industry collaborations aimed at strengthening Malaysia’s connectivity landscape.

His experience across both industry and regulation gives him a distinctive perspective on the opportunities and challenges created by rapid technological change. At MCMC, he leads during a period when connectivity is increasingly converging with artificial intelligence, cybersecurity, digital platforms and other emerging technologies. His focus is on advancing a digital ecosystem that is innovative, trusted, inclusive and resilient, while enabling technology and investment to deliver meaningful value to people, businesses and society.

Abdul Karim is also active on the regional and international stage, contributing to high-level discussions at platforms including the ITU Global Symposium for Regulators, the APEC Global Digital and AI Forum and Mobile World Congress. His engagements span digital transformation, connectivity, artificial intelligence, cybersecurity, spectrum, investment and the development of safe and inclusive digital ecosystems.

Underlying his approach is a people-centred philosophy of leadership grounded in Care, Growth and Transformative Leadership. He believes that leadership is ultimately about developing people, building capable institutions and creating opportunities for others to succeed.

Drawing on more than 30 years across technology, industry and regulation, Abdul Karim brings a practitioner’s perspective to one of the defining questions of the digital era: how can technology be harnessed not only to connect people, but to build trust, expand opportunity and create meaningful progress for society?

Sh. Abdulla Bin Humood Al Khalifa currently holds the position of Director of Consumer Affairs and Communications at Bahrain’s Telecommunications Regulatory Authority (TRA), founded in 2002. With his vast experience, Sh. Abdulla plays a pivotal role in safeguarding consumer rights within the telecommunications industry. Throughout his recognized career, Sh. Abdulla engages with stakeholders and collaborates closely with service providers to create a more transparent telecoms environment for consumers. Sh. Abdulla has contributed to implementing a range of initiatives aimed at improving the quality of telecommunications services and ensuring consumer protection. He has directed impactful campaigns to raise awareness about consumer rights, educate the public on online safety and its implications, and establish effective mechanisms for handling consumer complaints.

Adilah has over 20 years of industry experience in legal, policy and regulatory affairs across finance, telecommunications and technology sectors. Before joining the Asian Development Bank’s Digital Sector Office, she most recently served as advisor to Microsoft in Malaysia for digital development policy issues and her previous roles include leading the regulatory affairs function across several Asian markets for a regional digital services provider and supporting national transformation plans through change management roles in Government organisations in Malaysia. Adilah holds an LL.M. (Legum Magister) from Columbia University School of Law, New York, and a BA in Jurisprudence from Oxford University, United Kingdom.

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.

Dr Leacock is also Former Chair of the International Institute of Communications Small Nations Regulators Forum 2021-2022.

Ceri Howes is Vice President of Government and External Affairs at Opensignal, where she leads engagement with policymakers, regulators, and international organisations to advance evidence-based policies that improve global connectivity.

Before joining Opensignal in 2020, Ceri worked at the GSMA, contributing to global initiatives on spectrum policy, digital inclusion, and digital public infrastructure, with a particular focus on addressing the digital divide from both demand- and supply-side perspectives. She previously held policy and strategy roles at Ofcom, where she was the policy lead on the reform of the Electronic Communications Code and the fixed broadband universal service obligation (USO), and supported wider mobile coverage initiatives. Prior to this, she managed the global mobile technology programme at the Cherie Blair Foundation for Women.

Ceri holds an MSc in Globalisation and Development from SOAS, University of London, and B.A. degrees in International Relations and Business from the University of Redlands, California.

Since joining MDEC in 2009, she has been involved in development of the digital infrastructure ecosystem including Cloud and Data Centers, identifying gaps in the supporting supply chain, including policies and regulation which negatively impact these sectors. Her previous role as Lead, Regulatory – Digital Regulatory and Sustainability Department, in MDEC covers the scope in ensuring growth and innovation are supported by progressive policies such as Cloud, AI and regulatory frameworks which span across technology sectors under MDEC. Focus area includes development guidelines for the public sector on AI adoption, involvement in the development of the AI Regulatory Framework, National AI Governance and Ethics.

Currently, she oversees the developmental ecosystem for digital infrastructure that includes Data Centres, AI infrastructure, connectivity, energy ensuring a sustainable growth for the digital economy working with the industry and stakeholders. She leads the team in facilitating and advocating policies for the development of the Data centre and AI infrastructure ecosystem.

Chee Kheong Foong is Group Chief Regulatory Officer, Group Corporate Office, Axiata Group Berhad. Axiata is one of the largest Asian telecommunications companies, operating in ten countries and servicing approximately 290 million subscribers.

Mr Foong has over 17 years’ experience in the field of mobile and fixed telecommunications, internet broadband, broadcasting and multimedia, primarily in regulatory strategy and policy development. Prior to this current position, he was in regulatory management roles in Digi Telecommunications, Celcom Axiata, U Mobile and the Multimedia Development Corporation.

Mr Foong holds a Bachelor of Science in Electrical and Electronic Engineering from Queen’s University Belfast, United Kingdom, and an MBA from the University of Strathclyde.

Chiara Garbellini is a regulatory economist and Principal Consultant at DT Economics. Chiara advises clients across industries, with a focus on network companies operating in the telecoms, tech and payments sectors. She works directly with company boards and their advisors on regulatory strategy and responses to regulation and policy, and has also advised regulators on market reviews and the design of regulatory frameworks. Alongside her regulatory work, she has led impact assessment analyses in the cloud space, and has advised on disputes.

Prior to joining DT Economics, Ms Garbellini was a Director at FTI Consulting, where she advised clients on regulatory and competition issues in the context of market reviews and new regulatory proposals, with particular focus on the assessment of regulatory risk and revenue modelling for regulated assets. Ms Garbellini also previously worked as an Economist at GSMA, where she provided internal economic consulting and research on a variety of public policy and regulatory issues, particularly in the areas of spectrum and mobile money.

Ms Garbellini holds an MSc in Economics from the London School of Economics and Political Science and a BSc in Economics, Management and Finance from Bocconi University in Milan.

Bio coming soon…

Chris Woolford is Ofcom’s Director of International Spectrum Policy where his responsibilities cover the UK’s international spectrum interests, especially in relation to the ITU, CEPT and EU. He has closely engaged for the UK on a number of key European regulatory initiatives in the field of electronic communications and participates in many European spectrum groups. He leads UK engagement with the ITU and led the UK delegations to WRCs in 2019, 2015 and 2012. He is currently preparing to lead the UK delegation to WRC-23.

In 2019 Mr Woolford took on the role of Chairman of the Electronic Communications Committee (ECC) of CEPT and was re-elected for a second term in 2022. He has also been a Director of the International Institute of Communications since 2018.

Mr Woolford has 25 years’ experience of working on spectrum and communications regulation, both at Ofcom and its predecessor (Oftel). He has a degree in mathematics and statistics from Manchester University.

As Chief Policy Officer, Clare Bloomfield represents the combined positions of AVIA’s members and engages in constructive policy-related dialogues with governments so they may better understand the curated video industry and foster an environment of support for the growth of the industry. Ms Bloomfield will also look to develop and execute policy initiatives and research relevant to the video industry, in consultation with, and on behalf of, AVIA member companies. Ms Bloomfield joined AVIA in September 2017 having previously worked as a UK diplomat. Her previous postings as a diplomat include the British Consulate-General, Hong Kong, Washington DC, Slovakia, Ghana and Pakistan.

Clive Kenny is a Manager in the Telecoms, Media and Digital practice at Frontier Economics. Mr Kenny has 15 years’ experience advising clients on a range of competition, regulatory and policy issues related to connectivity, digital and media markets. He has advised private and public sector clients on media and digital policy, mergers, spectrum in countries in Europe, the Middle East and Asia.

Darren manages the public policy efforts for Amazon consumer business units such as e-commerce exports (i.e. Amazon Global Selling), digital services (e.g. Prime Video, Leo), and devices. He works across various APAC countries, particularly Southeast Asia and selected countries/territories in Northeast Asia.

Prior to Amazon, he was a pioneer member of Netflix’s APAC team and helped to build their public policy strategy in the region. He started his career in Singapore’s Ministry of Education as a policy analyst focusing on educational technology issues before moving to the Ministry of Trade and Industry where he managed Singapore’s bilateral trade relations with several countries in Southeast Asia and Oceania.

Nabiha has over a decade’s experience at the Malaysia Competition Commission (MyCC) and currently heads its Competition Economics Division. She has led MyCC’s market review on the digital economy ecosystem and contributes economic analysis to ongoing assessments and enforcement cases.

Her work supports evidence-based competition policy, particularly in understanding market dynamics, competitive constraints, and emerging issues in digital markets. Drawing on experience across MyCC’s Economics, Investigation and Enforcement, and Legal Divisions, Nabiha brings a practical perspective on how competition authorities can use market reviews, advocacy and enforcement tools to promote fair and competitive digital markets.

Bio coming soon…

Bio coming soon…

I am a partner in the Technology & Communications group in London with over 25 years’ experience advising the world’s leading communications providers, technology companies, and media businesses on the complex regulatory and commercial challenges that define our connected world.

Prior to joining Bird & Bird, I worked in-house for over 10 years at one of the world’s largest telecommunications carriers, where I played a key role in advising on many of their largest global deals as well as their regulatory and antitrust cases, both offensive and defensive. That combination of private practice expertise and genuine in-house, executive-level industry experience is what I bring to every client engagement – I do not just know the regulatory framework, I understand how it operates from the inside, and how businesses have to live by it in the real world.

I specialise in complex issues in market access and next-generation telecoms regulation. I also advise on the specific data protection, retention, and transfer issues telecoms must consider, and have expertise in the legal framework for content and broadcasting. I am highly experienced in competition law in the telecoms sector, having advised telecoms and industry bodies on several significant competition law cases at both the UK and European levels. My practice also extends into the cutting edge of emerging communications services, including satellite-enabled connectivity, next-generation network services, and the multi-jurisdictional licensing and compliance challenges that come with operating across multiple borders.

I have a reputation for providing commercial and actionable advice and for guiding global players in their operations. I have provided strategic advice on many consolidations in the global telecoms sector over the last decade, either as a participant or a challenger. I have worked with a wide range of clients, including FTSE 100 telecoms operators, many other internationally recognised names in the telecoms sector, niche providers, and industry challengers. I also run global regulatory monitoring and compliance programmes, helping multinational clients anticipate legal and regulatory developments, including in AI and emerging technology, across a large number of jurisdictions simultaneously.

I also have an exceptionally strong competition law background, working on cartel, merger and behavioural issues before UK and EU agencies and for a huge range of household name clients, both in the communications sector and elsewhere.

Graeme Di Rollo is in-house legal counsel at Airalo, the world’s first and largest eSIM provider. Working within Airalo’s legal team, Graeme advises the business across a broad range of issues, including telecoms licensing and regulatory applications in Airalo’s key markets, core network supply and mobile network operator agreements, privacy, strategic partnerships, and marketing and brand.

Prior to joining Airalo, Mr Di Rollo was in-house counsel at William Grant & Sons, an independent family-owned spirits company, where he advised on regulatory matters and global marketing compliance and led on several key brand sponsorships. Before that, he was in-house at Trustpilot – the online review platform – handling brand protection and disputes across the business. Mr Di Rollo began his career as an intellectual property lawyer at leading Scottish law firm Burness Paull LLP, advising on trade mark strategy, brand protection, IP disputes and reputation management.

Mr Di Rollo holds an LLB and a Diploma in Professional Legal Practice from the University of Glasgow, and is qualified as a solicitor in Scotland.

Isolde Goggin has over twenty years experience working at the highest level in telecommunications regulation, competition policy and consumer protection. She was chairperson of Ireland’s Competition and Consumer Protection Commission from 2014 to 2021 and, prior to that, chaired one of its predecessor bodies, the Competition Authority, from 2011 to 2014. She was a commissioner of ComReg, the Irish Commission for Communications Regulation, from 2002 to 2006, and chairperson from 2004 to 2006. From 1996 to 2002 she was a member of the Competition Authority.

Isolde’s involvement in the telecommunications sector dates back to 1980 when, after qualifying with an engineering degree from Trinity College, Dublin, she joined the incumbent telecommunications operator. She completed a masters in business administration at University College, Dublin, in 1988, and subsequently moved to an advisory role in the European Commission, working on satellite policy. She also worked for the Swedish telecommunications manufacturer Ericsson for several years.

Isolde has represented Ireland in many international fora, including the European and International Competition Networks, the Body of European Regulators for Electronic Communications, the EU’s Radio Spectrum Policy Group, the European Consumer Protection Co-operation Network and the International Consumer Protection and Enforcement Network. She has provided advice to government on spectrum policy, next generation networks, data protection and online safety.

Isolde is an honorary life member and fellow of Engineers Ireland, a chartered engineer and member of the IET. She is also a member of the board of Trinity College, Dublin, and of the Central Bank of Ireland’s consumer advisory group. Reflecting a lifelong interest in the classics, she gained a BA in the subject from the Open University in 2021, and a masters from Trinity College Dublin in 2023. She is also a keen open water swimmer and last summer combined the two interests by participating in the 6.5 km Bosphorus Cross-Continental Race in Istanbul.

James Bellis, an Executive Director in the Telecommunications Practice of Frontier Economics, has over 16 years’ experience advising world leading operators, regulators and policy makers across the globe. Much of his work focuses on market liberalisation, competition assessments, retail and wholesale pricing, cost accounting, spectrum pricing and policy, universal service and policies to promote high speed broadband services.

Mr Bellis leads much of Frontier’s telecommunications work outside Europe, focusing on Asia, the Middle East, Africa and the Caribbean and he has managed a number of complex assignments working with other experts and client teams.

Jared Carlson returned to the Federal Communications Commission in 2023 and has served as Deputy Chief of the FCC’s Office of International Affairs, advising Commission leadership on trusted telecom supply chains, spectrum policy, foreign ownership, and global standards coordination. Between August 2024 and May 2026, he held multiple positions in the White House – as Director for Telecommunications and Emerging Technology at the National Security Council and as Senior Advisor for Telecommunications and Spectrum at the Office of Science and Technology Policy. In those roles, he lead interagency initiatives on spectrum allocation, telecom security, and 6G policy.

Before returning to government, Jared spent over 15 years at Ericsson (2007–2023), serving as Vice President for Government Affairs and Public Policy, where he directed regulatory strategy, supply chain security initiatives, and spectrum auction advocacy. He previously held senior roles at Sprint Nextel (2004–2007) and spent seven years at the FCC earlier in his career (1997–2004) working on wireless policy, legislative affairs, and major telecom mergers. His long-standing international engagement includes serving on multiple official U.S. delegations to ITU Plenipotentiary Conferences and other global telecommunications meetings over more than 15 years.

Jared holds a J.D. from William & Mary and a B.A. in Economics from the University of Virginia.

Jean-Jacques Sahel leads Google’s public policy work for telecom and scams globally, and online content in Asia-Pacific.

He has been involved in international government and regulatory affairs for over 15 years in both the private and government sectors. Before joining Google, Mr Sahel was Managing Director of ICANN’s Brussels office and led the organisation’s corporate strategy and operations across the European region. He also led ICANN’s strategic plan for outreach, support and engagement with governments, private sector, and user groups throughout Europe, and worldwide for civil society.

Previously, Mr Sahel headed government and regulatory affairs for Skype, then digital policy at Microsoft for Europe, Middle-East & Africa regions. He had started his career in the City of London, before spending several years in the UK Government, leading in particular its international telecommunications policy.

Ex officio, Mr Sahel chaired the UK Chapter of the International Institute of Communications (IIC) from 2009-2019, and served on the Board of Directors from 2011-2024.

He was a member of OSAB, the Advisory Board of UK communications regulator Ofcom for 2 terms until 2016. He has authored articles and research in both mainstream media and academic publications particularly on Internet policy and governance.

Jonathan Turley is Ericsson’s Director of Government and Policy Advocacy for Southeast Asia, working on telecommunications policy, digital infrastructure, cybersecurity, and broader digital policy issues across the region.

Prior to joining Ericsson, Jonathan served for 21 years as a U.S. diplomat, with assignments in Beijing, Baghdad, Phnom Penh, and Kuwait, as well as in Washington at the National Security Council, the State Department’s Office to Monitor and Combat Trafficking in Persons, and the Vietnam Desk.

Jonathan holds master’s degrees from the National War College and the Johns Hopkins University School of Advanced International Studies (SAIS), and a bachelor’s degree from Oglethorpe University in Atlanta, Georgia.

Jonathan Yap is a Digital Development Specialist at the Asian Development Bank’s Digital Sector Office. He brings over 15 years of experience in telecommunications and ICT across the Asia-Pacific region, with expertise in digital connectivity and infrastructure, public policy, regulation, project management, as well as business development.

Prior to joining ADB, Jon served as Senior Technical Program Manager in Amazon Leo, where he managed cross-functional licensing schedules and regulatory dependencies to support service deployment across Asia-Pacific markets. Earlier, he held senior positions at Telenor Asia in Singapore and Axiata Group in Malaysia, where he advanced telecommunications and digital economy investments across South and Southeast Asia through policy advocacy and industry reforms in areas including telecom infrastructure, spectrum management, taxation, data privacy, and broadband development.

During his time with Axiata Group, Jon was based in Cambodia, where he led Smart Axiata’s regulatory strategy and public affairs agenda, overseeing stakeholder engagement, corporate communications, sustainability initiatives, and nation-building programs. A telecommunications engineer by training, he also held technical and commercial roles, including Head of Business Development, Rollout Manager, and RF Engineer with major telecommunications service providers in Malaysia.

Jon holds an MBA from the University of Strathclyde, U.K., and a B.Eng. in Telecommunications from Multimedia University, Malaysia.

Pepe Feu Vidal leads ITU-WRC strategy for Amazon Leo in the Asia-Pacific region. Based in Singapore, he represents Amazon across the ITU-R and APT forums, developing international positions on spectrum management and sharing frameworks concerning GSO/non-GSO coexistence in the Ka- and Q/V-bands.

Previously, Pepe specialized in satellite spectrum coordination for NGSO systems, leading technical and regulatory engagements with satellite operators and administrations from Amazon’s London office, and before that at Eutelsat OneWeb. He now brings this technical foundation to regional spectrum policy and regulatory engagement across Asia-Pacific, while also leading initiatives to strengthen technical and regulatory capacity on NGSO systems.

As Senior Director of Economics in GSMA Intelligence, Kalvin is responsible for delivering economic analysis on a range of topics, including spectrum policy, mobile and satellite networks, digital inclusion, regulation, and competition. Recent work includes analysing the investment gap to achieve universal connectivity in Developing Asia Pacific and managing the delivery of the GSMA Digital Africa Index. As part of his role, Kalvin regularly works with external organisations and presents at telecoms and academic conferences. Before joining the GSMA, Kalvin worked at Ofcom and the UK Competition Commission.

Lara Levet is a Global Tech Policy Manager at Netflix, the world’s leading streaming entertainment service. She shapes advocacy and regulatory strategy for audio-visual and network policy issues.

Prior to joining Netflix, Lara spent five years in Meta’s Public Policy Team, where she led Meta’s engagement with EU institutions as well as European civil society organizations on topics at the intersection of content regulation and the protection of democracy.

Lara began her career as an EU competition lawyer in both London and Brussels. She holds a Masters in International Business Law from the London School of Economics and a double degree in English and French Law from University College London.

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.

Marc-Antoine Prévost is an Enforcement Officer in the Compliance and Enforcement sector of the Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission (CRTC), where he investigates matters under Canada’s Anti-Spam Legislation (CASL) and the Telecommunications Act. His work involves open-source research and evidence analysis, the preparation of enforcement instruments, and recommendations on appropriate enforcement measures, in collaboration with domestic and international partners. The role sits at the point where regulatory frameworks meet enforcement practice, applying existing instruments to rapidly evolving conduct. He is a designated officer under both statutes. 

Mr Prévost holds an MBA from the Université du Québec en Outaouais and a Bachelor of Business Administration. 

Meghna is a lawyer with deep experience in media and emerging technology. Previously, she worked on legal and policy strategy at the Walt Disney Company. Before Disney, she set up and led the India office for Consensys, the world’s largest blockchain technology company.

Rejab is currently serving as the CEO of Credence, a Telekom Malaysia subsidiary, he drives strategic growth in Cloud, SaaS, and Analytics for B2B and B2G markets. His career reflects a rare blend of technical depth, strategic foresight, and operational excellence.

In the initial years of his career with Telekom Malaysia he led several areas of the business which includes engineering, operations, network strategy, network development, project management, marketing strategy, market planning, product development and product management in both fixed and mobile business.

His recent achievements with TM include the growth and expansion of Hyperscale Data Center and the setting up of Cloud Alpha, which become the Cloud for the government under the MyDIGITAL initiative to transform Malaysia into a high-income nation that is focused on digitalisation and become a regional pioneer in digital economy.

Rejab was born in Perak, studied in University College London, with a degree in Electronic & Electrical Engineering and Master in Applied Statistics.

Mohammad Chowdhury leads Long Street Advisors; an advisory firm focused on supporting meaningful digitalisation.

Over 25 years, Mohammad has focused on understanding how connected technologies such as 5G, IoT, cyber, AI, fibre, data centres and satellites impact Society, Economy, Government and Nation. He has been an architect of reforms and commercial strategies in 80+ countries, advising governments, telcos, tech companies and investors, including in Saudi Arabia, Oman, Nigeria, Bangladesh, Papua New Guinea and Myanmar, and major programmes in Australia, UK, US and other advanced markets. Mohammad previously worked at PwC, IBM and Vodafone.

Mohammad is a Visiting Fellow at UTS, a Ministerial Programme chair at Mobile World Congress, and President of the Victoria branch of the Australian Institute for International Affairs.

Alhafidz Yahya is an Aerospace Engineer and a Certified AI Practitioner, specializing in Computer Vision systems. He currently serves as the Director of Innovation at the National Artificial Intelligence Office (NAIO), an organization under the Ministry of Digital, where his work focuses on accelerating AI technology adoption in Malaysia. He is also responsible for fostering cross-sector collaborations and promoting ethical technology development. Some of the projects he is currently spearheading at NAIO include enhancing Malaysia AI Sandbox, Overseeing the development of a Sovereign AI system, and establishing AI Clusters across different domains. Alhafidz holds a bachelor’s degree in Aeronautical and Astronautical Engineering from Purdue University, USA.

Nathalie Théberge has over 20 years of public policy experience supporting and promoting Canada’s creative industries. Prior to joining the CRTC in April 2024, she was Vice-Chair and Chief Executive Officer of the Copyright Board of Canada, an administrative tribunal which sets tariffs for the use of copyrighted content in both the analog and digital worlds. Over the course of her career, she held several executive positions at the Department of Canadian Heritage, where she led negotiations on culture and copyright in several major international trade agreements, including the Trans-Pacific Partnership and the Canada-US-Mexico free trade agreement, as well as bilateral agreements with South Korea, Japan, and the European Union. Ms Théberge represented Canada on several committees at the World Intellectual Property Organisation, UNESCO and La Francophonie, led the International Network for Cultural Policy, and was Canada’s national contact point for the UNESCO Convention on the Protection and Promotion of the Diversity of Cultural Expressions for almost a decade. She is an experienced adjudicator in the area of copyright and broadcasting, and a certified corporate director.

Nerida O’Loughlin was appointed Chair and Agency Head of the Australian Communications and Media Authority from 14 October 2017, initially for five years. Nerida has since been reappointed until 13 October 2027.

Prior to joining the ACMA, Nerida was Deputy Secretary in the Australian Department of Communications and the Arts providing policy advice across telecommunications, broadcasting, online content and the arts. Nerida has also been responsible for major projects in the communications portfolio, including leading the Digital Television Switchover Program. Over her career, Nerida has also held senior positions in the Victorian and Commonwealth Governments, predominantly across the technology and cultural sectors.

Nerida is also an Associate Member of the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission and has been reappointed until 13 October 2027.

In 2019, Nerida was awarded an Australian Public Service Medal in the Queen’s Birthday honours for outstanding public service.

Nikhil Pahwa is a speaker, entrepreneur, journalist and investor, and the Founder and Editor of MediaNama. He writes, reports and speaks about artificial intelligence, technology, business and public policy, focusing on how technological change affects people, markets and institutions. His work on AI is informed by building products and agentic workflows, teaching professionals to build with AI, and briefing leadership teams. Pahwa led the SaveTheInternet.in campaign for Net Neutrality in India and co-founded the Internet Freedom Foundation. A TED Fellow and Asia21 Fellow, he has spoken at TED, Harvard, Stanford, Oxford and Columbia University and written more than 6,000 articles.

Nina Cummins is an EU antitrust and telecoms regulatory lawyer, with over 20 yrs’ multi-jurisdictional legal experience. She graduated from the University of Nottingham, England and Ruhr University Bochum (RUB) Germany, where she specialized in EU law. She has a Masters of Law degree in EU antitrust from RUB. She is admitted as a lawyer in England & Wales, Republic of Ireland, N. Ireland and Germany. She was a partner in international law firm Osborne Clarke, leading UK & EU telecoms regulatory issues. And also worked as senior legal and policy adviser at the Telecoms Regulatory Authority in Bahrain, dealing with complex strategic projects, legal separation of the incumbent fixed telecoms provider, as well as proposals to revise the prevailing communications sector regulatory framework.

Ms Cummins re-joined Facebook (now Meta) in Oct 2019  where she is a Policy Director and Head of Connectivity Strategy (Global),  covering a broad range of regulatory issues regarding OTT regulation and regulation of emerging technology, net neutrality rules, infrastructure and subsea cable projects, spectrum frameworks and accessibility.

Noelle oversees the Internet Society’s portfolio of work and engagements in Asia-Pacific. She builds partnerships with governments and intergovernmental bodies, industry, technical communities, and civil society groups to scale the organization’s impact. She provides strategic guidance to management teams to align the organisation’s programs with regional needs and priorities, and represents the Internet Society in regional fora and convene decision-makers to tackle challenging Internet issues. She also develops and leads global projects that advance the Internet Society’s mission.

Nur Syamimi Bakhtir joined the Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission (MCMC) in 2014 and currently serves as Director II, Content Regulation Department. She holds a Bachelor’s Degree with Honours in Communication and Computer Engineering from Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia (UKM).

In her current role, she oversees the development, review and implementation of regulatory and compliance frameworks for online content and broadcasting. Her responsibilities include policy and regulatory framework development, online content case management, complaints assessment and resolution, compliance monitoring, enforcement-related matters, and the development and review of content codes and regulatory instruments.

She also leads and supports engagements with government agencies, law enforcement agencies, regulators, internet service providers, and local and international digital platforms on online content, regulatory compliance and emerging digital issues. Her work involves addressing regulatory gaps, developing responses to emerging challenges, and promoting effective cooperation among relevant stakeholders.

Her professional focus encompasses online safety, content regulation, social media platform governance, regulatory policy, compliance and stakeholder engagement, with an emphasis on supporting a safe, positive and conducive online environment.

Philip Marnick, since January 2022 has been the General Director of the Telecommunications Regulatory Authority (TRA), in Bahrain. He is also a Board Member of the International Institute of Communications.

Bahrain is one of the most advanced telecommunications and digital markets in the world with a regulatory regime firmly based on competition. Philip’s role covers all aspects of telecommunications and digital regulation, helping to ensure that the TRA remains a leading regulator and that Bahrain remains a centre of innovation. The TRA ensures Bahrain remains one of the best-connected places in the world while supporting the Kingdom’s strategic objectives.

Before assuming his role at the TRA, Philip was the Group Director of Spectrum at Ofcom in the UK, and a member of Ofcom’s Senior Management Team, where he led on all aspects of UK national and international spectrum management. Philip has worked in the telecommunications sector for over 40 years, with extensive international experience. Philip has chaired and been a member of many international groups including chairing the EU’s RSPG. He has served in senior executive positions in technology, operations and strategy. Philip has worked in both start-ups (from inception to sale) and major corporations, in firms such as UK Broadband, O2, Orange, BT, J-Phone in Japan (now Softbank Mobile), Extreme Mobile, and SpinVox (now Nuance).

From analogue to 5G, he has been involved with every mobile generation. Throughout his career he has been at the forefront of industry developments – in fixed, mobile, and digital. He worked on the design and deployment of mobile networks and been involved in the development of new technologies and standards. This has included developing and launching innovative products such as the first camera phone and photo messaging service, as well as mobile internet and hosted voice services.

Bio coming soon…

He is the co-founder of Malaysiakini, Malaysia’s most popular independent news website, as well as Asia Mobiliti and Awatar, both innovative platforms in the mobility and AI sectors.He has also served as Executive Director of Open Society–Asia Pacific, where he provided the organisation with a nuanced understanding of the social, economic, and political factors that drive change across the region, coupled with an entrepreneurial, problem-solving approach grounded in his business experience. He has expertise in new media and technology and understands the importance of analytics in shaping strategy.

Prior to joining the Open Society Foundations, Chandran spent more than two decades successfully leading efforts to protect and promote free speech and independent journalism in Malaysia. He is the co-founder and former CEO of Malaysiakini.com, Malaysia’s most popular independent news website. Despite operating in a challenging political environment, Chandran oversaw the expansion of Malaysiakini’s readership to more than 8 million people in English, Malay, Chinese, and Tamil. Chandran also co-founded Asia Mobiliti, a technology company focused on improving public transportation and logistics. Chandran is a TED senior fellow and has served as a business coach to more than 60 companies. In 2010, he received the Asia Foundation’s Chang-Lin Tan Fellowship.

Reski Damayanti is the Director & Chief Legal and Regulatory Officer at Indosat Ooredoo Hutchison (IOH), a leading telecommunications company in Indonesia. Joining IOH in 2022, she brings over 20 years of experience in legal and regulatory affairs, specializing in corporate governance, compliance, and stakeholder engagement across multinational corporations.

Rimini Haraya Makama is the Executive Commissioner (Stakeholder Management) of the Nigerian Communications Commission. She was confirmed to her position by the Nigerian Senate on 21st May 2024 following her nomination by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu GCFR on 23rd February 2024.

Ms Makama is an internationally experienced senior executive known for her talent in building trusted advisor relationships with governments. Throughout her career, she has earned a reputation as a commercially minded and politically astute leader. Her significant contributions to transformational shifts in Africa were recognized in 2014 when she was named in the Forbes 20 Youngest Power Women Under 40 in Africa list.

Before assuming her current role in the Nigerian Communications Commission, Ms Makama played various roles at Microsoft from 2016 to 2023, notably as the Government Affairs Director for MEA Emerging Markets. In this capacity, she was instrumental in creating a policy landscape that facilitated the adoption of public cloud technology by the public sector in various markets across MEA. Her central role in defining a digital transformation framework for governments, placing Microsoft solutions at the forefront of public sector technology, stands out as a key achievement.

During her tenure at Microsoft, Ms Makama represented the company’s interests on the Digital Economy Task Force of the US Chamber of Commerce and the SMART Africa Alliance. She also became known for disseminating key messages on AI ethics, notably appearing as an AI policy expert speaker at the UNESCO Forum on Artificial Intelligence in 2018. Her efforts at Microsoft were acknowledged with the Be the Change Award, which celebrates extraordinary contributions.

Ms Makama’s career also includes a significant tenure with Africa Practice as Communications Director for West Africa. In this role, she successfully translated the strategic communication needs of major corporations such as Uber, PayPal, CNN, Google SSA, Bloomberg LP, Sage VIP, Actis West Africa, and The African Union into effective solutions, collaborating closely with high-level government stakeholders. Her work in positioning Blackberry in Nigeria is particularly noteworthy. Prior to africapractice she was Principal Legal Assistant, Office of Legal Affairs – International Criminal Police Organization (INTERPOL) in Lyon, France.

Additionally, Ms Makama has authored numerous articles on technology and AI themes for prominent media outlets such as The Guardian, Financial Times, and Punch etc.

Ms Makama holds an LLM in International Law and World Order from the University of Reading, United Kingdom, an LLB from the University of Jos, Nigeria and has been called to the Nigerian Bar. Non professional interest: film production (Executive Producer: Green White Green (TIFF 2016, Netflix 2017-2019, Amazon currently) & The Lost Okoroshi (TIFF 2019, BFI 2019 – Netflix Worldwide 2020-2022).

As Vice-President of Broadcasting, Scott Shortliffe works with a diverse and talented group to provide Canadians with a wide range of Canadian programming that displays Canadian talent and serves the interests of Canadians across the country. This includes analyzing emerging trends in broadcasting, providing solutions to Canadian broadcasters and distributors, and working with all part of the Commission.

Mr Shortliffe joined the CRTC in 2017 as Chief Consumer Officer. In this role, he served as a focal point in ensuring that the interests and concerns of consumers are considered in the Commission’s decision making.

Before joining the Commission, Mr Shortliffe spent 23 years at the Department of Canadian Heritage, including as Deputy Director General of Broadcasting and Digital Communications. As an executive, his duties included creating the Canada Periodical Fund and managing $75 million in grants and contributions, dealing with complex and sensitive ownership and control issues, advising senior officials and Ministers on issues related to CBC/Radio-Canada policy issues, the Canada Media Fund, and petitions to Cabinet of CRTC broadcasting licence decisions. From 2011 to 2017, Mr Shortliffe was an observer on the Board of Women in Communications and Technology Canada (WCT) and the Canadian Heritage champion for the Jeanne Sauvé Professional Development Program.

Mr Shortliffe has a Bachelors of History, Carleton University.

Bio coming soon…

Tengku Osmawi Raja Mustafa leads MCMC’s Telecommunications Fraud Department, where he oversees regulatory and technical initiatives to combat scam calls and SMS, caller ID spoofing and other emerging telecommunications fraud threats. He works with government agencies, law enforcement, telecommunications operators and international counterparts to strengthen network integrity and protect consumers.

He brings nearly three decades of experience across telecommunications, digital infrastructure, satellite communications and regulation. Before taking up his current role, he led digital infrastructure development under the Malaysia’s National Digital Network (JENDELA) initiative in the state of Perak and Terengganu and supported its national programme governance. His earlier career includes roles with Ericsson and Celcom. He holds a degree in Electrical and Electronic Engineering from the University of Missouri–Columbia.

Thabisa Faye serves as a Councillor the Independent Communications Authority of South Africa, an executive director role she has held for the past 2yrs. Councillor Faye is a seasoned development economist who has practiced as an ICT economic regulatory expert within Sub-Saharan Africa for the past 14 years. Her experience includes, but not limited to: ICT regulatory analysis, economic advisory, renewable energies, trust management, strategic repositioning, public policy, governance and sustainability and project management. Councillor has contributed extensively to a wide range of projects in the Telecoms sector across the African continent, having worked in more than 23 African countries. She has also contributed to the renewable energy space in South as a socio-economic advisor, she further has managed reporting for six operating projects, and administered two Trusts.

Councillor has a long-standing working relationship with the International Telecommunications Union, the UN bureau for ICT, in her capacity as an expert in inclusive and collaborative regulation. Councillor Faye has contributed to the ITU body of knowledge extensively, such has developed a Universal Access Fund toolkit for the ITU, which has subsequently been converted into training modules for regulators in the Africa, Middle East, and Asia regions. Councillor also developed the first Regulatory Sandbox Framework for the African region, this was published by the ITU, and further work continues.

Councillor Faye is currently driving the implementation of a sandbox in the Authority, with the framework being implemented for emerging technologies and future innovations. Complementary to this work, CCouncillor Faye is Chairing the national IMT Forum which is charting the way for 5G and future technologies, as well as the Dynamic Spectrum Assignment and Opportunistic management project using a geolocation database. Furthermore, Councillor Faye is Chairing the satellite licensing framework to establish a licensing and pricing regime that would enable the growth of satellite connectivity direct to end users.

In addition to her career aspirations, Councillor Faye is a founding member of a women led social entrepreneurial initiative called Mbewu Movement, the initiative focuses on wealth creation, networking and mentoring for young professionals.

Thomas Hundt is a seasoned telecommunications and technology leader with a distinguished track record in enterprise building, business strategy, large-scale network transformation and market-defining execution. As Group Chief Business & Technology Officer of Axiata Group since April 2025 — following his role as Group Chief Strategy & Technology Officer from October 2021 — he drives the alignment of business and technology across the Group, strengthening technology enablement, operational performance and long-term future readiness across Axiata’s operating companies.

 Prior to his Group roles, Thomas was the founding CEO of Smart Axiata in Cambodia, a position he held from mid-2008. Over a period of 14 years, he built Smart from a greenfield start-up and number-eight market position into the clear market leader—one of Axiata’s most distinctive success stories—through disciplined execution, bold strategic decisions and decisive industry consolidation. This included the acquisition of Star-Cell in 2011 and the landmark merger with Hello Axiata in 2013. Under his leadership, Smart became a recognised benchmark for operational excellence and commercial performance.

Wathshlah has over 25 years of experience working nationally and internationally with United Nations agencies, human rights organisations and civil society. Her work sits at the intersection of gender equality, human rights and development, with a focus on law and policy reform, advocacy and civic space. She is currently the Executive Director of the Centre for Independent Journalism (CIJ) in Malaysia, where she leads work across freedom of expression, media freedom, digital rights and the right to information.

Wathshlah has advocated for stronger legal and policy protections for journalists, human rights defenders and communities at risk; greater access to information; an independent Malaysian Media Council; and safer online spaces. Her recent work includes serving on respective Expert Council/Protem Committees established by the government to draft Malaysia’s Freedom of Information, Media Council and Online Safety Bills. Since 2026, she has served as a board member of the Malaysian Media Council and a member of the Online Safety Committee (pursuant to Section 5 of the Online Safety Act 2025). She has also contributed to international human rights mechanisms, including CEDAW and the UPR. She has initiated large-scale social listening initiatives to monitor misinformation, disinformation, and hate speech during elections and other periods of heightened risk. Her work with CIJ includes addressing emerging human rights challenges around AI, technology and digital platforms, specifically focused on developing research and guidelines on ethical use of AI by media as well as on AI and election integrity.

In 2022, she co-convened the inaugural Women’s Tribunal Malaysia, providing a platform for women to bring visibility to experiences of structural and systemic discrimination and injustice.