Communications Policy & Regulation Week 2022 – in person

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 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.

Chaucer Leung was appointed Director-General of Communications of the Government of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region in July 2019.

As the Director-General of Communications, Mr Leung heads the Office of the Communications Authority (OFCA), the executive arm of the Communications Authority (CA), and is the ex-officio member of the CA.

The CA is an independent unified regulator for both telecommunications and broadcasting sectors in Hong Kong.

Mr Leung provides support to the CA in the exercise of the CA’s statutory functions under the relevant Ordinances. These mainly cover licensing matters for both the telecommunications and broadcasting sectors, management of radio spectrum and enforcement of the provisions safeguarding market competition and fair trade practices, as well as giving advice to the Government with regard to telecommunications and broadcasting matters.

Mr Leung is also appointed as the Director of Films, Newspapers and Articles Administration and is responsible in that capacity for enforcing the Control of Obscene and Indecent Articles Ordinance (COIAO) and overseeing the work pursuant to COIAO, as well as acting as the Film Censorship Authority and the registrar of newspapers.

Chris Chapman was appointed President of the International Institute of Communications on 1 April 2016.

Mr Chapman previously held the position of Chairman and CEO of the Australian Communications and Media Authority (ACMA). He was appointed in February 2006 and was re-appointed for a 2nd five year term in October 2010 until April 2016. He was appointed an Associate Member of the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission in September 2007.

Mr Chapman is a seasoned executive with experience in the media, broadcasting and film, internet, telecommunications, sports rights and infrastructure development worlds.

Before joining ACMA, Mr Chapman held a number of senior management positions with the Seven Network, Stadium Australia Management, Optus and Babcock & Brown. He has also been the Chairman of Film Australia and Sports Vision Australia, and a previous member of the National Film and Sound Archives’ Advisory Council.

Mr Chapman has a Bachelor of Laws and a Bachelor of Commerce from the University of New South Wales and has completed the Harvard Business School AMP program.

Chenda Thong has more than 20 years of experience in public sector.  After working at the central level of government, in November 2020 he was appointed Chairman of the Telecommunication Regulator of Cambodia.

Prior to joining the TRC, Chairman Thong held various positions such as a Secretary of State for the Ministry of Post and Telecommunications, an advisor to the Office of the Council of Ministers, a legal advisor to the Chairman of the Third Committee of the National Assembly and the Vice President of the Royal Academy for Judicial Professions, one of the first state institutions to offer a fair and transparent national judicial entrance examination.

As a renowned leader within the public entity, Chairman Thong creates a culture of solidarity and harmony with the core value of high integrity in the working place. His previous background powered his aspiration to lead the TRC to be one of the world class regulators, finding practical answers for some of the nation’s complex questions and to ensure good governance and transparency in management and operations.

Chairman Thong holds qualifications in Law from Norton University and English literature from the Institute of Foreign Languages in Cambodia.

Ian Scott has over 25 years of policy and regulatory experience in broadcasting and telecommunications both in the public and private sectors.

After working at the Competition Bureau, he joined the CRTC from 1990 to 1994, where he collaborated on the development of a framework for long-distance telephone service competition in Canada. Between 2007 and 2008, as part of the Executive Interchange Program, he was Senior Policy Advisor to the Chairman at the CRTC.

Before rejoining the CRTC in 2017, Mr Scott held various executive positions in the communications industry, including at Telesat Canada, Telus and Call-Net Enterprises, one of the first companies to offer competition in the Canadian long-distance market. He also provided leadership on broadcasting policy and regulatory issues as an executive at the Canadian Cable Television Association.

Mr Scott has served on various boards, including Women in Communications and Technology and Ski Quebec Alpin, and holds a bachelor’s degree in political science from McGill University.

His term runs until September 4, 2022.

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Monsieur Ian Scott possède plus de 25 années d’expérience en matière de politique et de réglementation dans les domaines de la radiodiffusion et des télécommunications tant dans le secteur public que le secteur privé.

Après avoir travaillé au Bureau de la concurrence, il a œuvré au CRTC de 1990 à 1994 en collaborant à l’élaboration d’un cadre lié à la concurrence dans la prestation de services téléphoniques interurbains au Canada. De 2007 à 2008, il a occupé le poste de conseiller principal au président du CRTC en matière de politiques dans le cadre du Programme de permutation des cadres.

Avant de revenir au CRTC en 2017, M. Scott a occupé divers postes de direction dans l’industrie des communications, notamment à Télésat Canada, Telus et Call-Net Enterprises, soit l’une des premières entreprises à faire concurrence dans le marché canadien des interurbains. Il a également exercé un leadership à l’égard de questions de politique et de réglementation dans le domaine de la radiodiffusion en tant que cadre à l’Association canadienne de télévision par câble.

Monsieur Scott a été membre de divers conseils d’administration, dont celui de l’Association canadienne des femmes en communications et technologie et de Ski Québec alpin, et est titulaire d’un baccalauréat en sciences politiques de l’Université McGill.

Son mandat prendra fin le 4 septembre 2022.

Biography coming soon.

Adv. Luthando Mkumatela served at the Department of International Affairs of the ANC in Lusaka as the Senior Legal Resource. He later joined the Centre for the Development of Information and Telecommunications Policy (CDITP) in Johannesburg. Adv. Mkumatela has worked for Telkom as the Manager for Regulatory Affairs. He was appointed a Councilor of the Independent Broadcasting Authority (IBA) and represented the organisation during the merger between IBA and SATRA to form ICASA.

Post the merger Adv. Mkumatela moved to the Department of Communications and served as a Chief Director in the office of the Director-General. He formed Amalico Investment Solutions and managed all its activities. He was appointed as the Chairperson of the Space Affairs Council of South Africa (SACSA). Adv. Mkumatela also served as the member of the State Security Agency and proceeded to become an advisor to the former Minister of Communications Mr. Yunus Carrim.

He has attended training in ICT Policy Development and Regulation, Management programme offered by Anderson Consulting, and Strategic Direction and Corporate Governance from the Institute of Directors.

Adv. Mkumatela holds a Masters in Law specialising in International Law, Masters of Law in Aviation and Space Law. He holds a Certificate in Telecommunications Regulation,

Isaac Alcalá is a Mexican qualified lawyer specialized on Competition Law issues. He began his work in the Federal Economic Competition Commission (COFECE) in 2014. In October 2021 he was appointed by COFECE Board as Head of the Digital Markets General Directorate, where he was Executive Director since August 2020. Prior to this position, he collaborated as Executive Director at the Investigative Authority and as Director on the Legal Affairs General Directorate, where he participated in high-profile investigations and procedures for COFECE.

Before COFECE, Mr Alcalá participated in important local law firms and companies from the food industry and the energy sector, focused on Constitutional Administrative Law and Intellectual Property.

Mr Alcalá, a qualified lawyer from Universidad Panamericana, holds an LLM in Competition Law by King’s College London and he is currently lecturer in the Competition Law course at Universidad Anahuac Mexico.

Robert Mourik joined the joined the Commission for Communications Regulation (ComReg) as Commissioner in 2019.

Mr Mourik has almost thirty years’ experience in the telecoms sector, as an industry executive and as Government official.

Prior to joining ComReg, he worked for Cubic Telecom, a new entrant in the automotive IoT space, where he was responsible for all wholesale activities. Robert spent almost 10 years in Telefonica as the European Regulatory Strategy Director at their corporate HQ in Madrid and as Strategy Director in Ireland.

He also worked for Vodafone Group, as its head of the Brussels Office and in the regulatory department in Newbury, UK.

In 1991, Mr Mourik began his career in the Dutch Department for Transport and Telecommunication and from 1994 until 1999 he served, as Telecom Attache at the Netherlands’ Permanent Representation in Brussels. He was a Member and Chair of the Council Telecoms Working Group in 1998 when the first telecom regulatory package was adopted.

Mr Mourik studied Economics and Public Policy at the Erasmus University in Rotterdam, and the University of Hull (UK).

After completing an Economics degree from the University of Kingston, London in 2001, Stewart Brittenden embarked on his career in regulation with the Gibraltar Regulatory Authority in 2004. Specialising in communications regulation, Mr Brittenden has witnessed the full transition of a telecoms monopoly to full competition over the course of 15 years. He has extensive experience in dealing with the European Commission on matters relating to Market Reviews and on the specific issues relating to the smallest jurisdictions both in and out of the European Union. Mr Brittenden has also dealt with matters on competition law and broadcasting and, more recently, postal service regulation.

Tim Ringsdore has over 15 years extensive experience as a Managing Director within the telecoms industry, working at Board level across the Channel Islands, London and the Caribbean.

Mr Ringsdore was Managing Director of Jersey Telecom and was pivotal in setting up Wave Telecom in Guernsey. He had responsibility for consumers and corporate clients across both Islands. Mr Ringsdore was also instrumental in developing JT’s global business with the acquisition of Worldstone in 2012.

Mr Ringsdore moved back to the Channel Islands to join the Jersey Competition Regulatory Authority (JCRA) after leading Cable & Wireless as Managing Director based in the British Virgin Islands. He had jurisdictional and overall financial responsibility for the Cable & Wireless business in the BVI and was responsible for developing relationships with government, the industry regulator and corporate clients. During this time, he successfully restructured and rebranded the business to help improve credibility and the customer experience.

As CEO for the JCRA, Mr Ringsdore is focussing on delivering strong results which will support the economic strategic objectives for the Island and its citizens. He will help ensure that Jersey receives the best value, choice and access to high quality services in addition to promoting competition and consumers’ interests.