Communications Policy & Regulation Week 2025

Amir Algibreen is Group Chief Regulatory and Compliance Officer for Saudi Telecom company (STC) , with more than 25 years of experience in the ICT field , certified regulatory expert with wide experience in ICT strategic development, market and competition analysis, ICT laws and regulations and policies.

Mr Algibreen has more than 16 years of experience within CITC (Saudi ICT regulator) on several functions, posts, and leading positions. He also worked for AT&T and Lucent technologies in marketing and sales before joining CITC.

Amit Kushwaha embarked on his journey with AT&T in May 2021, assuming the leadership role in External and Regulatory Affairs for the company’s operations in India. Presently, he manages all regulatory policy and operational issues across India, Oceania, and the ASEAN region.

Working out of Gurgaon, India, Mr Kushwaha has a reputable track record in managing public policy, regulatory operations, compliances, strategy, and government affairs in India’s telecommunications sector. He is deeply involved in regional policy developments across various industries, including 5G, telecommunications, digital trade, personal data protection, data movement, privacy, IoT, cybersecurity, and AI governance.

At AT&T, his work involves ensuring license compliance, obtaining approvals and permissions from regulators/licensors, providing regulatory due diligence/advice for new B2B products/solutions, tracking crucial policy issues, updating relevant business teams to ensure compliance, and making policy submissions/representations to the government for the region.

Mr Kushwaha collaborates extensively with numerous industry associations such as the Association of Competitive Telecom Operators (ACTO), Internet Service Providers Association of India (ISPAI), US India Business Council (USIBC), AMCHAM India, Asia Pacific Carrier’s Coalition (APCC), and Broadband India Forum (BIF). He currently serves as the President of ACTO, Co-chair of the Digital Economic Committee at USIBC, and an EC member of ISPAI and BIF.

Before joining AT&T, Mr Kushwaha served as the Vice President of Regulations, Public Policy and Compliance at Bharti Airtel. Prior to his nearly 12-year tenure at Bharti Airtel, he was working with the Department of Telecommunications of the Indian Government for over 8 years, focusing on Network Deployment, Regulations, and Compliance.

Mr Kushwaha holds a Master’s Degree in Technology (Telecom Networks) and has also completed a Post-graduate Program in Public Management and Policy

Andrea Gita Millwood Hargrave is an independent consultant in the field of regulation across the communications ecosystem, with particular emphasis on emerging trends in technologies and consumer behaviour.

An Associate of the Programme in Comparative Media Law and Policy, University of Oxford, and a Member of the Working Group on Information Access (part of UNESCO’s IFAP Programme), Andrea stepped down as the IIC’s Director General in 2020, having run its regulatory programme for over twenty years. A Fellow of the Royal Society of Arts, Andrea served as a regulator for content delivery organisations in the UK for many years and has published widely on communications policy in an international context, having acted as an Expert for both the European Union and the Council of Europe.

Dr Annegret Groebel is Director International Relations/Postal Regulation at the German mul-tisector economic regulator Bundesnetzagentur (BNetzA), regulating the following network industries: electricity, gas, telecommunications, postal markets and railways.

Dr Groebel is also President of the Council of European Energy Regu-lators (CEER), a non-profit association representing 39 independent energy regulators.

Dr Groebel has worked for BNetzA since 1998. She has been CEER President since January 2019 and was a Vice-President of CEER as of 2012. She was appointed Vice-Chair of the International Confed-eration of Energy Regulators (ICER) in June 2020 which was con-firmed for a second term in August 2023. She has also chaired the CEER Market Integrity and Transparency (MIT) Working Group since 2013. She is a member of the Board of Regulators of the Agency for the Cooperation of Energy Regulators (ACER). She has excellent knowledge of the European regulatory framework for electronic communications as well as the regulatory framework for the internal energy market and is actively involved in the work of the Body of Eu-ropean Regulators for Electronic Communications (BEREC). Since 2020 she has been Chair of the BEREC Office Advisory Group (BAG) and has been Co-Chair of the Remedies WG for many years. She is actively involved in the work of the European Regulators Group for Postal Services (ERGP) and IRG Rail. She is also a member of the OECD’s Network of Economic Regulators (NER) and its Bureau, a working group of the OECD looking at cross-sectoral governance issues of economic regulators. She has experience in advising public authorities on regulatory reform and sector specific regulation in nu-merous projects.

Apart from her professional duties, she has also been lecturing for a considerable time on various subjects in the fields of economics, fi-nance, social policy, trade policy and European Integration, as well as on the regulatory framework in the German and European tele-communications and energy markets at a variety of universities and vocational training academies in Germany, the FSR in Italy, and Switzerland. Dr Groebel is the author of various publications in the field of telecommunications and energy regulation.

Dr Groebel has a doctoral degree in Economics from the University of Mannheim, a M.A. (Master of European Administrative Management) from FH Bund (Bruehl) and a Diploma in Economics from the Univer-sity of Heidelberg.

With a distinguished career spanning over two decades, Ben Wong has been at the forefront of intelligence and investigative work in Singapore. As the current Director (Network Project Office) at the Info-Communications Media Development Authority (IMDA), Mr Wong spearheads efforts aimed at combatting scams and safeguarding Singapore’s telecommunications network against emerging threats.

Prior to this role, he dedicated over 20 years to the Singapore Police Force, where expertise was honed in the Police Intelligence Department and the Criminal Investigation Department. During this tenure, Mr Wong played a critical role in dismantling organized crime groups involved in scams, cybercrime, unlicensed moneylending, transnational illegal gambling, and other serious criminal activities. His collaborative efforts with international law enforcement agencies, including the Ministry of Public Security (MPS) of China, Royal Malaysia Police (RMP), Vietnam’s MPS, and the Hong Kong Police Force, were instrumental in executing cross-border operations that led to significant breakthroughs in combating organized crime.

Today, Mr Wong leverages a deep understanding of criminal operations to address complex challenges in telecommunications security, ensuring the safety and reliability of Singapore’s telecommunication networks.

Camilla Bustani is Director, international at Ofcom, the UK’s communications regulator, where she oversees Ofcom’s programme of international engagement and activities in Europe and beyond. She has been actively engaged in the work of European and regional regulatory networks (including BEREC, ERGA and EPRA), and was involved in several EU legislative negotiations in the sectors Ofcom regulates. Ms Bustani has participated in a number of regulatory debates in communications sectors over the last 15 years, most recently around online regulation and the interaction between the different regulatory regimes that might be implicated. She has written on regulatory reform in developing countries and on the impact of institutional design on forms of regulatory cooperation.

Prior to joining Ofcom in 2006, Ms Bustani worked as a lawyer at Clifford Chance LLP in London for 8 years.

She obtained her bachelors’ degree from Harvard University, a masters’ degree from SIPA at Columbia University, and a law degree from Oxford University.

Mr. Charin Thiratitayangkul is the Vice President of Digital Government Strategy at the Digital Government Development Agency (DGA). He leads the planning, development, and execution of digital government policies, ensuring their successful implementation and monitoring.

Mr. Charin fosters collaboration between government agencies and the private sector, promoting knowledge exchange through strategic initiatives. He also communicates policies to officials and the public, ensuring transparency and alignment with national goals. His work focuses on evaluating and enhancing the readiness of government agencies to improve public service delivery across Thailand.

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.

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.

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.

Claudia Ximena Bustamante has a solid career in public policy with significant experience in the telecommunications and technology sectors, spanning over two decades. She currently serves as the Communications Commissioner for the regulatory agency of Colombia, CRC, for the period 2024-2028, devising and executing strategies to foster ICT competition dynamics in the country and to protect user´s rights.

As a Commissioner, she oversees CRC’s development of new regulatory measures, market analysis, impact assessments, infrastructure sharing, and the promotion of innovation tools such as regulatory sandboxes, crowdsourcing, and regtech, among other subjects.

She has also held multiple positions and responsibilities at CRC, including Head of Innovation and Prospective, Head of Government Affairs, and Head of Research and Development. In these roles, she was responsible for prospective studies, the implementation of regulatory measures, knowledge management, and innovation. She established alliances with academic institutions to improve regulation awareness and develop research in technical and regulatory topics. Additionally, she represented CRC in national and international Internet governance spaces such as ICANN, IGF, and ITU. She also negotiated international agreements, in collaboration with Colombia’s Trade and Industry Ministry, for ICT chapter in the Pacific Alliance trade agreement and the bilateral agreement with Japan.

She has been a lecturer at Universidad Externado de Colombia in master’s level programs, covering subjects such as public policy, ICT regulation, the digital economy ecosystem, innovation, sandboxes, interconnection, and market analysis.

Passionate about the roles of girls and women in the ICT sector, she is a Girls in STEM advocate, awarded by Technovation, and a member of the Women in Tech, Colombia chapter.

She holds an Executive MBA from IE Business School, Spain, a B.Sc. in Electronics Engineering from Pontificia Universidad Javeriana, Colombia, and postgraduate studies in Business Management from Universidad de la Sabana, Colombia.

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.

Christina Lee Storm is an award-winning creative producer and executive recognized for her groundbreaking work at the intersection of storytelling and technology spanning television, film, animation, documentaries, virtual reality, augmented reality, and XR.

Founder and CEO of ASHER XR, Ms Storm drives strategic and creative development of emerging technologies for series, film, digital, and multi-platform storytelling. She has been instrumental in implementing advanced production technologies, spearheading virtual production initiatives, and driving innovation in content creation and creativity for studio IP and franchises.

As the Director of Virtual Production at Netflix, Ms Storm played a pivotal role in establishing global virtual production ecosystems, spaces, and stages collaborating with filmmakers and industry partners to drive growth and adoption. She spearheaded virtual production across Netflix’s series, films, unscripted, and ancillary content including upcoming live action series “Avatar: The Last Airbender.”

Previously as Vice President of Business Operations, Strategy, & Emerging Technology at DreamWorks Animation, Ms Storm led the Advanced Creative Technology group, advocating for the future of real-time content creation. She produced three award-winning VR experiences for the “How to Train Your Dragon” franchise, AR projects for “Trolls World Tour” and “Abominable,” and an interactive theme-park “Kung Fu Panda” experience for Universal Studios Beijing.

Ms Storm served as Head of Content & Acquisitions at Positron where she played a key role in strategizing, driving, and acquiring premium cinematic VR content for the company’s platform.

Beyond her creative achievements, Ms Storm helps shape the future of the industry by serving on the Television Academy’s Emerging Media Program Executive Committee and co-leading the AI Working Group. She has served as National Board of Directors for the Producers Guild of America, Board of Governors for the Advanced Imaging Society, and is a Board Member of Wedgwood Circle. Supporting women in STEAM, Christina is a proud Founding Member of DreamWorks Animation’s TECHWomen and is a member of the Visual Effects Society and Women in Animation.

Daniel Son is the CEO of Westworld Studio, a leading visual effects studio renowned for delivering groundbreaking VFX across film and television.  As a VFX supervisor with over 20 years of experience, he has received numerous accolades, including the Technical Awards at the 19th Blue Dragon Film Awards (1998) for The Soul Guardians and the Special Advanced Technology Award at the 52nd Grand Bell Awards (2015) for Ode to My Father. His technical expertise and creative vision have earned him widespread recognition in the industry.

Mr Derek John Fernandez is a Commission Member of the Malaysian Communication and Multimedia Commission.  He is also the Chairman of the Malaysian Communication and Multimedia Commission’s Online Harms and Information Security Committee, Legal Committee and Nomination and Remuneration Committee.

Mr Fernandez is also a director of CyberSecurity Malaysia (CSM) and a member of its Cybersecurity Audit Committee. He has also written a paper with an action plan entitled “Cybersecurity : The need for a change in Approach” dated 26 August 2022, which was submitted to the Minister of Communications and Digital.

The paper has been used in part to formulate National Cybersecurity strategies and policies. Mr Fernandez is also the Chairman of MCMC’s Technical Committee involved in preparing draft Guidelines on Information and Network Security for communications and multimedia industry. He has also developed Cybersecurity policies that have been implemented nationally which include: anti scam and fraud measures and policies, licensing of OTT platforms, national internet registry and IPV 6 adoption and digital sovereignty concepts.

Derek Wilding is based in the Faculty of Law at University of Technology Sydney where he is the Co-Director of the Centre for Media Transition.

Dr Wilding has worked in statutory and industry-based regulatory positions, specialising in media and communications regulation. He was Executive Director of the Australian Press Council, manager of media ownership and control at the Australian Communications and Media Authority and Director of the Communications Law Centre at University of New South Wales. He has also worked for the Office of Film and Literature Classification and the Media, Entertainment and Arts Alliance.

Dr Wilding is currently a chief investigator on a three-year research project examining media pluralism and online news (funded by the Australian Research Council) and a two-year research project on consumer and public participation in industry rule-making in the communications sector. The Centre for Media Transition is conducting externally-funded research into the impact of digital platforms on news and journalistic content and the state of trust in news media.

Dr Wilding is Chair of IIC Programme and Market Insight Committee.

Elisa Giomi is an Associate Professor at Roma Tre University, Department of Philosophy, Communication and Performing Arts, where she teaches Sociology of Media and Communication, Television Narrative, and Advertising. Prof. Giomi also teaches at the MA course in Cultural Leadership Research, a double postgraduate degree programme (University of Groningen and Roma Tre University) and coordinates the Media and Communication module of the MA in Gender and Political Studies.

Prof. Giomi is the author of more than 60 publications for major italian and international publishers and peer-reviewed journals.  Her latest publication is “Male and Female Violence in Popular Media” (Bloomsbury 2022) and “The Media today. Technologies, markets, socio-cultural issues and regulatory responses” (forthcoming).

Prof. Giomi has coordinated national and international scientific projects aimed at studying the media and identifying good practices in the sector, on behalf of various bodies and institutions including: European Parliament, EJC-European Journalism Center, EIGE-European Institute for Gender Equality. She has coordinated television content analysis projects on behalf of italian broadcasters, including monitoring the representation of women in public programming.

Prof. Giomi has collaborated with the “Commission of enquiry on feminicide, as well as on all forms of gender-based violence” of Italian Parliament; she is a member of the board of the “Gender Studies” section of the AIS-Italian Association of Sociology and of the magazine “AG.About Gender-International Journal of Gender Studies”.

By decree of the President of the Republic, Prof. Giomi was appointed on 15 September 2020 as a member of the Board of AGCOM- Authority for Communications Guarantees.

Emmanuel Gabla was nominated as Membre du Collège at the board of Arcep at the beginning of 2019. He was previously the Head of the Economic Section of France’s embassy in Norway from 2016 until his appointment at Arcep.

Mr Gabla began his career in 1993 at the Ministry of Post & Telecom, which developed the 1996 Act that opened the telecoms sector up to competition. Starting in 1999, Mr Gabla served as an advisor on telecoms, the information society, postal affairs and industrial aspects of the internal market to the Permanent Representation of France to the European Union, as Technical Advisor to the Prime Minister, Jean Pierre Raffarin, in charge of telecoms and postal affairs, industrial property and space, and the head of the Technologies and Information Society department at the Directorate-General for Enterprise.

From 2009 to 2015, Mr Gabla was a member of the Board of the French broadcasting authority, CSA, and a member of the General Council for the Economy, Industry, Energy and Technologies from 2015 to 2016.

Mr Gabla is a former student at the Ecole Polytechnique, a graduate of the Ecole nationale supérieure des télécommunications (ENST), and a Chief Telecommunications Engineer.

François Joseph Nnemete Beyeme is a specialist in telecommunications Policy environment, and currently serves as the Deputy Director of Telecommunications and ICT Regulation at Cameroon’s Ministry of Posts and Telecommunications.

He has extensive international experience and academic training in the field. His expertise encompasses telecommunications and ICT policy and regulation, support for the digital transformation of organizations, and youth digital entrepreneurship. Additionally, he is a Business and Management consultant with competence in core areas of engineering, strategy and performance, competition policy, and framework development.

He obtained a professional master’s degree in Economics from the University of Rennes 1 in France, and a professional master’s degree in Telecommunications Management in the Age of Convergence from the United Kingdom Telecommunication Academy (University of Rwanda) . He holds certifications from the United States Telecommunications Training Institute (USTTI), the American University Washington College of Law (AUWCL), and the Fletcher School Institute at Tufts University, respectively in telecommunications regulatory policy, digital currency, and 5G technology.

Gina M. Perini is Somos Inc.’s Chair of the Board of Directors and Chief Executive Officer. Ms. Perini also serves as Chair of the Executive Committee.

Under Ms Perini’s vision and leadership, Somos has become a leading global provider of telephone number database administration and numbering information services. Somos plays several critical roles in the North American telecommunications ecosystem, including serving as the North American Numbering Plan Administrator, the Toll Free Number Administrator, and the Reassigned Numbers Database Administrator. Through its U.K. subsidiary XConnect, it also provides critical global telephone number information services for over 200 countries.

Through fostering a culture of agility, innovation, inclusivity and collaboration, Ms Perini has proven herself a force in expanding Somos’ leadership and impact across the global telecommunications industry.

In 2020, Ms Perini was named as a regional winner of the EY Entrepreneur of the Year, and in 2014 she was honored as a pioneer, role model and trailblazer by Massachusetts Lawyers Weekly as a “Top Women of Law.”

Prior to joining Somos, Ms Perini was at GTC Law Group & Affiliates, and Foley Hoag LLP, where she advised businesses on global corporate and intellectual property law matters related to technology, telecommunications, Internet, new media and advertising.

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.

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

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

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

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

James Cheatley is Senior Regional Director, VOD, Digital Affairs and Intellectual Property at the Motion Picture Association and is based in Singapore. James has worked in media and copyright policy for over 15 years. Mr Cheatley started his career working in copyright policy at the Australian Government Attorney-General’s Department in Canberra. Subsequently, Mr Cheatley worked in Sydney as a copyright lawyer and was secretary of the Copyright Society of Australia and edited the Society’s journal – the Copyright Reporter. Before joining the MPA, James was Director of Government Relations for Screen Producers Australia.

Jeremy Godfrey has over 30 years of regulatory, government and business experience in the communications, technology and online sectors, in Ireland and Hong Kong.

Mr Godfrey was previously Chairperson of the Competition and Consumer Protection Commission (CCPC). He served eight years as a Commissioner and Chairperson of the Commission for Communications Regulation (ComReg). During that time, he also served as Chair and vice-Chair of BEREC, the coordinating body for EU telecoms regulators. In Hong Kong, he served as Government Chief Information Officer, as a management consultant and as a senior executive in the telecommunications sector.

Mr Godfrey has been involved in regulatory developments such as the EU’s Digital Services Act, the Digital Markets Act, and the Open Internet Regulation. As Hong Kong Government CIO, he had responsibility for the e-government programme and cloud computing strategy, as well as for Internet governance, digital inclusion and promoting online safety. As a consultant, he advised clients about online business strategies and on regulatory issues in the communications, energy, transportation and financial services sectors. While in the telecommunications industry he was involved in the launch of the world’s first commercial online video-on-demand service as well as in many regulatory issues.

Mr Godfrey started his career as a civil servant in the UK government. He holds an MA from Cambridge University, where he studied mathematics

Dr Wang Jiang-Jia earned a doctorate degree from National Taiwan University and became a professor at Chung-Cheng University, Jia-Yi County, where he taught law. On more than one occasion, he was also a visiting professor at Osaka University, Japan. His major areas of research have been criminal law, criminal and new technology, and speech on the internet. Prior to becoming a professor, he practiced as a lawyer for over ten years.

In 2022, Dr Wang was appointed as one of seven commissioners at the National Communications Commission (NCC), which is an independent organization overseeing communications regulation in Taiwan. During his time at NCC, Dr Wang has been involved in critical decision making pertinent to communications and media policies and regulations. In line with the key policy objectives and mission of NCC, Dr Wang is committed to enhancing the communications and media environment in Taiwan.

Karel Douglas is the Executive Officer of Legal and Enforcement at the Telecommunications Authority of Trinidad and Tobago where he advises on legal matters related to telecommunications and broadcasting.

He is a qualified Attorney at law with over 25 years experience in public law and telecommunications law. He has a Law degree from the University of London,a legal practicing certificate from the University of the West Indies, Hugh Wooding Law School and a Masters in Telecommunications and Information Technology law from the University of Strathclyde, Scotland.

Mr Douglas has worked as Senior State Counsel at the Solicitor General’s Chambers in the Office of the Attorney General in Trinidad and Tobago. And worked as Head Legal and Corporate Secretary at National ICT Company of Trinidad and Tobago – a government owned entity in charge of Government’s enterprise wide ICT projects where he advised on legal matters related to a variety of ICT matters.

He currently represents Trinidad and Tobago in the Governmental Advisory Committee at Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN) since 2017 where he also serves as a co-chair of the underserved regions working group.

Kate Jones is the Chief Executive Officer of the Digital Regulatory Cooperation Forum (www.drcf.org.uk). Kate leads this innovative team, working to increase and deepen coordination between regulators of online services and technology for the benefit of both businesses and their customers.

Before joining the DRCF, Ms Jones was an expert consultant and researcher on the governance of emerging technologies, with particular regard to human rights law, public international law and diplomacy. She was an Associate Fellow with the International Law Programme at Chatham House, Senior Associate with Oxford Information Labs, and member of the advisory board of an AI ethics company. She has published and spoken widely on aspects of national and international tech governance, with specialisms in artificial intelligence, disinformation and foreign interference, and the role of technical standards.

In her work, Ms Jones brings to bear her many years of experience as a legal adviser and diplomat with the UK Foreign and Commonwealth Office, including as Legal Adviser to the UK Mission to the United Nations in Geneva and UK Deputy Permanent Representative to the Council of Europe in Strasbourg. She also draws on her experience of leadership, skills and technical expertise as Director of Oxford University’s Diplomatic Studies Programme and as Course Director and Advisory Board member of the Centre for Political and Diplomatic Studies. Kate took her undergraduate and postgraduate degrees in law at the University of Oxford and qualified as a UK solicitor at Norton Rose.

Professor Konstantinos Masselos has been appointed as the President of the Hellenic Telecommunications & Post Commission (EETT) in February 2018 and his mandate has been renewed in February 2022.

Professor Masselos has been elected as Chair of the Body of European Regulators for Electronic Communications (BEREC) for 2023 and also Vice-Chair for 2022 and 2024. Moreover, he served as Vice-Chair of BEREC in 2019.

He is a Professor in the Department of Informatics and Telecommunications of the University of Peloponnese where is also served as Rector during the period 2012-2017. From 2005 to 2008 he was a Lecturer in the Department of Electrical and Electronic Engineering at Imperial College London. Also during the period 2010-2016 he was an Honorary Lecturer in the same Department. From 2001-2004 he worked in the telecommunications industry.
Since 2005 he has been collaborating as an expert with various units of the European Commission. Also, he was member of the Scientific Committee of the European Cooperation in Science and Technology (COST) from 2015 to 2017.

Krishna started his career with Hewlett Packard in the US as a software engineer. He began his career with the satellite communication industry in 1994. Since then, he has held numerous senior roles with the industry including business,
engineering, operations, and policy roles. Krishna joined Amazon’s Project Kuiper in 2022. Today, he heads the consumer business and country development efforts in countries in the Asia Pacific region. Krishna is based in New Delhi, India.

Latifa Akharbach was appointed President of the High Authority for Audiovisual Communication (HACA) on December 3, 2018.

Ms Akharbach formerly held numerous decision-making positions in Moroccan diplomacy : Secretary of State to the Minister of Foreign Affairs and Cooperation, Ambassador of the Kingdom of Morocco to Tunisia and Ambassador of the Kingdom of Morocco to Bulgaria and Macedonia.

Ms Akharbach has also served as Director of the Moroccan National Radio and Director of the High Institute of Information and Communication where she had previously been Professor and researcher for more than twenty years.

She is an experienced international consultant in the field of journalism, communication and journalists training. She has published several articles, studies and books on media, communication and women’s rights.

Ms Akharbach has a PhD in Information Sciences and Communication.

Lina María Duque del Vecchio is a lawyer from the Pontifical Xavierian University, specializing in Business Law, with a Master’s degree in Law from Externado de Colombia University.

Before assuming her current role, Ms Duque Del Vecchio held various positions at the CRC, including Coordinator of Legal Advisory and Dispute Resolution, Acting Executive Coordinator (General Secretary), Acting Commissioner of the Communications Commission Session, and legal advisor.

As the Coordinator of Dispute Resolution, she managed sensitive and high-impact industry issues that significantly contributed to the effective implementation of regulatory policies, as well as promoting competition and protecting user rights. Thanks to her impeccable management, the CRC was recognized by the National Agency for Legal Defense of the State (ANDJE) as one of the entities with the highest judicial defense success rate, achieving 95% effectiveness.

Lucas Bertrand, Founder and CEO of Looper Insights has 25+ years of experience in building retail, tech and media companies. He was also the Founder and CEO of MoMedia (UK), a digital media business that delivered TV & Film content to broadcast and digital platforms from 220+ TV & Film producers, distributors & TV Channels.

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.

An experienced Trustee / Non-Executive Director as Vice Chair at Arnos Vale Cemetery Trust, a unique heritage site in the heart of Bristol (UK), Lynn is also a Trustee / Non-Executive Director at The Bristol and Bath (UK), Parks Foundation.

Reflecting on becoming Director General at the IIC at the outbreak of a pandemic, Lynn said, ‘these last two years have been like no other we have known, with many challenges coming our way. In 2020 we successfully pivoted the organisation through a digital transformation programme to maintain a full schedule of events and by increasing the outputs delivered. Transforming the programme enabled us to continue to deliver the professional service and increase our engagement with IIC members and stakeholder community to remain connected to them through such a difficult time.

As we move through 2022, I am delighted to return to a combined in-person and online programme and to continue to evolve the IIC in to the next phase, with the vision and strategic focus to deliver our objectives and to build on our growth, engagement and retention’.

Masego M. Jeremiah is Head of Broadcasting and Corporate Communications at Botswana Communications Regulatory Authority (BOCRA). Ms Jeremiah is a Broadcasting and Corporate Communications professional with more than ten (10) years’ experience in the industry. She was previously in the Digital Migration Task Force appointed to ensure a smooth transition from analogue broadcasting to digital platforms. Her roles and responsibilities have been developing, directing, and implementing industry codes, operation guidelines and licensing frameworks in the broadcasting industry. She is also responsible for monitoring and compliance of broadcasters with regulatory tools and licence conditions. Ms Jeremiah guest lectures at the University of Botswana on Media Regulation and also teaches Primary and Junior students Digital Transformation, Online Safety and Cyber Hygiene.

Possessing a Masters in Business Administration (MBA) as well as a Bachelor of Media Studies (BMS), with Majors in Video & Television Production and Public Relations, both attained from the University of Botswana. Ms Jeremiah also has a Diploma in Telecommunications Management, a Diploma in Economic Regulation and a Diploma in Broadcasting Regulation.

A dynamic, innovative and result oriented professional who has worked with decision makers in government institutions, regulators and operators across the Southern African region and experts in the field of regulation. Harnessed research skills and stakeholder engagement especially in developing regulatory instruments.

Ms Jeremiah is currently on the Communications Regulators Association of Southern Africa (CRASA) Working Group established to assess the impact of Online Broadcasters on Broadcasting Regulation and the Electronic and Communications Committee (ECC) to develop a template for data collection on broadcasting regulation requirements in SADC Region for the SADC TV Bouquet.

Matt Kurlanzik is YouTube’s Head of Business Public Policy for the Asia Pacific region. Based in Singapore, he has over a decade of experience covering policy and regulatory issues impacting the digital ecosystem. Previously, Mr Kurlanzik worked on international strategy for an e-commerce company and in various roles across the finance sector.

He holds a bachelor’s degree from the University of Maryland and a master’s degree from Columbia University.

Dame Melanie Dawes joined Ofcom as an Executive Board Member and Chief Executive on 2 March 2020.

Prior to joining Ofcom, Ms Dawes was Permanent Secretary at the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government (2015-2020). She has held senior roles across the Civil Service, working in partnership across the public and private sectors. She became the overall Champion for Diversity and Inclusion in the Civil Service in 2019.

Ms Dawes started her career as an economist and spent 15 years at the Treasury, including as Europe Director. She was Director General of the Economic and Domestic Affairs Secretariat at the Cabinet Office between 2011 and 2015, and prior to that she served on the Board of HMRC as Head of Business Tax. Ms Dawes was Director General for Business Tax from November 2007, which involved responsibility for all the business taxes and duties as well as leadership of the department’s relationships with big business. From 2009, she also led the development of HMRC’s overall strategy as a department.

Ms Dawes has held non-executive roles including with the consumer body Which? and is a trustee of the Patchwork Foundation, which promotes the participation of under-represented young people in democracy.

Melissa Blassingame serves as the Regional Vice President of Partner Alliances for Twilio where she is responsible for managing the global business development team and leading strategy for trusted communications.

Ms Blassingame has previously been a member of the FCC’s North American Numbering Council and participates in industry groups such as SIP Forum, Global Leaders Forum (GLF), and i3Forum’s One Consortium.

Prior to joining Twilio, Ms Blassingame spent over 10 years of her career at various telecom companies and has held positions in call center management, pricing development, routing, operations, cost management, carrier relations and business development.

On a more personal note, Ms Blassingame was a working cellist performing in various symphonies during her college years and gigs as an electric cellist in her spare time.

Michael Coonan joined Free TV Australia in January 2024 as Director of Public Policy, having previously held policy, regulatory and government affairs roles at SBS and Foxtel. Prior to Foxtel, Mr Coonan worked at the Australian Communications and Media Authority, in both broadcasting and telecommunications regulation.

Michael is Vice President of the Australian Chapter of the International Institute of Communications, and a member of the Board of the Restless Dance Theatre.

Mothibi Glenview Ramusi is the Chairperson of the Independent Communications Authority of South Africa. A qualified electronic systems engineer, and an information technology certified professional. Mr Ramusi has over three decades of working experience in the ICT sector, ranging from telecommunications, satellite, lotteries and broadcasting. Mr Ramusi has an extensive leadership portfolio, which extends to Executive positions in both public and private sectors.

He has played a critical role in spearheading the role of ICT and satellite in community upliftment and development, especially in underserved and rural areas. Mothibi was part of the group of experts that developed the Telecommunications, broadcasting and satellite policy and regulatory framework in South Africa post 1994.

Mr Ramusi holds a Bachelor’s Degree (BEng) in Electronic Systems Engineering from the University of Essex, B-Tech Higher National Diploma in Electronic Systems Engineering from Anglia Higher Education Institute, now Ruskin University, Transnet Executive Development Programme from GIBS and International Executive Development Programme from Witwatersrand University

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.

Nathan Stathis is a passionate technologist currently working at nbn Australia, where he focuses on technology evolution and has a nurtured a keen interest in fostering a sustainable global future. In his entry for this year’s Young Leaders Essay competition, he examined how technology and technology companies can address the critical challenges of minimizing climate change and the enabling roles of regulators in this area.

Mr Stratis holds a Bachelor of Telecommunications Engineering from the University of Technology, Sydney, and has experience with various carrier-grade access networks, including fiber, DSL, and DOCSIS.

Bio coming soon …..

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 leads Meta’s Connectivity Policy in EMEA, 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.

Philip Marnick is the General Director of the Telecommunications Regulatory Authority (TRA). He was appointed early January 2022 by the Members of the Board, to assume the position, paving the way for a more effective regulatory framework by continuing the evolution of the telecom sector liberalization.

Mr Marnick leads the TRA, including the development of consumer protection initiatives and resolving disputes. The TRA develops regulatory rules that promote competition, innovation, and investment in broadband services and facilities, as well as developing a more comprehensive and competitive framework that aligns with international best practices. Ensuring that Bahrain remains a center of innovation and that its telecommunications sector serves everyone while supporting Bahrain’s strategic objectives.

Before assuming his role at the TRA, Mr Marnick managed and directed at Ofcom in the UK, where he was the Group Director of Spectrum responsible for all aspects of UK national and international spectrum management – from strategy to delivery including awards, clearance and enforcement. Mr Marnick has worked in the telecommunications sector for over 30 years. He has served as a senior executive in technology, operations, and strategy. Mr Marnick 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 engaged across every mobile generation. Throughout his carrier he has been at the forefront of industry developments – in both fixed and mobile. He has collaborated on the first deployments of mobile networks utilizing new technologies and standards, this has also included innovative products such as the first camera phone and photo messaging service, as well as mobile internet and hosted voice services.

Priya Mahajan is the Head of Asia Pacific Public Policy & Regulatory Counsel where she is responsible for strategic-level regulatory and policy advice regarding Verizon’s operations in Asia Pacific. Ms Mahajan previously served as Chief Counsel for Verizon-India where she led legal, regulatory & policy matters pertaining to India operations.

Her expertise includes consulting and advising on a range of telecom, media and technology matters. In her policy role, she works closely with the stakeholder’s policy makers, regulators and trade associations to build, support and promote the company’s policy position on ICT issues. She has successfully led policy efforts related to regulatory simplification, market access, digital trade, anti-trust, data protection & Cyber Security policy across the region.

Ms Mahajan holds honorary position at Executive Body of the Asia Pacific Carriers Coalition (APCC), an industry advocacy body representing the interest of global carriers, closely working with the policy makers in the Asia Pacific Region. She is a founding member of the Society of Women Lawyers (SoWL), a mentoring and professional platform for women lawyers in India.

Ms Mahajan is a qualified attorney, an Associate member of Institute of Company Secretaries of India. She has also attended the Accelerated Management Programme (AMP) at the Indian School of Business, Hyderabad

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).

Rita Irina Wahab is currently the Director of Regulatory and Corporate Affairs, Astro where one of her key remits will be to manage all the various anti-piracy activities within the Group. Rita’s extensive background includes roles in regulatory affairs, public policy, stakeholder management, and partnership strategies, most recently as the Head of Government Affairs at Shopee Malaysia and more notably as the Vice President of Public Affairs & Communication for Huawei Malaysia, where she oversaw policy-to-market initiatives encompassing ICT Technology, Digital Economy, and Smart Solutions. Ms Wahab also played a pivotal role as a Senior Manager in the Performance Management & Delivery Unit (PEMANDU), a unit under the Prime Minister’s Department, overseeing the implementation and progress assessment of the Government Transformation Programme (GTP) and the Economic Transformation Programme (ETP). Her distinguished career also includes positions in PETRONAS and PROTON Bhd.

While at Huawei, Ms Wahab jointly developed the Sarawak Women Leadership (SWOT) program with the Women Leadership Foundation (WLF). Recipient of the 2022 Outstanding Women CEO Leadership Excellence Award, Ms Wahab has about 23 years of experience in public policy, transformation advisory, program strategy, project implementation, and category management.

Ms Wahab holds a degree in Chemical Engineering (Petrochemical & Process) from the University Technology PETRONAS.

Robert Mourik  is Chairperson, the Commission for Communications Regulation (ComReg).

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).

Dr Sak Segkhoonthod received his Ph.D. in Electronics Systems Engineering from Essex University in 1997. He began his career at the National Electronics and Computer Technology Center (Nectec) as a researcher in the Network Technology Laboratory. In 2000, he played a key role in establishing the Government Information Technology Services (GITS) and was appointed as its director in 2005.

In 2012, Dr Segkhoonthod performs in the role of the first CEO of the Electronic Government Agency (EGA), which later evolved into the Digital Government Development Agency (DGA) in 2018. He also served as the lead on digital transformation as an Advisor for the ASEAN CIO Association.

Currently, he is now a Senior Advisor (Digital Transformation) at the Electronic Transaction Development Agency (ETDA).

Samantha Yorks has been appointed as a Full-time Member of Australian Communications and Media Authority (ACMA) on 28 August 2023 for 5 years.

Ms Yorke is an accredited mediator, technology lawyer and policy advisor with over 24 years’ experience working within the digital media and technology sectors both in Europe and the Asia Pacific.

Prior to being appointed as an ACMA Authority Member, she worked in Google’s Government Affairs and Public Policy team leading their privacy, online safety, scam and mis/disinformation efforts in Australia.

Ms Yorke established the regulatory function at the Interactive Advertising Bureau of Australia, worked as General Counsel AUNZ and Legal Director for Yahoo! Asia Pacific and spent 10 years working for Microsoft in London where she supported the MSN business through a period of exponential growth and contributed to the launch of the Xbox gaming console across Europe.

Ms Alderson has worked in telecommunications regulation for over 20 years. As General Manager, Regulatory at NBN Co she leads the consumer and network regulatory functions with key focus on universal service, spectrum, security and consumer policy as well as a broad range of associated telecommunications policy and regulatory issues. Prior to joining NBN Co she had extensive experience as a telecommunications and regulatory lawyer working for a broad range of domestic and international clients. She also worked in Government telecommunications policy roles for the (then) Department of Communications.

Ms Alderson has a Bachelor of Law and Media Communications from Macquarie University.

Clinical Professor Sarana Boonbaichaiyapruck has served as Chairman of the National Broadcasting and Telecommunications Commission (NBTC) since 2022. Under this role, he also serves an advisor for the Working Group on Universal Service for Public Health Service, and an advisor for the Working Group on Metaverse Ecosystem.

Prior to this role, he was a deputy dean, and a lecturer at Faculty of Medicine, Ramathibodi Hospital, Mahidol University. He also served as President of Cardiovascular Intervention Association of Thailand, and the Secretary General of the Heart Association of Thailand under the Royal Patronage of H.M. the King. In addition, he served as a former member of the National Legislative Assembly.

Mr. Boonbaichaiyapruck received both a Bachelor of Science and a Bachelor of Medicine from Chulalongkorn University. He trained as a Medical Specialist in Cardiac Intervention at the Hospital of the Good Samaritan in Los Angeles, California; Cardiology at the Kaiser Permanente Medical Center in Los Angeles, California; and Internal Medicine at the Los Angeles County and the University of Southern California (LAC+USC) Medical Center.

Sean Kennedy is a Partner at DT Economics LLP, based in the UK. He is a telecommunications regulatory specialist with more than 22 years of wide-ranging international commercial and regulatory experience in public and private sectors. Mr Kennedy has specialist skills in network economics, cost modelling, telecoms strategy development, interconnection agreement negotiations and the economic impact of regulatory interventions in digital markets. His clients include leading telecoms multinationals such as Vodafone, BT and Etisalat and regulators such as Ofcom (UK), ICASA (South Africa), NCC (Nigeria) and CRA (Qatar).

Seow Hiong Goh advises government officials and regulators across Asia Pacific on a range of ICT-related policy issues, assisting them in adopting policies and regulations that foster investment, innovation, growth and adoption of advanced ICT technologies and services. His current focus includes advising on national broadband strategies and deployment, convergence policy, cyber-security and e-government.

Previously, Mr Goh was in the Singapore public service for 10 years, where he undertook various responsibilities including Deputy Director for Infocomm Development Policy, Deputy Director for Infocomm Security and Special Assistant to the CEO at the Infocomm Development Authority of Singapore. He was subsequently in private legal practice for several years, before taking up the position as Director, Software Policy for Asia with the Business Software Alliance for five years. He joined Cisco in his present position in 2008.

Mr Goh has a Bachelor of Arts in Computer Science, with Honors and Distinction in General Scholarship from the University of California at Berkeley, and a Master of Science in Computer Science from Stanford University. He also holds a Bachelor of Law with Honors from the University of London and a Postgraduate Diploma of Singapore Law with Merit from the National University of Singapore. He has completed the Executive Management Programme in Strategic Management at the National University of Singapore. He is called to the bar of the Supreme Court of Singapore as an advocate and solicitor.

Tebogo Mmoshe is the Director, Licensing at Botswana Communications Regulatory Authority (BOCRA), the position she assumed in 2021. Her main role is to facilitate the licensing of all sectors regulated by BOCRA being Postal, Broadcasting, Internet and ICT.

Ms Moshe’s experience spans 12 years in communications regulation as a member of BOCRA family. She has 18 years of experience in the Accounting and Auditing in various sectors of Botswana.

Ms Moshe was admitted as a Chartered Accountant in 2006 and was awarded an MBA by University of Derby in 2013. She is a Fellow Member of the Botswana Institute of Chartered Accountants (BICA). At National level, she was appointed as one of the founding Board Members of Botswana Geoscience Institute since 2016.

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.

Mr Torpong Selanon became an NBTC Commissioner in April 2022, focusing on Consumer Protection and Human Rights.

He previously served as Vice President of the Thailand Association of the Blind (2020-2021) . He was also an Advisor to the NBTC, Director of Career Promotion for Disabilities Thailand, and a Qualified Director at the Department of Empowerment of Persons with Disabilities. Throughout his career, he has advocated for improving the quality of life, particularly for persons with disabilities. Being visually impaired himself, he emphasizes accessible telecommunication services in the digital era.

Mr Torpong Selanon, holds a Master’s degree from NIDA, Thailand.

Mr. Trairat Viriyasirikul, the Deputy Secretary General, assumed the role of Acting Secretary General of the National Broadcasting and Telecommunications Commission (NBTC) in July 2020. Prior to his tenure at the NBTC, Mr Viriyasirikul gained extensive experience in budget analysis at the Office of the Prime Minister’s Budget Bureau.

With nearly two decades of leadership in the telecommunications sector, Mr Viriyasirikul has been instrumental in supporting the nation’s spectrum auctions and facilitating the transition from 2G to 5G. Under his leadership, the implementation of the 5G Roadmap and broadband connectivity initiatives has significantly enhanced national connectivity. His commitment to promoting basic infrastructure has provided access to ICT infrastructure in urban, rural, unserved, and underserved areas, driving digital transformation across the country. Furthermore, he initiated the transition of granting the right to use satellite orbits from concession system to licensing system in satellite orbit management.

During the COVID-19 pandemic, Mr Viriyasirikul championed measures to ensure continued access to the internet, equipment, and essential services for the public. Notably, he financially supported the initiative to establish the Central Vaccination Center, which provided free vaccinations to the public. Mr Viriyasirikul is currently dedicated to addressing issues relevant to scams and call centers, particularly in border areas. He also focuses on satellite related issue. In particular, he supports open market access to allow foreign satellite operators to provide services within Thailand. Additionally, under his guidance, Office of the NBTC is actively researching and raising awareness about Non-Terrestrial Networks (NTN), with plans to launch a regulatory framework for NTN next year.

He holds a Master of Science in Leadership and Management from the University of La Verne, USA.

Warwick Davis joined Frontier Economics in 2006, and has more than 25 years of experience advising firms on economic and financial issues. Warwick’s particular expertise lies in the areas of regulated pricing, economic modelling, and market analysis, and he has applied this expertise in many network industries including telecommunications, digital platforms, ports and airports, taxis, and roads.

Mr Davis’s clients have included policy makers, regulators, and industry participants, who value his ability to provide credible and independent economic analysis, and to manage complex projects under tight timelines. As well as economic consulting, he has experience working for telecommunications and competition regulators in Australia and the United Kingdom.

Mr Davis has a M.Com (Econ) from the University of Melbourne and has published a number of articles on contemporary economic issues in telecommunications, including structural separation and access pricing, and has also written extensively on taxi reform.

An engineer of the “Corps des Mines,” a graduate of the École Polytechnique and the Institut d’études politiques de Paris, Xavier Merlin had been the head of the Inter-ministerial task force on simplifying businesses’ administrative procedures and legal publicity since 2019.

Mr Merlin began his career in 1996 at the Ministry of the Economy, Finance and Industry’s Department of Forecasting, where he was in charge of economic studies on the internet, audiovisual media, telecommunications and competition. In 1998, he joined that ministry’s Department of External Economic Relations, and tasked with multilateral e-commerce, audiovisual media, telecommunications and postal negotiations. Appointed technical advisor to Catherine Tasca, then France’s Minister of Culture and Communication, in 2000, he became Director of European and International Affairs at the French National Centre of Cinema (CNC) in 2002. In 2008, the joined the Directorate-General for Enterprise (DGE) as the Assistant Director of Institutional relations, in the areas of information technologies and the information society. Assistant Director of Regulation and European and multilateral affairs for the DGE starting in 2009, he was appointed head of the Territorial, European and International Action Department in 2014.

Yee Ler Lau leads Tencent’s public affairs and policy work in Southeast Asia. He oversees the company’s engagements with governments and other partners on programmes and policy developments to promote the positive impact of technology on the economy and community.

Prior to Tencent, Mr Lau spent eight years with the Singapore Foreign Service and worked on cross-cutting issues including foreign policy, economic partnerships, and security. He also served as a diplomat at the Singapore Embassy in Jakarta.

Mr Lau holds a bachelor’s degree from Cambridge University and a master’s degree from the Geneva Graduate Institute.