IIC France Chapter inaugural meeting – Sustainable electronic communications: What governance and what next?

Aude Schoentgen is a Director at Plum, and she heads up Plum’s office in Paris.

Specialising in the telecommunications, media, and technology sectors, she has worked as an economist on international projects in the private sector, in the academic sphere and in the development funding sector.

Dr Schoentgen focuses on the practical application of economic theory to real-world issues. She develops analytical frameworks for operators, regulators, and governments, to inform their economic and regulatory decisions. Combining her skills in economics with her industry knowledge, Dr Schoentgen supports organisations in improving their policies and performance. She also supports governments and regulators in their understanding of their industries and the impacts of their regulation. Aude explores the future evolution of technologies, their impacts on economies and industries, and analyses the effects of technology on economies, society and environment. She is particularly interested in the economics of new digital technologies, as well as how companies and policy makers can contribute to improve digital inclusion and sustainability.

Her recent work focused on the economics behind today’s internet infrastructure, as well as the potential impact of telecoms policies on climate change. Aude worked on identifying technical, economic, and social opportunities potentially offered by 5G millimetre wave bands and studied the digital ecosystems of several developing countries. She worked on numerous studies including data protection harms, 5G licences and spectrum use, digital inclusion and online advertising issues.

Dr Schoentgen holds a PhD in Economics (Telecom ParisTech), a MPhil. in International Economic Relations (Sciences Po Paris) and a MSc. in Business Administration (Skema Business School).

Bénédicte Lesage is a member of the board of the French Audiovisual and Digital Communication Regulatory Authority (Arcom). She joined Arcom in February 2023.

A figure in independent production for more than thirty years, Ms Lesage created and directed the production company Mascaret Films (1999-2017) before directing Shine Films within EndemolShine France (2017-2019). She has produced, among others, “La Journée de la Jupe” and the series Guyane.

Since 2020, she has been at the helm of Lb. Productions dedicated to audiovisual creation. Ms Lesage has taken part in multiple actions and reflections of general interest in the fields of audiovisual and cinema, she chaired the Union of Independent Producers (2012-2013) and co-chaired the editorial committee of the Série Series festival in France and Africa.

Ms Lesage joined Arcom in February 2023. She chairs the working group “Media Literacy, Ecological Transition and Public Health” and vice-chairs the working group “Radios and Digital Audio”.

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.

Bio coming soon…

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’.

Thierry Valette has 25 years experience in the telecommunications industry. He’s currently VP, Network strategy & security within Orange France. Previously, he held different positions at Orange group mainly in developing Fixed broadband initiatives including the fiber strategic program. He also worked within Huawei (6 years) as  CTO, Fixed access network for Europe region and CTO for Orange group.

Thierry graduated from the ESSEC Business School as well as Ecole Centrale Paris for Entrepreneurship after graduating from Institut Mines Telecom Nord Europe for a degree in Telecommunication.

Bio coming soon…