IIC USA Chapter – The rise and growth of streaming video services around the world

Representing the interests of independent producers working in Canada’s vibrant media industry, Alain oversees all day-to-day legal, industry, legislative, regulatory and public policy files at the CMPA.

A member of the CMPA’s executive leadership team, Alain provides strategic and legal advice to the President and CEO and CMPA leadership on all policy matters relating to the independent production industry, including business affairs, copyright, Terms of Trade and more. Alain leads and manages the Policy and Government Relations departments, and advocates on behalf of the CMPA and its members before federal and provincial governments on policies that affect the industry.

Alain is fluently bilingual and has built extensive knowledge and experience in the media industry while working at the country’s largest media companies. Prior to joining the CMPA, Alain held the position of Assistant General Counsel, Regulatory Affairs at Bell, where he worked on a variety of files related to the Canadian broadcasting system. He also previously held positions as Vice President, Business & Regulatory Affairs, and Vice President, OMNI, Specialty TV & Development at Rogers Media.

Having volunteered as a coach and club administrator, Alain is now Vice-President of the board of the Toronto Soccer Association. He is also a board member at Accessible Media Inc., a not-for-profit media company that entertains, informs, and empowers Canadians who are blind or partially sighted.

Alain holds a Bachelor of Laws, Bachelor of Civil Law, and Bachelor of Arts in Economics from McGill University. He is a member of the Law Society of Ontario, called to the bar in 1996.

Amir Nasr is a Trade Policy Manager at the Computer & Communications Industry Association, where he advocates for policies that support and catalyze global trade in digital services and products. Previously, Amir served as a Policy Analyst at New America’s Open Technology Institute, where he advocated for policies to improve broadband access, affordability, and competition in the U.S. in both the fixed and wireless markets. Prior to that, Amir worked at Morning Consult, where he reported on a wide range of technology and telecommunications policy issues and debates both domestic and international as they moved through Congress, federal agencies, and the Executive Branch.

Amir received his B.A. from Tufts University in 2015 in History with a concentration in European history and received his M.A. with a dual concentration in International Political Economy and International Economics in May 2022 from the Johns Hopkins School of Advanced International Studies, where he graduated with honors and received the Christian A. Herter Award for earning the highest GPA among graduating students.

Brad Wood is Senior Director for Trade and Innovation Policy at the National Foreign Trade Council, the leading business association dedicated solely to advancing the interests of U.S. companies in international commerce.

Brad previously served in consecutive roles at the Embassy of Canada where he was most recently the Trade Program Manager for Innovation and Industrial Policy and the U.S. representative for Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada. In this capacity Brad advanced Canada-U.S. cooperation bilaterally and with third countries, and worked with the Administration, Congress and business sector to ensure policies support open trade and the integrated North American market.

Prior to the Embassy, Brad worked in several capacities for the Government of Canada in Ottawa where he shaped international policy priorities, coordinated appropriations, mitigated technical barriers to trade, and represented Canada internationally, including at the World Trade Organization.

Brad holds a Master’s in International Trade from the University of Saskatchewan and a Bachelor of Business Administration with an economics double major from Brandon University.

Bridget Fair is Chief Executive Officer of Free TV Australia, the industry body that represents Australia’s commercial television licensees. She previously held a number of senior roles with Seven West Media, most recently Group Chief of Corporate and Regulatory Affairs.

Prior to joining Seven, Ms Fair worked as General Counsel for SBS, legal counsel for the ABC and in private legal practice. She is also a former Chairman of Screenrights and has been on the Boards of OzTAM and Freeview. She is also a non-executive Director of iSelect.

Ms Fair holds a BA/LLB from the University of New South Wales (UNSW) and is a Graduate of the AICD.

Bio coming soon …..

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.

With over two decades leading business, legal, external, corporate, international, and regulatory affairs, Facundo is the founder and leader of NDO Global. With robust academic credentials from Universidad de Buenos Aires and University of Chicago, and prestigious specialized graduate programs in Intellectual Property, and Media, Entertainment, and Sports, Facundo is a recognized Pan-American external affairs professional of exceptional caliber. Facundo’s experiences is at the nexus of strategy, legal, and regulatory advocacy include some of the top regional and global brands in technology and media. After beginning his career at esteemed Buenos Aires and New York law firms, he evolved his craft in the corporate realm with impactful tenures at renowned entities such as AT&T, The Walt Disney Company, ESPN, WARNERMEDIA & WARNER BROS. DISCOVERY before entering private consultancy.

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.

Jared S. Sher is Vice President and Deputy General Counsel, Global Public Policy, for Roku, Inc.  Sher joined Roku in 2021 to help lead the company’s public policy and government affairs efforts in support of a competitive marketplace for video streaming.  Sher joined Roku after previous stints with NCTA-the Internet and Television Association – where he led public policy for the association’s content company members – and with 21st Century Fox, Inc., where he most recently was Executive Vice President & Deputy General Counsel and served as the company’s primary representative before Federal agencies including the FCC, FTC, and DOJ.

Previously, Sher spent more than 12 years in private practice at Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher and Flom LLP, where he was a key member of the firm’s communications practice representing content owners, investment banks, and venture capital firms. Sher holds a J.D. from The George Washington University Law School and a B.A. from The George Washington University. He also serves as a Chairman of the Board of Directors of the Bladder Cancer Advocacy Network (BCAN), the only national advocacy organization devoted to advancing bladder cancer research and supporting those impacted by the disease.

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’.

Vivek co-founded MPA in 2001 and leads the Company. He has over 25 years of experience in media, entertainment & telecoms industries and is a leading Analyst and Authority on TMT industries. He is the main creator of the APOS Summit and helped develop ampd after its incubation in 2019. Vivek is on the Board of Directors at Infocomm Media Development Authority (IMDA) of Singapore. Previously, he was a senior analyst at Kagan Group, working under Paul Kagan. Vivek is a graduate from the London School of Economics & Political Science with a BSc Economics degree and an MSc Economics degree in International Political Economy.

Established in 2001, MPA is a leading independent provider of advisory, consulting and research services. MPA also operates AMPD, which measures the total digital economy in 10 markets, focused on VOD, content, advertising and connectivity with products and insights to drive planning and business outcomes. MPA has been involved in due diligence for M&A activity with numerous transactions while also operating as an Independent Consultant in the IPOs of media and telecoms companies. MPA hosts and operates APOS, a leading annual summit for the entertainment  industry with global impact.