International Regulators Forum 2024

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.

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.

Derek John Fernandez has been appointed as Commission Member of the Malaysian Communication and Multimedia Commission effective from 18 April 2023 for a period of two (2) years.

Mr Fernandez obtained his B.Sc., LL.B. (Hons.) from Monash University, Australia, and was called to the Victorian Bar Australia on 8th November 1989 and the Malaysian Bar on 22 February 1991. He has been practicing law for the past 30 years as an Advocate and Solicitors of the High Court of Malaya and a Barrister and Solicitor of the Supreme Court of Victoria, Australia. He is also the Managing Partner of the Messrs Fernandez & Selvarajah, a reputable litigation firm. He has served for twelve years as a senior councillor in Majlis Bandaraya Petaling Jaya (“MBPJ”). He is presently a member of the Finance Committee of MBPJ.

Mr Fernandez has been appointed as a member of the Board of Trustees of the Malaysian Nature Society, a director and member of the Audit Committee of CyberSecurity Malaysia (CSM) and a member of the National Water Services Commission (SPAN). He also serves as a legal advisor to several Members of Parliament, State Assemblymen, and Chief Ministers. In addition, he had written an article and action plan entitled “Cybersecurity, need for change in approach” dated 26 August 2022, which was submitted to the Minister of Communications and Digital.

Mr Fernandez also held multiple positions and responsibilities, including the Chairman of the Joint Action Committee for Bukit Gasing as well as the Chairman of various working groups set up by the Selangor State Government in relation to Local Government, Town and Country Planning and Land Law. He was directly involved in the preparation of the State Structure 2 Plan for Selangor, the Structure Plan for Petaling District and the Local Plans for Petaling Jaya where he represented thousands of residents. He also represented several organisations and Residents’ Associations in the Draft Kuala Lumpur Plan hearings, as well as residents in the Subang Jaya Local Plan hearings. He also served on the Malaysian Bar Council’s Task Force looking into the Bukit Antarabangsa tragedy. His notable contributions to the development of financial governance in MBPJ include the setting up of an Audit and governance committee in MBPJ, improving City Council non-rate revenue through the management of outdoor advertising, and critical infrastructure trust funds and development charges.

Over the years, Mr Fernandez has received numerous awards and made various significant contributions to MBPJ. As a prominent columnist, Mr Fernandez also contributed numerous articles to local newspapers such as The New Straits Times, The Sun and The Malay Mail on topics of public interest, and he is featured regularly in the media as an expert on local government matters. He also conducted various seminars and presented papers at the national and international level on Local Government Law and Planning Law for Government servants, professional associations, residents, and members of the public. He is widely regarded by the media as an expert in Public Law, Local Government Law, Land Law and Planning and Development Law. He has been extensively cited in the media as an expert on numerous contemporary issues in these fields.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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’.

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.

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

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.

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).

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.

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.

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.