Annual LatAm & Caribbean Telecommunications & Media Forum – in person

Alejandra Barceló is a specialist in political risk analysis and international affairs with experience in the private sector and international organizations. At Google she focuses on public policy efforts for Android and Chrome related to privacy and security. In her previous team she conducted risk assessments and geopolitical analysis to mitigate enterprise risk.

Prior to Google, Ms Barceló worked as a Regional Security Advisor at the International Monetary Fund (IMF), where she led the threat assessment and emergency response of the IMF’s overseas security operations. At Frontier Strategy Group she helped executives from multinationals to
manage political, economic, and business risks in emerging markets. As a Lead Analyst at the Organization of American States (OAS) Ms Barceló focused on identifying threats to governability and peace in Latin America. She is a graduate of Columbia University School of International and Public Affairs.

Alexandre Freire was legal advisor to the Minister of the Federal Supreme Court (STF), special advisor to the presidency of the STF, Secretary of Higher Studies, Research and Information Management of the STF, parliamentary advisor to the presidency of the Joint Committee on Plans, Public Budgets and Supervision of the National Congress, coordinator of Social Policies of the sub-head for legal affairs of the Civil House of the Presidency of the Republic, Deputy Chief of Staff for Legal Affairs of the Civil House of the Presidency of the Republic (in replacement) and Advisor to the Deputy Head for Legal Affairs of the Civil House of the Presidency of the Republic. At the National Council of Justice (CNJ) he is a member of the Executive Committee of the Conciliation Commission and the National Network for Judicial Cooperation. He is a professor at IDP (Brasília). He has been a lecturer at the universities of Rome “La Sapienza” and Rome “Tor Vergata” (Italy), Lisbon (Portugal) and Münster (Germany). He has been invited to participate as an expert in committees and public hearings in the Federal Senate and the Chamber of Deputies.

Mr Freire holds a PhD in Law from the Pontifical Catholic University of São Paulo (PUC-SP), a Master’s Degree in Law from the Federal University of Paraná (UFPR) and a law degree from the Federal University of Maranhão (UFMA).

Term: December 8, 2022 to November 4, 2027.

Bio coming soon ……

Dr Allyson Leacock, Chairman of the Barbados Broadcasting Authority and Director of National Transformation Initiative, Government of Barbados, is also an independent media and human development consultant. She led a coalition of 112 Media Houses in 24 Caribbean countries for 12 years and trained over 2000 Caribbean broadcasters. She served on the Executive Board of the Global Media AIDS Initiative (GMAI) and was elected for 2 terms as Chairman of the Global Steering Committee for the World AIDS Campaign. She was also Cultural Affairs Specialist at the US Embassy covering the Caribbean and Officer-In-Charge and Student Coordinator at the University of the West Indies Distance Education Centre (UWIDEC), now the Open Campus.

Dr Leacock has a wide-ranging professional background including in executive management in corporate communications, media, needs assessment, training, human resource development and leadership, as well broadcast media including production and presentation as TV News Anchor, and as General Manager of the Caribbean Broadcasting Corporation.

She holds Masters and Ph.D. degrees in Educational Technology, Concordia University, Canada and BA (Double First Class Honours) in English and Education and the Diploma in Education (Dip.Ed with distinction) from Stirling University, UK. Her training also includes Diplomas in Human Resource Management, Facility Management, Arts Management and Alternative Dispute Resolution.

A former national athlete, gymnast, dancer and actress, Dr Leacock is trained in sign language, is a volunteer with Special Olympics and Barbados Council for the Disabled.

Annie Baldeo is the Executive Officer, Policy, Planning and Economics at the Telecommunications Authority of Trinidad and Tobago (TATT). She has served with TATT for over seventeen years where she is responsible for policy development, statistical indicators, competition analysis and strategic planning. She contributes to the publication of Trinidad and Tobago industry’s Market Reports and was previously appointed vice-chair of the International Telecommunications Union international expert group on benchmarking telecommunications and ICT indicators.

Prior to this position, Ms Baldeo was employed with organisations both in the private and public sector including the National Information and Communication Technology Secretariat of the Ministry of Public Administration where she was involved in the development of Trinidad and Tobago’s first National ICT Plan.

Her academic qualifications include a Bachelor of Science Degree in Management, Economics and Finance from the University of the West Indies, and an MBA in Strategic Planning.

April McClain-Delaney joined National Telecommunications and Information Administration (“NTIA”) in January 2022, and as Deputy Administer guides multiple communications and technology matters. These include expanding access to affordable, high-speed internet to all Americans, spectrum management, privacy and internet governance, NG-911 and public safety communications and international matters related to spectrum, orbital resources and the ITU.

Prior to NTIA, Ms McClain-Delaney served for 15 years as the Washington Director of the non-profit Common Sense Media focusing on policies related to expanding digital literacy education, bridging the digital divide for our nation’s children, and enhancing on-line privacy protections for youth. Previously she was Director of Regulatory Affairs for Orion Network Systems/Satellite supervising their regulatory and licensing efforts in 20 plus countries and was a founding member of the International Satellite Association. She started her legal career at Cohn & Marks specializing in cable and broadcast matters. In addition to her professional endeavors, she has served on numerous boards and councils including the International Center for Research on Women; Meridian International Center Women’s Leadership Council; Georgetown Institute for Women, Peace, and Security; Georgetown Law Center (past chair); Northwestern University Board of Trustees; Innocents at Risk; Children’s National Hospital Foundation Board; and the Congressional Club (Congressional Spouses).

Ms McClain-Delaney received her BS in Communications Studies from Northwestern University and her JD from Georgetown Law Center and is a member of DC Bar and the Federal Communications Bar Association.

Artur Coimbra de Oliveira has been a member of the Federal Prosecutor’s career since 2007, having previously been a Regulation Specialist at Anatel. He served as an advisor in the Specialized Federal Prosecutor’s Office of Anatel and in the Presidency of the Republic. He was Director of Broadband at the Ministry of Communications and Secretary of Telecommunications from 2011 to 2022. Throughout this period, he participated in the formulator group of the National Broadband Program, chaired the Steering Committee of the Geostationary Satellite for Defense and Strategic Communications project and was a member of Anatel’s Advisory Board.

Mr Coimbra de Oliveira holds a bachelor’s and master’s degree in Law from UnB, with an MBA in Business Management from Fundação Getúlio Vargas.

Term: April 15, 2022 to November 4, 2024.

Belisario Contreras possesses a deep understanding of international legislative and policy-making processes involving information technology and cybersecurity and has fostered fruitful partnerships with various stakeholders, including high-level government officials, the private sector, and civil society representatives. Mr Contreras is highly experienced in designing, managing, and monitoring international cooperation projects. He previously served as the manager/head of the Organization of American States (OAS) cybersecurity program, where he spearheaded strategic partnerships with key international actors and positioned the organization’s program as a leading initiative on cyber capacity-building issues across the Americas and the world.

Mr Contreras has a demonstrated history of advancing thought leadership on such issues as cloud security, cyber regulation, data privacy, 5G security, financial inclusion, and international norms, among other relevant policy and technical topics. As an Oxford University Martin Fellow, he oversaw the outreach and dissemination of top practices to promote the Cybersecurity Capacity Building Capability Maturity Model’s development and implementation in 32 Latin American and Caribbean countries. Mr Contreras previously served as a co-chair of the Global Future Council on Cybersecurity and was a member of the Global Cybersecurity Advisory Board at the World Economic Forum (WEF). He was also part of the FinCyber Initiative High-Level Advisory Group at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, where he provided crucial technical input on the international strategy for cybersecurity and the Global Financial System (2021–2024) presented to the G7 and G20 presidents.

Carolina Limbatto is an economist specialising in regulatory and competition issues. She has worked for Cullen International since 2014 monitoring, reporting and benchmarking on regulatory issues and policy developments in telecommunications, media and digital economy in the Americas. Ms Limbatto is lead author of the Telecoms Cross-Country Analysis report and the spectrum service in the Americas. Ms Limbatto also regularly participates in regional relevant forum and engages with main stakeholders providing a neutral and accurate assessment and provides training and briefings on policy and regulatory issues. Before joining Cullen, Ms Limbatto worked at the Argentinian telecoms regulator for five years, advising on regulatory and economic issues.

Daniela Rivera is Public Policy Manager for Amazon in Mexico, covering Digital Policy issues. Ms Rivera joined Amazon in 2022 after 10 years in the Secretary of Communications, Infrastructure and Transportation in Mexico, where she served in multiple roles including as chief of staff of the Undersecretary, international policy advisor, digital inclusion director, and head of the international department of the Undersecretary of Communications.

Ms Rivera holds a Bachelor’s degree in international affairs from the Instituto Tecnologico Autonomo de Mexico.

Ambassador David Gross co-chairs Wiley’s Telecom, Media & Technology Practice. He is widely recognised as one of the world’s foremost experts on international telecommunications and Internet policies, having addressed the United Nations (UN) General Assembly and led more U.S. delegations to major international telecommunication conferences than anyone else in modern history. Noted as bringing “innovation and vision to the rapidly changing TMT industry” by Who’s Who Legal and as one of the “Top 30 Telecommunications lawyers in the world” by Euromoney, Ambassador Gross draws on more than 30 years of experience as a lawyer, global policymaker, and corporate executive to assist US companies seeking to enter or expand international businesses. He also advises non-US companies, and industry organizations seeking to invest in, monitor, and understand the US and international markets, as well as national governments. Ambassador Gross advises companies and others on international and domestic telecoms, Internet, and high-tech strategy focusing on both specific markets and international organizations such as the International Telecommunication Union (ITU), the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD), and the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC), as well as many regional organisations.

Deryhan Muñoz Barquero is the Director of Competition at the Superintendence of Telecommunications (SUTEL). She has held previous positions at SUTEL as a Regulation Specialist in the General Directorate of Markets. She is a former market analyst in the coffee sector.

As part of her professional experience, Mrs Muñoz  was actively engaged in the process of discussion and approval of the current competition law, Law for the Strengthening of the Competition Authorities of Costa Rica No. 9736. Mrs Muñoz has also had active participation in the accession process of Costa Rica to the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD), regarding competition matters.  She also successfully supported the internal restructuring process carried out by Sutel for the implementation of Law No. 9736, as well as an ambitious roadmap to develop new regulatory instruments to enforce the competition law in the telecom sector.

Mrs Muñoz holds a degree, M.S. in Economics and a Specialization in Competition from the University of Costa Rica (UCR). She also holds studies in Telecommunications Law from the University of Valladolid in Spain and Competition Law from the Ulead University in Costa Rica.

Chairperson Diorella Maria “Lala” Sotto-Antonio is the daughter of former Senate President Vicente “Tito” Sotto III, she swore into office last 07 July 2022 as a Presidential appointee under the Marcos administration.

A Public Servant with over eighteen (18) years of experience in the Local Government Unit of Quezon City (QC LGU), she was a three-term councilor of QC’s Sixth (6TH) district and previously a three-term councilor of the Third (3rd) district of QC, aside from her time in the LGU she served as the Chief of Staff under the Commission on Appointments – Office of Senator Vicente Sotto from 2010 to 2012. As an active member of society, she is currently the President of Samahang Kasama ng Kabataan (KASAMA) Foundation.

Chairperson Lala leads the MTRCB Board through the principle of Consultative leadership and Spiritual Conviction; Treating the Filipino parents, and the Film and TV industry as valued partners of the Board in shaping the minds of the youth through Responsableng Panonood (Responsible Viewership) and Media literacy.

With the leadership of Chairperson Sotto-Antonio, the Board strives to protect to empower viewers to make informed choices through the provision of MTRCB ratings and classification.

Chairperson Sotto-Antonio earned her Bachelor of Arts degree major in Consular Diplomatic Affairs at the De La Salle – College of St. Benilde. She attended the Quezon City Executives and Legislators Planning Course at the University of the Philippines, and finished a program at the Harvard Kennedy School for Applying Behavioral Insights to the Design of Public Policy.

Don Dobson is a former Senior Director of Communications at the Broadcasting Commission of Jamaica (BCJ). In 2022 he was appointed as the Commission’s Senior Director of Monitoring, Compliance and Investigations. In that capacity, he leads a team of professionals who are responsible for the investigation of complaints from the public, monitoring broadcasting operations and advising the Commission on measures to enforce compliance with standards and licence obligations.

He is a strong proponent of digital literacy as a vital regulatory response and continues to play an instrumental role in the BCJ’s strategic response to digital age challenges. His immediate focus is to modernise the Commission’s monitoring operations to support its strategic objective of protecting vulnerable citizens and being a responsive, evidence-based and innovative regulator.

Mr Dobson holds a Bachelor of Arts Degree in Media and Communication with Honours and a Master of Arts Degree in Integrated Marketing Communication with Distinction, both from the University of the West Indies, and a Master of Science Degree in Sport Management with Distinction from the University of Stirling, Scotland. He is also a Chevening Scholar.

Elizabeth Peña Jáuregui is an expert in ICT regulation and public policy.

With more than 18 years of experience, she has extensive knowledge on cybersecurity issues and spectrum. Ms Peña Jáuregui has contributed to the strategic design of the telecommunications regulatory framework in Mexico and helped launch the Telecommunications Investment Promotion Agency (PROMTEL) and the Federal Institute of Telecommunications (IFT) transformation. She works closely with the OAS Cybersecurity Laboratory for Parliaments.

Peña Jáuregui has a master’s degree in Applied Public Management from Tecnológico de Monterrey (ITESM) and holds a diploma in strategy and innovation from MIT. Currently, she works at Ericsson as Head of Government & Industry Relations for LATAM North & Caribbean

Ernesto Orozco has previously served as an advisor at the National Television Commission (CNTV) and a member of the Board of the National Television Authority (ANTV), as well as a professional at the National Broadcasting Network –Inravisión.

Mr Orozco is an electrical engineer graduated from the Universidad del Norte of Barranquilla, Specialist in Engineering Management Systems from the Pontificia Universidad Javeriana University, Specialist in Regulation and Management of Telecommunications and New Technologies from the Univeridad Externado de Colombia and Master in Business Administration (MBA) from INALDE Business School of the Universidad de la Sabana.

Bio coming soon ….

Horacio Romanelli has over 19 years of experience in external, regulatory, and government affairs in diverse industries. He has served in both the public and the private sector. One of his main areas of expertise is the telecommunications sector, where he has more than 14 years of experience.

At Millicom (TIGO), he has led government, regulatory, legal, corporate responsibility, and institutional affairs at the country level. He is currently in charge of Millicom’s (TIGO) regulatory and sustainability affairs for Latin America, coordinating activities, designing regulatory and relationship strategies for nine countries, and representing Millicom before different institutional entities such as the ITU (International Telecommunications Union) and CITEL (Inter-American Telecommunications Commission).

Mr Romanelli is Chair of the Policy Group for Latin America of the GSMA and he recently served as President of the Inter-American Association of Telecommunications Companies (ASIET), of which he is currently Vice-President and forms part of its board of directors.

Mr Romanelli is an Industrial Engineer, has a Master’s Degree in Business Administration, and various specialties in regulatory matters, antitrust, finance, digital business, and negotiation.

Ivana Kriznic is Verizon’s head of public policy for Canada, Latin America and Emerging Markets. She started her legal career in private practice at the law firm of Morrison and Foerster and worked thereafter in different legal, regulatory, compliance, privacy, government affairs, and policy positions for AT&T, BT and Orange.

Ms Kriznic has been recently appointed Co-Secretary of the Hispanic National Bar Association Corporate Counsel Division. She is also part of Verizon PPLS Diversity, Equity & Inclusion Council, co-leading the International Committee and of SOMOS (Verizon Latinx employee resource group) acting as one of the Communications Coordinator.

Ms Kriznic received her LL.M. from Columbia University School of Law and her legal degree from Universidad de Buenos Aires in Argentina. She also holds a master degree in Telecommunications Management, a bachelor degree in International Affairs and she has been certified as an information privacy professional by the International Association of Privacy Professionals.

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.

John Morris is Principal, U.S. Internet Policy and Advocacy at the Internet Society, a global nonprofit organization that promotes the development and use of the open, globally connected, and secure Internet.

From 2011-2019, Mr Morris was the head of the policy office of the U.S. National Telecommunications and Information Administration, which by statute is the primary advisor to the U.S. President on communications and Internet policy issues. Before joining NTIA, Mr Morris spent eleven year a senior leader and General Counsel of the Center for Democracy & Technology. In the 1990s, Mr Morrisn was a partner at the law firm of Jenner & Block, where he focused on the First Amendment and technology. At Jenner, Mr Morris was one of the lead counsels in the case in which the U.S. Supreme Court decided that speech on the Internet warranted the highest level of constitutional protection.

Bio coming soon …..

Jose Juan Haro Siejas is Chief Wholesale and Public Affairs Officer at Telefónica Hispam, the unit of the Telefónica Group in charge of business operations in Mexico, Central America, Venezuela, Colombia, Ecuador, Peru, Chile, Argentina and Uruguay.  Mr Haro currently serves as Chairman of the Board at Telefónica Central America Investments (TCI), Chair of the GSMA Latin America Policy Group, Vice President of the Inter-American Association of Telecommunications Companies (ASIET) and Board member of Internet para Todos, a company jointly incorporated by Telefonica, Facebook, CAF and IDB Invest to bridge the digital divide en Latin America.

Mr Haro joined Telefónica’s Peruvian subsidiary in 2003, where he held various responsibilities in legal and business areas, most notably those related with Strategy and Wholesale operations. In 2009 he was promoted to Vice President of Strategy and Regulation. Since 2011, he has been in charge of corporate responsibilities at Telefonica headquarters in Madrid.

Mr Haro obtained his Law degree from the Pontifical Catholic University of Peru and his LLM (Master of Laws) degree from the University of Chicago Law School.

Juana Santamaria is a Manager at Frontier Economics. She is a seasoned professional with over 15 years of experience in the telecoms sector, focusing on Spain and Latam. Throughout her career, she has been involved in various regulation and competition policy projects, contributing her expertise and knowledge to the industry.

Prior to joining Frontier, Ms Santamaria worked in the Madrid office of NERA and as an assistant professor in the Economics Department at the University of Alicante. She holds a PhD in Economics from the European University Institute. Twice a year, she teaches in a couple of Master’s programs, specialized in telecoms, at the University Carlos III in Madrid.

Karim Lesina was appointed Executive Vice President, Chief External Affairs Officer, Millicom in October 2020.

Mr Lesina was previously Senior Vice President, International External & Regulatory Affairs, AT&T Services Inc. from 2018 until  October 2020. He has also held the position of Vice President of AT&T, covering International External Affairs for the European Union, Caribbean, Central and Latin America Regions and was in charge of Trans-Atlantic Relations. In this role he led AT&T’s advocacy in those regions.

In addition to developing and implementing market access strategies to enable AT&T’s global expansion to satisfy customer needs, responsibilities for Mr Lesina included ensuring compliance with international telecom regulations, and advocacy on a wide range of policy matters related to the stable growth, innovation and investment by the information and communications technology sector.

Mr Lesina was based in AT&T’s Washington DC office. He is an active member in several industry and community organizations, including current service as: Vice Chair of the Board of the American Chamber of Commerce to the EU and Chair of the Presidency Group of the American Chamber of Commerce to the EU. He is a Board Member of the European Internet Foundation, of the Transatlantic Business Council, of the EU Brazil Association, of AHCIET and member of the GSMA Chief Regulatory Officer Group for Central and Latin America.

Prior to joining AT&T, Mr Lesina held senior positions with another leading US-headquartered ICT company (Intel Corporation), and a number of leading public affairs agencies in Brussels. Mr Lesina also recently joined the Advisory Council of the “Global Free Speech and the Internet” of the Media Institute.

Mr Lesina has a Master Degree in Economics of Development from the Catholic University of Louvain-la-Neuve in Belgium.

Lasse Nagel is a Manager at Frontier Economics with more than fifteen years’ experience advising stakeholders in the communications sector.
Having advised regulators, policy makers and industry players across the globe on a range of regulatory, competition and policy matters, Mr Nagel has developed a deep understanding of key trends in the sector, as well as current and emerging issues pertinent to the sector. Mr Nagel has direct experience in working in Asia, Australia, Europe, the Middle East & Africa, and the Caribbean.

Mr Nagel holds an undergraduate (BA) and postgraduate (MSc) degree in Economics.

Lester Garcia, Head of Connectivity and Access Policy, LATAM, Meta has more than 20 years of experience in the ICTs Regulation and Policy in Latin America.  Mr Garcia is also a Public Policy consultant and researcher.

Mr Garcia previously held the position of Chief of Regulatory Policy at COFETEL (the Mexican Telecom Regulator), where he was in charge of the coordination of regulatory decisions design for the Mexican telecom market. He was also the Government Relations Manager for Axtel from 1998 to 2001 and from 2001 to 2002, Corporate Affairs manager for Philip Morris Mexico.

Mr Garcia has been a lecturer and Professor in Economics and Public for different schools and universities in Mexico, and a regular speaker and panelist in National and International Events and Fora on Telecommunications and ICT Markets and Regulatory Issues. He currently holds the position of Head of the Masters in Economics and Public Policy at the Graduate School of Public Policy and Public Administration (EGAP) of ITESM, Monterrey.

Mr Garcia holds a PhD in Public Policy (Universidad Anahuac 2003-2008), a Masters in Public Policy (University of Chicago 1994-1996) and a BA degree in Economics (ITESM).

Lina María Duque del Vecchio is a lawyer from the Pontificia Javeriana University with a Master’s Degree in Law, an INALDE Management Course and a specialization in Business Law, with more than 16 years of experience in telecommunications regulation.

In the Communications Regulation Commission she has served as Advisor, Dispute Resolution Coordinator and is currently the Legal Advisory and Dispute Resolution Coordinator, where she leads the legal strategy for monitoring regulatory decisions of a general and particular nature of high impact, as in the judicial defense of the Commission.

Lucas Gallitto is the Head of Latin America for the GSMA, leading a highly experienced cross-functional team to advance the impact, growth, and sustainability of digital economies by collaboration between the mobile industry, policymakers, technology ecosystem and international organizations.

He is a telecommunications executive with over 15 years of commercial, operational, regulatory and external affairs experience working for multinational companies in the digital ecosystem.

He leads the advocacy initiatives, contributing with new ideas and analysis to the regional policy dialogue at a time when emerging digital technologies and widespread broadband connectivity are reshaping society and the economy. His areas of responsibility include securing critical spectrum resources for mobile, promoting best practices in matters such as regulation, taxation, security and privacy, as well as fostering digital empowerment for citizens.

Mr Gallitto holds a Master in Business Administration (MBA) and has a degree in Telecommunications Engineering.

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’.

Mario de la Cruz Sarabia is the Senior Director of Public Policy & Government Affairs at Cisco for Latin America, position that allows him to drive IT, regulatory and corporate policies through institutional relations with national governments across the region. He has a 20+ year career in the private sector and public service, excelling in his knowledge and contribution to innovation, competitiveness and ICT policies in Mexico and Latin America.

His leadership in the ICT industry has been recognized as Chairman of the National Chamber of the Electronic Industry, Telecommunications and Information Technologies (CANIETI) in Mexico from 2016 to 2019. Currently he serves at the Chamber as member of the board and Vice President of Cybersecurity. He also serves as Chairman of the ICT Committee of the American Chamber Mexico.

Through his career, he has participated in the financial sector in Citi and the World Bank in Washington, D.C. Has also served as Secretary of Economic Development of the state of Tabasco and President of the Mexican Association of Economic Development Secretaries, being the first President to be elected unanimously.

Mr De la Cruz holds a BA in Economics from the Instituto Tecnologico Autonomo de México (ITAM); he also graduated with honors from the Marshall School of Business at the University of Southern California (USC), where he obtained his MBA degree. He also has studies in the telecommunications sector from ITAM, business development from IPADE and energy industry at the University of Texas at Austin.

Masego M. Jeremih is a Deputy Director Media and Content 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.

Micaela Sánchez Malcolm is Secretary of Public Innovation at the Chief of Cabinet of Minister’s Office. Argentina.

Ms Sánchez Malcolm previously coordinated the postgraduate courses, “ICT: Internet, policies and society” at the National University of Tres de Febrero and “Digital platforms and interconnected society” at the National University of Avellaneda. She also directed the Workshop on Digital and Political Communication Strategies of the Master’s Degree in Political and Institutional Communication of the Ortega y Gasset University Research Institute at the Complutense University of Madrid.  In addition, Ms Sánchez Malcolm coordinated the “Digital Society: public policies and ICT transformations” Undergraduate Course at the University of Buenos Aires.

Ms Sánchez Malcolm has also been in charge of the project on digital signature and digital management of judicial files in the Secretariat of Innovation of the Council of the Magistracy of the City of Buenos Aires, where she also directed the training team of the General Directorate of Informatics and Technology.

In the private sector, Ms Sánchez Malcolm was in charge of the Communication and Development area of the i-ciudad Public Policy Institute and the Intercargo handling company.

Ms Sánchez Malcolm is a Researcher and Teacher.  She has a degree in Communication Sciences from the University of Buenos Aires (UBA) and  a postgraduate degree in Design and Evaluation of Public Policies from the Pompeu Fabra University.

Miguel Calderón is currently Director of Public Policy Strategy at Telefónica HISPAM. Mr Calderón joined Telefónica México in 2007, where he was in charge of different areas such as Public & Regulatory Affairs, Strategic Planning, Regulatory, Quality & Processes, and the Wholesale Market in Mexico.

Previously, Mr Calderón worked at Avantel, a former telecom operator, as CTO and CMO. He has also had experience in the financial sector, where he worked in the areas of Communications Engineering, Systems, Strategic Planning, and Credit Cards of Banamex (now Citibanamex).

Mr Calderón is currently the President of the Digital Economy chapter at ICC Mexico, where he is coordinating the Diploma program in Digital Economy in collaboration with Escuela Libre de Derecho.  In addition, Mr Calderón writes technology articles for Forbes magazine.

Mr Calderón has a BSc in Electronics and Communications Engineering at the Universidad Iberoamericana and has Diplomas in Marketing and Regulation. He also has given seminars on telecommunications at the Universidad Anáhuac, Iberoamericana and Tecnológico de Monterrey.

Monica Estrada is Head of Privacy Policy for Mexico, Central America and the Caribbean at Meta.

She is a lawyer from Escuela Libre de Derecho in Mexico. She worked for 10 years in the public sector. In the national authority for access to information and data protection (now INAI), she was Deputy Director of Classification and Personal Data, and Head of the Office of the President Commissioner, where she was in charge of integrating the files and preparing the draft rulings of review appeals on access to information and personal data.

She was Chief of Staff to the Minister of Public Education. She has been a college professor -at Escuela Libre de Derecho and at the National Autonomous University of Mexico- in the fields of Right to Information, Personal Data Protection and Administrative Law, and has
written various articles on personal data protection and classified information. She worked for 10 years as an independent legal consultant on public policy, personal data protection and digital rights. Today she is part of the Privacy Policy team at Meta.

Nigel Cassimire is a telecommunications engineer with over thirty years of experience in the operational and executive management of telecommunications technologies, services and policy development.  Mr Cassimire has functioned as a Consulting Telecommunications Specialist since July 2005 and has worked extensively with the Caribbean Telecommunications Union (CTU) Secretariat in Port of Spain, harmonising Caribbean positions in the areas of spectrum management, Internet governance and ICT policy. He has also successfully conducted consultancies for several of the member governments of the CTU and currently serves as the Deputy Secretary-General of the CTU.

Mr Cassimire has Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees in Engineering as well as a Diploma in Management Studies from The University of the West Indies, St. Augustine. He is a fellow of the Telecommunications Engineering and Management Institute of Canada (TEMIC) and an alumnus of the Advanced Management Programme at INSEAD, Fountainbleau, France.

Ramiro Camacho Castillo was appointed Commissioner of the Federal Telecommunications Institute of Mexico (IFT) in March of 2019 for a period of nine years.

Commissioner Camacho has worked as an economist at the competition and telecommunications authorities of Mexico for the past twelve years. He was General Director of Economic Consulting at IFT and Deputy General Director of Economic Studies at the Competition Commission (COFECE). Previously, he was an Associated Professor at the University of Guadalajara for eleven years.

Commissioner Camacho holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Mathematics from the University of Guadalajara, and three master’s degrees: In Economics from the University of Wisconsin-Madison; in Operations Research from the National Autonomous University of Mexico (UNAM); and in Energy Economics from Scuola Superiore Enrico Mattei in Italy.

Rodolfo José Letona Montoya is currently the Vice Minister of Communications of the Ministry of Communications, Infrastructure and Housing of Guatemala.

Mr Letona Montoya is also Acting Chairman of the Board of Directors of “Empresa Guatemalteca de Telecomunicaciones –Guatel;  Acting Chairman of the Board of Directors of Empresa Portuaria Nacional Santo Tomás de Castilla – Empornac;  Member of the management board of  Fondo Para el Desarrollo de la Telefonía – Fondetel and alternate Director representative of the Ministry of Communications, Infrastructure and Housing, Board of Directors of Empresa Portuaria Quetzal.

He has also served as Director of Operations at the Central American Business and Investment Corporation, Sociedad.Anónima, dedicated to developing specialized infrastructure for telecommunications in Central America. Operations Manager in Telecommunications and Technology, Sociedad Anónima; dedicated to developing specialized infrastructure for telecommunications in Central America. General Manager of the company Sistemas de Seguridad LETMON, dedicated to the installation of varied security systems and security logistics.

Mr Letona Montoya has been involved in the telecommunications sector since 1985.  He has extensive experience in the development of the telecommunications infrastructure worldwide. Developing national policies in Guatemala to reduce the digital divide and the efficient use of the radio spectrum. Paving the way for the implementation of new 5th and 6th generation technologies (5G and 6G) in the country.

Mr Letona Montoya graduated from Florida International University in Miami Florida, USA with a Bachelor of Civil Engineering.

Rodrigo Alcázar Silva has worked in Cofece since 2015 where he now holds now holds the position of Commissioner. He has previously worked for other regulatory bodies which indlue the Federal Institute of Telecommunications and regulated firms such as as Izzi Telecomm.

Mr Alcázar Silva has been teaching industrial organization at Tec de Monterrey since 2014.

Mr Alcázar Silva has a Bachelor in Economics at the Mexican Autonomous Technological Institute (ITAM), a Master’s degree in Economics of Regulation at University of Barcelona and a Law degree at the National University of Mexico (UNAM).

Rory Graham has 30 years’ experience as a company and commercial solicitor in the technology and related sectors, with a strong emphasis on telecommunications. He has been a partner in a number of UK and global law firms, including Bird & Bird and Baker McKenzie, as well as setting up his own tech and corporate boutique law firm. His public sector experience includes the privatisation of the telecoms division of British Rail and acting for a bidder for the Elizabeth Line (Crossrail) rolling stock provision and maintenance contract, as well as defence and health related outsourcing and procurement deals.

Mr Graham has worked on around £50bn worth of technology deals in the UK, US, Switzerland, South Africa, Algeria and on a multi-country basis, as well as supporting technology start-ups from creation to trade sale, including to IBM and other US corporates. His practical, problem-solving, approach to providing legal advice has led to him being described as a “nuts and bolts lawyer”, and he looks to bring the same commercial and pragmatic style to his role at the JCRA. He is delighted to be playing a part in making the JCRA a model of effective regulation, for the benefit of the people of Jersey, its businesses and those seeking to invest in the island’s economy.

Mr Graham studied law at Cambridge and trained in the City and Hong Kong. He is Honorary Solicitor to the annual Story of Christmas charity appeal and a trustee of the London Firebird Orchestra, which promotes the careers of recent graduates from the London Conservatoires.

Saulo De León Durán is currenlty  Superintendent of Banks in Guatemala.

Mr De León Durán is an Attorney at Law graduated from the Francisco Marroquín University, Guatemala. He holds a Master Degree in Business Administration (MBA) with a specialization in Finance from INCAE Business School, Costa Rica.

He is a specialist in financial Risk Management, Strategic Planning, Corporate Governance and Money Laundering and Financing of Terrorism prevention.

Mr De León Durán is a former associate of a top 10 Law Firm in Guatemala, former executive of a Top 5 bank in Guatemala holding corporate positions; International speaker and trainer on financial regulation, financial risk management, corporate governance, etc.
Former Head of the Financial Intelligence Unit in Guatemala 2008-2010 and 2018-2022.

CEO of OneMeta AI, the creator of Verbum, the artificial intelligence language translator. Saúl Leal is a 21-time Grammy nominee and 11-time winner in the Creative Content Creation category.

From 2006 to 2007, Mr Leal worked at Deloitte & Touche. From 2007 to 2014, he worked as Station Manager at BYU Broadcasting where he developed viable businesses in over 20 countries, built products that were distributed to over 55M cellphones and approximately 39M pay TV viewers, and translated over 15,000 hours of content in multiple languages. During this time, Mr Leal earned 27 EMMY Award nominations and won 9 regional EMMY Awards. From 2014 to 2021, he served as General Manager and Director of Global Initiatives at Deseret Management Corp. where he led the development of one of the largest digital publishers with over 256M social media followers and more than 4 Billion monthly impressions. Mr Leal has served on multiple advisory boards, including Oracle Cloud USA CAB, Ad Council, Leadership Council, and The Leonardo, Museum of Creativity & Innovation. During his career, Mr Leal has done business transactions with ABC, Coca-Cola, Disney, Lionsgate, Mattel, McDonald’s, NBC, Rovio, Sony Entertainment, Target, and Universal Pictures.

Mr Leal received a bachelor’s degree in Systems Engineering from Venezuela’s National Experimental Polytechnic University of the Armed Forces and an MBA from Brigham Young University. He also completed Executive Education programs with the Kellogg School of Management, Stanford University, and MIT.

Sebastian Cabello is an accomplished digital technology policy expert with vast experience driving collective action, public-private partnerships across Latin America. He serves as CEO at SmC+ Digital Public Affairs supporting different global digital players as well as advising the Inter-American Bank (IDB) and the Latin American Internet Association (ALAI). He is also research fellow at the Center for Technology and Society at Universidad de San Andres, Argentina. Between 2010 and 2018, he was Head of Latin America at the GSMA, the global association of the mobile industry, and led the organization’s advocacy activities in the region. He is one of the creators of the We Care Campaign, the capacity building center CE-Digital, the Latin American Congress on Telecommunications (CLT), and most recently the IDB BEST network. He has been part of the National Committee on Spectrum of Colombia and the Latin American Internet for All Advisory Committee of the World Economic Forum.

Yamel Sarquis is a Public Policy Manager in the Emerging Markets team at Access Partnership, focusing on the Latin American region. She has significant experience in data protection and privacy, cybersecurity, content moderation, and Internet governance.

Before joining Access, Ms Sarquis worked as a Fellow at the Information Technology and Innovation Foundation (ITIF), a leading technology policy think-tank in the U.S., and Tech Congress. She also served as a Senior Account Executive for Public Affairs at the Edelman Washington D.C. and Mexico offices, supporting tech clients in a plethora of issues.

In her career as a public official, she worked in the Office of International Affairs of the President of the Republic, as well as in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (SRE), namely in the Mexican Agency for International Development Cooperation (AMEXCID), and the Embassy of Mexico to the United Kingdom. Likewise, Yamel collaborated with the United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) office in Mexico.

She serves as a member of both the Mexican Council of International Affairs (COMEXI) and the “Digital Economy” working group of C26 +, an independent group of leaders from North America that seeks to promote competitiveness between governments and the private sector. Yamel is also a permanent volunteer in the Comedor Santa María Fundraising Committee, a civil association dedicated to feeding more than 10,000 Mexican children living in extreme poverty.

Ms Sarquis has a Bachelor’s degree in International Relations from the Universidad Iberoamericana (Mexico City, Mexico) and a Master’s in Communication and Technology from Georgetown University (Washington, D.C.), where she served as Co-President of the Georgetown University Graduate Association of Mexican Students (GUGAMS). She was born in CDMX.

Zachary Blackburn is an International Regulatory Affairs Manager at Amazon’s Project Kuiper. In this role, Zachary leads regulatory and licensing matters in North America, Central America, and the Caribbean for Amazon’s initiative to increase global broadband access through a constellation of 3,236 satellites in low Earth orbit. Previously, he was a Public Policy Manager at Meta where he led engagements with governments around the world on policy and regulation related to Meta’s messaging applications.

Prior to the private sector, he served for nearly a decade in the U.S. Government, first at the U.S. Department of State and then the U.S. Department of Commerce’s National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA). At NTIA, he led engagements on communications and connectivity policy in Europe and the Americas and at the Department of State he managed interagency efforts to promote telecommunications supply chain security.

Zachary holds a Master of Public Policy and a Bachelor of Arts in Economics and Foreign Affairs, both from the University of Virginia.

Alvaro Nadal is a Telecommunications Engineer with an MBA from FIU currently working as the Technical Advisor to the Executive Director of the Dominican Telecommunications Institute (INDOTEL), the government agency that regulates the telecommunications market and its many dimensions. He has been involved in the telecom market for over 25 years, where he has worked as part of the executive distinguished himself in planning and implementation of technical projects in the private sector and as a regulator he has contributed towards planning and dimensioning the digital divide and the creation of public policy to address it. As Technical Advisor for the last 3 years he has coordinated the Digital TV process for the Dominican Republic and given technical input to most public policies within the regulator plus most Digital Agenda projects that touch on ITC and Telecommunication initiatives.