Small Nations Regulators’ Forum 2021

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.

Dr Katrin Nyman-Metcalf works as Senior Expert of Legal Framework at the Estonian e-Governance Academy and is a Adjunct Professor of Communications Law at the Department of Law, School of Business and Governance, Tallinn University of Technology.

She is also involved in international consultancy, primarily in the area of information and communication technology law, including e-governance. Her projects include regular legal analysis of media and communications legislation for e.g. the OSCE and the European Commission; work on setting up regulatory systems and professional training, especially for post-conflict societies; and support for e-governance.

Dr Nyman-Metcalf’s PhD in Public International Law (the law of outer space) (1999) and her Master’s degree (1986) are both from the University of Uppsala in Sweden. Her research interests include how law and technology meet, with a special emphasis on IT and communications, as well as outer space; international (global and regional) decision-making and the changing structure of governance; the implementation of human rights; and the rule of law. She has published widely on these and related topics.

Mercedes Aramendía is the president of the Uruguayan Regulatory Unit of Communication Services (URSEC).

Ms Aramendía has extensive experience in the telecommunications sector. Prior to her current position, she worked as an independent consultant, collaborating with various telecommunications, technology and entrepreneurship organizations. Likewise, among other positions, she served as Head of Institutional Relations and Regulation at Telefónica Móviles de Uruguay, as well as a lawyer for the Uruguayan Chamber of Telecommunications and KPMG-Uruguay.

Since 2017 Ms Aramendía is a Professor at the University of Montevideo, where she also directs the Postgraduate Course on Digital Transformation and Law.

In 2019, she was recognized by Ursec as one of the outstanding Uruguayan women in regulation and / or Communications. Likewise, in 2021 she was recognized by DPL News as one of the 25 women leaders who will define the digital course.

Ms Aramendía has the following qualifications: Phd in Legal Sciences from the University of Granada, Spain, LLM in Law, Technology and Entrepreneurship from Cornell University, United States, MBA from the EAE Business School and Masters in Administration, Management and Business Organisation from the Camilo José Cela University, Spain. She also has a degree in Law, Master’s Degree in Access to the Legal Profession from the Antonio de Nebrija University, Spain, Master in Economic Administrative Law from the University of Montevideo, Uruguay and graduated as a Lawyer from the University of Montevideo, Uruguay.

Tim Ringsdore has over 15 years extensive experience as a Managing Director within the telecoms industry, working at Board level across the Channel Islands, London and the Caribbean.

Mr Ringsdore was Managing Director of Jersey Telecom and was pivotal in setting up Wave Telecom in Guernsey. He had responsibility for consumers and corporate clients across both Islands. Mr Ringsdore was also instrumental in developing JT’s global business with the acquisition of Worldstone in 2012.

Mr Ringsdore moved back to the Channel Islands to join the Jersey Competition Regulatory Authority (JCRA) after leading Cable & Wireless as Managing Director based in the British Virgin Islands. He had jurisdictional and overall financial responsibility for the Cable & Wireless business in the BVI and was responsible for developing relationships with government, the industry regulator and corporate clients. During this time, he successfully restructured and rebranded the business to help improve credibility and the customer experience.

As CEO for the JCRA, Mr Ringsdore is focussing on delivering strong results which will support the economic strategic objectives for the Island and its citizens. He will help ensure that Jersey receives the best value, choice and access to high quality services in addition to promoting competition and consumers’ interests.