Webinar: Regulation in Times of Pandemic and Lessons for the Future: A European view

Roberto Viola is Director-General of DG CONNECT (Directorate General for Communication Networks, Content and Technology) at the European Commission.

Dr Viola was the Deputy Director-General of DG CONNECT, European Commission from 2012 to 2015. He served as Chairman of the European Radio Spectrum Policy group (RSPG) from 2012 to 2013, as Deputy Chairman in 2011 and Chairman in 2010. He was a member of the BEREC Board (Body of European Telecom Regulators), and Chairman of the European Regulatory Group (ERG). He held the position of Secretary General in charge of managing AGCOM, from 2005 to 2012. Prior to this, he served as Director of Regulation Department and Technical Director in AGCOM from 1999 to 2004.

From 1985 to 1999 he served in various positions including Head of Telecommunication and Broadcasting Satellite Services at the European Space Agency (ESA).

Dr Viola holds a Degree in Electronic Engineering and a Masters in Business Administration (MBA).

Dr Antonio De Tommaso is Director of EU and International Affairs at AGCOM, the National Regulatory Authority for electronic communication, media and postal services in Italy.

Dr Tommaso has long-standing international experience, as a member of many institutional bodies and projects in the field of electronic communications, media and ICT. In BEREC (formerly ERG), he chaired several working groups and is now the co-chair of the Regulatory Framework Working Group. He is the alternate member of the BEREC Board of Regulators and Management Board and member of the BEREC Contact Network.

Dr Tommaso joined AGCOM in 1999, where he served in several positions. Prior to that, from 1992 he had worked in in the private sector, as an expert in telecommunications regulation and strategies.

Dr Tommaso holds a Doctorate in law.

Dan Sjöblom is the Director General of the Swedish Post and Telecom Authority (PTS) and was appointed by the Swedish Government on 1 February 2017.

He served as Chairperson of BEREC (Body of European Regulators for Electronic Communication) in 2020, having served as a vice-chair in 2019.

Prior to taking up his position, Mr Sjöblom was the Director General for the Swedish Competition Authority for eight years, between 2009 and 2017.

He is also board member of the Swedish Broadband Council.

Mr Sjöblom has served as a civil servant at the European Commission between 1996 and 2009. He holds a Master of Laws from Stockholm University.

Lindsey Fussell is Group Director for Networks and Communications. She leads Ofcom’s work in the telecoms, post and network sectors, where we aim to protect consumers’ interests and promote competition.

Before joining Ofcom in April 2016, Ms Fussell held a range of senior leadership roles at public bodies. She was Public Services Director at HM Treasury, where she led on devolution, education and culture, defence and criminal justice. Ms Fussell supported the Varney review for public service transformation, and led major aspects of the 2015 Spending Review.

Ms Fussell holds a degree in Modern History from Oxford University, and is a member of York University’s governing Council.

Dr Wilhelm Eschweiler, one of the two Vice Presidents of the Federal Network Agency (Bundesnetzagentur), is responsible for telecommunications and rail.

He was Chair of the Body of European Regulators for Electronic Communications (BEREC) in 2016.

Prior to his current position, he worked in several senior positions in the Federal Ministry of Economics and Energy. He was Head of Unit for the European ICT Policy from 2007 until April 2014 and Head of Unit for International Telecoms and Postal Services Policy from 2002 until 2006. Prior to that, he worked as an advisor for regulatory policy from 1998 until 2002.

After graduating from the University of Bonn with a degree in Law (Second State Examination) he started his career at the Federal Ministry of Post and Telecommunications from 1992 until 1994 including a mandatory secondment to the Directorate-General Information Society and Media of the European Commission in Brussels. From 1995 until 1997 he worked in the Office of the Minister Dr. Wolfgang Bötsch.

Dr. Eschweiler holds a degree in Law from the Rheinische Friedrich-Wilhelms University in Bonn and spent two terms at the University of Lausanne.

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