Speaker Biographies
You can find biographies for the speakers at this event below.
Speakers
Speakers
Ajit Pai
Chairman, FCC
Ajit Pai is the Chairman of the Federal Communications Commission. He was designated Chairman by President Donald J. Trump in January 2017. He had previously served as Commissioner at the FCC, appointed by then-President Barack Obama and confirmed unanimously by the United States Senate in May 2012.
Michael O'Rielly
Commissioner, FCC
Michael O’Rielly was nominated for a seat on the Federal Communications Commission by President Barack Obama on August 1, 2013 and was confirmed unanimously by the United States Senate on October 29, 2013. He was sworn into office on November 4, 2013. On January 29, 2015, he was sworn into office for a new term, following his re-nomination by the President and confirmation by the United States Senate.
Prior to joining the agency Commissioner O’Rielly served as a Policy Advisor in the Office of the Senate Republican Whip, led by U.S. Senator John Cornyn, since January 2013. He worked in the Republican Whip’s Office since 2010, as an Advisor from 2010 to 2012 and Deputy Chief of Staff and Policy Director from 2012 to 2013 for U.S. Senator Jon Kyl.
He previously worked for the Republican Policy Committee in the U.S. Senate as a Policy Analyst for Banking, Technology, Transportation, Trade, and Commerce issues from 2009 to 2010. Prior to this, Commissioner O’Rielly worked in the Office of U.S. Senator John Sununu, as Legislative Director from 2007 to 2009, and Senior Legislative Assistant from 2003 to 2007. Before his tenure as a Senate staffer, he served as a Professional Staff Member on the Committee on Energy and Commerce in the United States House of Representatives from 1998 to 2003, and Telecommunications Policy Analyst from 1995 to 1998.
He began his career as a Legislative Assistant to U.S. Congressman Tom Bliley from 1994 to 1995.
Commissioner O’Rielly received his B.A. from the University of Rochester.
José Gontijo
Deputy ICT Secretary, Brazilian Ministry of Science, Technology, Innovation and Communications
José Gontijo is the Director of the Department of Science, Technology and Digital Innovation and Deputy Secretary at the ICT Secretariat of the Ministry of Science, Technology, Innovation and Communications.
He holds a degree in Electrical Engineering from the University of Brasília (2002) with a specialization in Public Management in Science and Technology (2009).
Since 2009, he is a career server of the Ministry of Science, Technology and Innovation (Analyst in Science and Technology). He has worked in the Anatel Spectrum Engineering Management (2003-2007), in the ICT Secretariat (2007-2009) and in the Technological Development and Innovation Secretariat (2009-2010) of the MCTI.
He was also advisor for the area of digital inclusion in the Presidency of the Republic (2010) and Director of the Department of Industry, Science and Technology at the Telecommunication Secretariat (2012-2016), of the Ministry of Communication. In the Ministry of Communications, before assuming this Department , he was project manager and Deputy Director at the Broadband Department since 2011.
Pearse O'Donohue
Director, Future Networks, European Commission
Pearse O'Donohue is Director for the Future Networks Directorate of DG CONNECT at the European Commission, dealing with policy development and research supporting the Digital Single Market as regards 5G networks, IoT, cloud and data flows and conceptualising new and innovative approaches towards service platforms and next generation Internet. Before becoming Director, Pearse was Head of the Cloud and Software Unit in DG CONNECT, dealing with the strategic development and implementation of policy on cloud computing and software.
Until October 2014, Pearse was Deputy Head of Cabinet of Vice-President Neelie Kroes, previous European Commissioner for the Digital Agenda. He was responsible for advising the Vice-President on the development and implementation of policy on electronic communications, networks and services, as well as broadband, spectrum and other related policies such as Internet governance.
Before that, Pearse was Head of the Radio Spectrum Policy Unit in the European Commission, DG CONNECT.
Prior to joining the European Commission, Pearse held posts in the Irish Department of Foreign Affairs, the Permanent Representation of Ireland to the EU in Brussels, and as Assistant Director of the Brussels office of the Irish Business & Employers' Confederation.
Oscar Leon
Executive Secretary, CITEL
Oscar has over 18 years experience in the ICT sector, has extensive experience in project management and implementation of new business and appropriation of new technologies. He is an Electronic Engineer Graduate Telecommunications Project Management and Master in Business Administration.
He was Director of Projects Solutions Providers of MICROSOFT, he worked in the Colombian telecoms regulator, was Manager Regulatory Claro (America Movil COLOMBIA) has advised three Ministers of Communications. He was Director General of the National Spectrum Agency of Colombia for nearly five years and was elected Executive Secretary of the Inter-American Telecommunications Commission since September 2015.
The engineer Oscar Leon has been an international speaker in the development of wireless broadband services. The areas covered include both electromagnetic fields and their relationship to human health, spectrum auctions, and strategy for developing countries
He has been awarded:
1. Medal of Merit First Class Communications gold for his contribution to the development of ICT in Colombia.
2. The Medal of Merit Communications - third class in bronze by the excellent results in the spectrum auction for the fourth mobile generation.
3. San Gabriel Military Medal for supporting the military communications service.
4. Appointed by the International Telecommunication Union for the Americas as Vice President of Group
5 - Environment and Climate Change, which studies the relationship between radio and health fields.
Tom Stroup
President, SIA - Satellite Industry Association
As President of SIA, Tom Stroup is the trade association’s lead advocate for regulatory and policy issues of critical importance to SIA’s membership, including spectrum and licensing issues, defense and public safety matters, and export control and international trade issues. He also manages the day-to-day operations of SIA, including member communications, staff leadership and organization of SIA sponsored events.
Prior to joining SIA, Mr. Stroup was with Shared Spectrum Company (SSC), a leading developer of spectrum intelligence technologies, where he served as CEO. For more than a decade, he served as the President of the Personal Communications Industry Association (PCIA). Previous to his position at SSC, he founded and ran several companies in the technology industry, including Columbia Spectrum Management, P-Com Network Services, CSM Wireless, and
SquareLoop.
Mr. Stroup holds a BS, summa cum laude, in Public Administration from the University of North Dakota. He is also a graduate of Georgetown University Law Center where he served as Editor of the Georgetown Law Journal.
Frederick D. Moorefield, Jr.
Director, Spectrum Policy & International Engagement, Department of Defense
Mr. Moorefield is currently serving as the Director of Spectrum Policy & International Engagements for the Department of Defense (DoD) Chief Information Officer (CIO). His primary duties include strategic oversight of DoD spectrum policy and plans as well as overall
management of key DoD CIO international partnerships and outreach. Mr. Moorefield represents DoD in a variety of national and international spectrum forums and provides
spectrum resource management program oversight. On a broader front, he leads overall DoD CIO international engagements and related activities to include technology transfer, foreign disclosure, and internet governance. He has served in this position since October 2012.
Mr. Moorefield joined Federal service in 1989 in the Air Force as a civil servant, where he served for 19 years doing Research and Develop and Acquisition. He also served in the Defense Information Systems Agency at the Joint Spectrum Center for four years where he was first introduced to spectrum management.
His education includes a Bachelor degree in mathematics from Wilberforce University, located in Wilberforce Ohio and a Bachelor and Master of Electrical Engineering degree from the University of Dayton in Dayton Ohio.
Julius Knapp
Head of Bureau, Office of Engineering and Technology, FCC
Julius Knapp is Chief of the FCC’s Office of Engineering and Technology (OET). Mr. Knapp has been with the FCC for nearly 36 years. Mr. Knapp became Chief of OET in 2006, having previously served as the Deputy Chief since 2002. Prior to that he was the Chief of the Policy & Rules Division where he was responsible for FCC frequency allocation proceedings and for proceedings amending the FCC rules for radio frequency devices. Mr. Knapp was Chief of the FCC Laboratory from 1994 – 1997 where he was responsible for the FCC’s equipment authorization program and technical analyses. Mr. Knapp received a Bachelor's degree in electrical engineering from the City College of New York in 1974. He is a member of the IEEE EMC Society and is a Fellow of the Radio Club of America. He was the 2001 recipient of the Eugene C. Bowler award for exceptional professionalism and dedication to public service and received the FCC’s Silver and Gold medal awards for distinguished service at the Commission
Donald Stockdale
Chief, Wireless Telecommunications Bureau, FCC
Mr. Stockdale is the Chief of the Wireless Telecommunications Bureau at the Federal Communications Commission. Prior to rejoining the Commission, Mr. Stockdale was a partner Bates White Economic Consulting and, before that, a partner at Mayer Brown LLP. Mr. Stockdale first joined the FCC’s Common Carrier Bureau (now the Wireline Competition Bureau) in 1994 as an attorney advisor and later as Deputy Division Chief and Associate Bureau Chief for Economics. He later served as Director of Research in the Office of Policy and Planning and finally as Deputy Bureau Chief and Chief Economist for the Wireline Competition Bureau. He earned his doctorate in economics and a law degree from Yale University and bachelor degrees from Yale and Cambridge University.
Jennifer Manner
Global Spectrum Policy, ESOA
Jennifer A. Manner is Senior Vice President of Regulatory Affairs at EchoStar Corporation/Hughes Network Systems LLC where she is responsible for the company’s domestic and international regulatory and policy issues, including spectrum allocation and market access. Prior to this, Ms. Manner was Deputy Chief of the Office and Engineering and Technology and before that Deputy Chief of the FCC's Public Safety and Homeland Security Bureau where she has had a focus on broadband and other related issues. Ms. Manner previously worked as a Principal at ZComm Strategies LLC.
Before that, Ms. Manner was Vice President of Regulatory Affairs at SkyTerra Communications, LLC, where she handled the company's domestic and international regulatory and policy issues. Before joining SkyTerra, Ms. Manner served as Senior Counsel to FCC Commissioner Kathleen Abernathy with responsibility for wireless, international and new technology issues. Ms. Manner joined the Commissioner's office after working at MCI Communications Corporation, later WorldCom, Inc., as Associate Counsel for Foreign Market Access and then as International Wireless Services and Director of International Alliances.
Prior to this position, Ms. Manner was an associate in the Communications Group at Akin, Gump, Strauss, Hauer and Feld, L.P. Before joining Akin, Gump, Ms. Manner was an Attorney-Advisor at the FCC.
Ms. Manner currently serves as an adjunct professor at Georgetown University Law Center and previously served as an adjunct professor of the Washington College of Law at American University. Ms. Manner has published several books on telecommunications issues including on spectrum and foreign market access, and has written numerous law review and magazine articles. Ms. Manner holds and has held key leadership roles including in Satellite Industry Association the US ITU Association, the EMEA Satellite Operators Association, in study groups at the International Telecommunications Union including ITU-R Task Group 5/1, as well as serving in leadership roles in federal advisory committees, including as Chair of Working Group 4B on Network Timing Alternative on the Communications Security, Reliability and Interoperability Committee and Chair of Working Group 4, Regulatory Issues of the World Radiocommunication Advisory Committee, as well as on the International Trade Advisory Committee and the International Telecommunications Advisory Committee. Ms. Manner also has served on numerous U.S. delegations to international treaty negotiations.
Ms. Manner received her B.A. from the State University of New York at Albany, from where she serves as Co-Chair of the Alumni Board of the Rockefeller College of Public Affairs and was awarded the Outstanding Alumni in Political Science Award. She received her J.D. cum laude from New York Law School and LL.M. with distinction from Georgetown University Law Center. Ms. Manner is admitted to practice in Washington, D.C., New York and Connecticut.
Ms. Manner has also been named as one of the top 2017 100 broadband and media attorneys by CableFax, and was awarded the EchoStar 2013 Most Valuable Player Award, the 2012 FCC Public Safety and Homeland Security Bureau’s Chief’s Meritorious Service Award, the 2012 Distinguished Alumni Award in Political Science from the Rockefeller College, State University of New York at Albany and the 2011 Wireless Communications Association International’s Government Service Award.
Andy Hudson
Head of Policy, GSMA
The GSMA represents the interests of mobile operators worldwide, uniting more than 750 operators with over 350 companies in the broader mobile ecosystem, including handset and device makers, software companies, equipment providers and internet companies, as well as organisations in adjacent industry sectors. Andy has global responsibility for spectrum and regulatory modernisation, as well as the regulatory and policy aspects of the future networks, IoT and identity programmes.
Previously, he was Director of Spectrum Policy at Ofcom for three years, where he led the Mobile Data Strategy, including the release and sharing of public sector spectrum for civil use, and the 2.3/3.4 GHz auction team (the auction recently ended for £1.4m). Before that, Andy spent 12 years at Vodafone, where he held various senior product development, corporate strategy and public policy roles. As Head of Spectrum Policy, he was responsible for managing spectrum policy and auctions across the Vodafone Group. He was frequently in Brussels and further afield supporting Vodafone’s local operating companies, and over four years he managed the acquisition or renewal of spectrum in over 20 countries for a total of €9.5bn.
In 2000, he was part of the senior management team which spun an internet payments and encryption company out of NatWest. He was formerly a management consultant and a research scientist at Sharp Laboratories of Europe and Sony Corporation, based in Japan. He has a doctorate in Engineering Science from Oxford University and an MBA. He is married with two boys (17 and 14) and lives in a small village close to Oxford.
Gerry Oberst
Senior Vice President, Global Advocacy, SES
Gerry Oberst is responsible for regulatory matters at SES, where his title is Senior Vice President, Global Regulatory and Governmental Strategy. Gerry took this position after a long career as a partner in the Hogan Lovells law firm, in both Washington, DC, and Brussels. During his 30 years of private practice, Gerry advised many clients in the spectrum field as well as governmental agencies, including numerous projects for the European Commission. He is a prolific author and for twenty years wrote the global regulatory column for Via Satellite magazine. While in Brussels, he was the chairman of the European Satellite Action Plan Regulatory Group.
Robert Weller
Vice-President, Spectrum Policy, NAB
Robert Weller is Vice President for Spectrum Policy at the National Association of Broadcasters (NAB), a position he assumed in July 2014. In that role, Mr. Weller is responsible for developing and implementing spectrum policy for NAB.
Prior to joining NAB, Mr. Weller served in a number of technical and management roles at the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) and as an engineering consultant to the telecommunications industry. During his 15 years at the FCC, Mr. Weller was the Chief of Technical Analysis in the Office of Engineering and Technology, leading the development of mathematical models relating to electromagnetic wave propagation, frequency allotments, spectrum sharing, human exposure to radiofrequency energy, and other areas. He played key roles in the development of rules and policies pertaining spectrum sharing, such as the television white spaces and modernization of interference analysis software. Earlier in his FCC career, Mr. Weller was Director of Denver District Office where he was responsible for the agency’s enforcement, engineering, and public relations activities over a five-state area.
As a senior consulting engineer with the firm of Hammett & Edison, San Francisco, Mr. Weller advised telecommunications and technology clients on the regulated use of radio, assisting them to develop and implement business plans and providing expert assistance on technology, regulation, and management. He is a three-term president of the AFCCE and a two-term director of the IEEE Broadcast Technology Society.
Mr. Weller earned his Master’s Degree in Electromagnetics from The George Washington University and his undergraduate degree in Electrical Engineering and Computer Science from the University of California at Berkeley. He is a Registered Professional Engineer in California and Colorado.
Veena Rawat
Senior Spectrum Advisor, GSMA
Dr. Rawat is President and CEO of Expert Strategies International, LLC, a consulting firm, advising GSMA as Senior Spectrum Advisor. In 2014 she became an Officer of the Order of Canada for her “contributions to telecommunications engineering and for leadership in establishing the global regulatory framework for radio spectrum management”
Between 2011-14, Dr. Rawat worked as Vice President and Ambassador to ITU for BlackBerry. During 2004-11, Dr. Rawat was President of Communications Research Centre, the only Canadian federal government research lab conducting R&D in all communications technologies. Before heading CRC, Dr. Rawat spent 28 years within the Canadian Government where she held executive positions in managing radio frequency spectrum.
Dr. Rawat ‘s many "firsts" in her career and her long list of national and international awards include being the first female (and first Canadian as well) ever to chair ITU's WRC (World Radio Conference) in 2003 for which she was awarded ITU’s gold medal by the Secretary Genera; IEEE award for Public Service in Communications – 2012; from the Govt of Canada the highest Public Service Award of Excellence – 2011; and from Canadian Women in Communications’ Canadian Woman of the Year – 2004.
Carmelo Rivera
Chair for WRC-19 Preparation, CITEL
In 1973 Carmelo Rivera joined the United States Navy and served for 20 years as a Telecommunication Specialist. During this time Carmelo had the opportunity to experience the telecommunications field from several different aspects, locations and platforms. While in the service Carmelo completed courses in Information Systems Management and received degrees from Central Texas College and the University of Maryland. His last 3 years in the service were spent as the Assistant Communications Officer at the Naval Testing Facility on Andros Island, Bahamas. After his retirement from military service he returned to Andros and worked in the communications department as a civilian for several more years before accepting his current position as a Telecommunication Specialist for the U.S. Department of Commerce (DOC) Radio Frequency Management Division (RFMD). RFMD is responsible for spectrum management for all Dept. of Commerce agencies including, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration which encompasses the National Weather Service, National Marine Fisheries, National Ocean Service, and many others. Carmelo has been the DOC representative at ITU Plenipotentiary conferences, World Radiocommunication Conferences, various ITU-R Study Group 4, 5, and 7 Working Parties, CITEL Permanent Consultative Committee II (Radiocommunications) (PCC-II), and CITEL Executive Committee (COM/CITEL), as well as the World Meteorological Organization (WMO) representative to Asian-Pacific Telecommunity (APT) conference preparatory meetings. Carmelo was the vice-chairman of CITEL’s PCC-II (Radicommunication and Broadcasting) WRC Working group for WRC-15. Carmelo is the chairman of this group preparing for the next WRC scheduled for 2019
Iyad Tarazi
President and CEO, Federated Wireless
Iyad Tarazi is a known thought leader in spectrum and telecom technology and has led massive transformations and pioneered new technologies in spectrum, machine learning, 4G, small cells, and cloud software development.
Iyad joined Federated Wireless as CEO in August 2014, at that point an early stage startup with significant intellectual property in spectrum management. Iyad is leading the commercialization of the technology, tapping the emerging $1B+ market in shared spectrum.
Previously, Iyad served as Vice President of Network Development at Sprint Corp where he led large-scale R&D and technology modernization programs in cloud software, spectrum, wireless radio, transport, applications, and subscriber devices. Responsibilities included overseeing the development and integration of new products within Sprint’s networks and managing Sprint- Nextel’s technology integration labs and fiscal management responsibility of over hundreds of millions in annual investments.
Prior to the Sprint-Nextel merger, Iyad led Nextel’s Network Engineering organization, managing network planning, integration performance engineering, testing, and core deployment initiatives. Iyad also held positions with MCI and served as a Board member for CafeX Communications, which specializes in collaborative software development.
Iyad has a Masters in Engineering Management from Southern Methodist University and a B.S.in Electrical Engineering from the University of Maryland.
Chris Wieczorek
Director, Spectrum Policy, T-Mobile
Chris Wieczorek is Director, Spectrum Policy, with T-Mobile USA, Inc. He assists in developing competition, spectrum, and technology policy and advising on legal matters pertaining the regulatory policy and procedures. Prior to joining T-Mobile he practiced patent law in Alexandria, Virginia. He also worked as an electrical engineer at Motorola in Atlanta, Georgia and Plantation, Florida.
Chris received a bachelor of science in electrical engineering and a master of science in electrical and computer engineering from the Georgia Institute of Technology and his juris doctor from the Catholic University of America, Columbus School of Law. Chris is a member of the Virginia bar, the Association of Federal Communications Consulting Engineers, and an IEEE and Federal Communications Bar Association member.
James Bono
Vice President, Economists Incorporated
ames W. Bono is an expert on game theory, industrial organization, and econometrics and machine learning. His major practice area is spectrum auctions, where he has provided strategic advice in dozens of high-stakes auctions worldwide. Dr. Bono designs and implements strategies to secure for his clients the best possible portfolios at the lowest prices, providing them a lasting strategic advantage in the marketplace over their competitors.
In addition to his auction work, Dr. Bono has provided critical analysis in high profile antitrust matters and continues to conduct cutting-edge research that applies game theory and artificial intelligence to problems in collective bargaining, aviation policy, and cyber security. He has given invited lectures at top conferences, universities, and private firms. Dr. Bono has also published numerous peer-reviewed articles in journals such as Review of Behavioral Economics, Journal of Artificial Intelligence Research, and Managerial and Decisions Economics and is the author of an open-source Python package for game theory research called PyNFG.
Prior to joining Economists Incorporated, Dr. Bono was an Assistant Professor at American University, where he taught advanced microeconomics for Ph.D. and Master’s students. In his four years at American, Dr. Bono was a Co-Principal Investigator on three successful external grant proposals. He also consulted for NASA on a range of game theoretical projects, including designing auctions for allocating the National Airspace among airlines, managing flight rerouting negotiations, and predicting airline technology adoption decisions.
Dr. Bono earned a Ph.D. degree in economics from the University of California, Irvine and a B.A. in international studies with a mathematics minor from American University.
David Salant
Senior Managing Director, FTI Consulting
David Salant is a leading expert on auctions and game theory. Salant has advised government agencies in numerous countries on the design and implementation of spectrum auctions and allocation procedures. His consulting experience includes auction theory and strategic analysis for clients in spectrum auctions such as the US Federal Communications Commission for testing new package bidding procedures, Industry Canada and the Australian ACA for their first spectrum auctions. Salant has also led or helped guide bid strategy teams for numerous US FCC auctions, including virtually all the 2G, AWS and 700 MHz auctions, for the German and Austrian 3G auctions, the Netherlands 2G and 3G auctions, for the German 4G auction, for the Indian 3G auction, for a number of Mexican 2G and 3G auctions, for the Brazilian privatization of Telebras and the auctioning of mirror concessions, the Australian 2G and 3G auctions among others. He designed and implemented the first spectrum auction for paging licenses for the Mexican Ministry of Communications (SCT) and for trunk radio frequencies for the Guatemalan Superintendent of Telecommunications. Salant also led the team that developed auction software adopted by the Italian Ministero della Comunicazioni, Industry Canada, the Mexican Ministry of Communications and Transport, and the Guatemalan Superintendent of Telecommunications.
Salant experience in the energy sector includes serving as Auction Manager for Northwestern Energy default service procurement. Salant served as the Auction Monitor in the Illinois default service procurement auction. Salant has advised on design of capacity markets, transmission rights auctions and Renewable Energy Certificate auctions. Salant had primary responsibility for the design of the initial New Jersey BGS auction on behalf of the PSE&G, First Energy/JCP&L, Conectiv and RECO. He has also had a key role in the auction design of the Texas, ERCOT auction of capacity entitlements on behalf AEP, Reliant and TXU. Dr. Salant bid strategy experience in the energy sector includes advising a bidder in a MISO/PJM energy procurement. has advised EPCOR in the Alberta PPA auctions, the Alberta Balancing Pool for their MAP auctions and the DTe of the Netherlands on interconnector capacity auctions.
Salant teaches Auction Design, Strategy and Implementation course at the Toulouse School of Economics. He is also an Adjunct Senior Research Scholar at Columbia's Institute for Tele Information. Salant has an A.B. in Economics and and Mathematics from Washington University and a Ph.D. in Economics from the University of Rochester.
Richard Womersley
Director of Spectrum Consulting, LS Telcom
Richard is Director of Spectrum Services for LS telcom. He has 20 over years consulting and business experience working in the radio spectrum management, public telecommunications, digital broadcasting and satellite industries. He has worked for regulators, network operators, financiers, governments and end-users on issues covering national and international policy; regulation and its impact; pricing, auctions and licensing; cost modelling and tariff setting; planning and consultation; network specification and procurement; and digital switch-over. His work has been international in nature having taken him to every continent except Antarctica. Richard is also an experienced trainer having been running courses on spectrum management and policy for over 15 years.
In addition to providing consultancy advice and training, Richard’s career has embraced roles in a military communications company, as a transmission manager for BBC World Service and business manager for the UK’s largest broadcast infrastructure provider ntl: (now Arqiva) giving him a broad perspective on telecommunications and broadcast technologies and industries, their commercialisation and their regulation.
Bharat Bhatia
Head of International Spectrum and Regulatory Team, Motorola Solutions Inc
Mr. Bharat Bhatia has over 43 years of experience in Telecom and ICT policy, regulations and spectrum management.
Mr. Bhatia currently heads International spectrum and Regulatory team at Motorola Solutions’ Government Affairs and leads a global team of Spectrum and regulatory resources in Motorola Solutions. Mr. Bhatia is also the President of ITU-APT Foundation of India and founder President of the Core Group of Telecom Industries Association of India (CTIA). Mr. Bhatia is also the Chair of the Public Safety and Disaster Relief communications -PPDR working group under the ITU-R study group 5D .as well as the Chair of the APT Task Group on -PPDR and Earlier he was also the President of TEMA (Telecom Equipment Manufacturers Association of India) and a Vice President of Association of Telecom Industries of Singapore (ATIS). Mr. Bhatia is an expert on spectrum, ICT Policy, Regulations, public safety and emergency and disaster relief communications. Mr Bhatia works closely with many Asian, European and African governments on issues of Policy and regulations concerning PPDR, Spectrum, ICT technologies and services.
Patrick McFadden
Associate General Counsel, NAB
Patrick McFadden is Associate General Counsel at the National Association of Broadcasters. In this role, he helps develop and advance advocacy positions for NAB in the areas of spectrum policy and innovation.
Prior to joining NAB in 2013, Patrick was an associate in the Washington office of Drinker Biddle & Reath LLP, where he practiced telecommunications law. His practice included policy advocacy, litigation, regulatory compliance and negotiations for wireless, wireline and VoIP service providers and communications device manufacturers. Patrick also worked as a broadcast legal assistant, and as a licensing analyst for a wireless telecommunications carrier.
Patrick earned his Juris Doctor from the George Washington University Law School, and his undergraduate degree from Georgetown University. He lives in Arlington, Virginia, with his wife and two dogs.
Peter Tenhula
Acting Director, Office of Spectrum Management, NTIA, U.S. Department of Commerce
Peter Tenhula is serving as the Acting Associate Administrator in NTIA's Office of Spectrum Management (OSM). Mr. Tenhula leads spectrum management efforts for the federal agencies and oversees engineering projects, frequency assignment and system certification activities, and spectrum policy initiatives.
Mr. Tenhula joined OSM in October 2014 and is the Deputy Associate Administrator for Spectrum Management. He also serves as the Chair of the Interdepartment Radio Advisory Committee (IRAC), which advises NTIA on frequency assignments for U.S. Government radio stations and other policies, programs, procedures, and technical criteria pertaining to spectrum management. In 2015, Mr. Tenhula was awarded the Department of Commerce Gold Medal for Distinguished Achievement in the Federal Service for his leadership to develop and implement a new federal agency spectrum transition-planning process within the short deadlines assigned by the Middle Class Tax Relief and Job Creation Act of 2012.
Prior to joining OSM, Mr. Tenhula was a Senior Advisor in NTIA’s Office of the Assistant Secretary where he advised the Assistant Secretary of Commerce for Communications and Information, OSM, and the Institute for Telecommunication Sciences (ITS) on spectrum policy matters. Before joining NTIA in 2012, Mr. Tenhula worked at Shared Spectrum Company (SSC) for six years, serving as the company’s vice president and general counsel and other positions. While at SSC, he was a member of the Board of Directors of the Wireless Innovation Forum (formerly the SDR Forum) and chaired its Regulatory Committee.
From 1990 to 2006, Mr. Tenhula held several positions at the Federal Communications Commission (FCC), including Acting Deputy Chief of the Wireless Telecommunications Bureau, director and co-director of the Spectrum Policy Task Force, Senior Legal Advisor to the FCC Chairman, Special Counsel to the General Counsel, and staff attorney in the Office of General Counsel and the Mass Media Bureau.
Mr. Tenhula received his undergraduate degree in telecommunications from Indiana University, Bloomington, and earned a law degree from Washington University in St. Louis, Missouri.
Alejandro Navarrete Torres
Head of Spectrum Unit , IFT Mexico
Since September 2014 Alejandro Navarrete is the Head of the Spectrum Unit at the Federal Telecommunications Institute (IFT) in Mexico.
Under his responsibility relies spectrum planning, regulation and management, including spectrum auctions, for granting commercial concessions for telecommunications and broadcasting services. During 2013 he worked as the Head of the Radio and Television Systems Unit also at IFT and as Deputy Director General of the same unit at the former Federal Telecommunications Commission.
From 2004 to 2012 Mr. Navarrete was the Director General of the Telecommunications Research and Innovation Center (Cinit) of the Telecommunications Industry National Chamber (CANITEC). There he developed strategic planning in regulatory and technical issues associated to cable telecommunications networks.
Before that, Alejandro Navarrete acted as Head of Staff of the Undersecretary of Communications at the Communications and Transportation Secretariat (SCT) and Director of Television Services at the same ministry. In addition, he has more than 28 years of teaching experience at undergraduate level in private universities in Mexico. He is author and coauthor of textbooks in mathematics and technology and has been part of academic, commercial and regulatory consultative councils in Mexico. He participates as speaker in for a related to telecommunications and broadcasting topics in Mexico and abroad.
Alejandro Navarrete has a bachelor’s degree in Communications and Electronic Engineering from Universidad Iberoamericana in Mexico City and a master in science degree in Electrical Engineering with major in Communications and Signal Processing from the Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute (RPI) in New York, U.S.A.
Sergio Bovelli
Manager, Market Access and Regulation, Airbus
Sergio Bovelli, Ph.D. is Manager, Market Access and Regulation at Airbus Defence and Space in Germany. In his role Dr. Bovelli works closely with Administrations, Regulatory Authorities and Policy Makers in all regions to promote and develop new aeronautical and space technologies and communication.]
With over 15 years of experience in aeronautics and space industry, he joined Airbus in 2005, where he held several positions, both technical and managerial. He is co-author of several scientific articles and holds a number of patents related to communication systems.
Sergio holds a PhD degree in “Information Engineering” and a Master degree on “Telecommunication Engineering”
Dennis Roberson
Chair, FCC's Technological Advisory Council (TAC)
Dennis Roberson is President and CEO of Roberson and Associates, a ten year old technology and technology management consulting company. He also serves as a Computer Science and Law Research Professor at Illinois Institute of Technology and its Chicago-Kent College of Law. At IIT he was co-founder of IIT’s Wireless Network and Communications Research Center (WiNCom) and the leader in the development and deployment of the world’s first terrestrial Spectrum Observatory. He was also co-founder of IIT’s Intellectual Property Management and Markets Program (IPMM). His research has focused on spectrum measurement and management, dynamic spectrum access networks, and wireless interference and mitigation. Previously he was Vice Provost for Research at IIT and before that Motorola’s EVP / CTO. He had an extensive corporate career including business / technology responsibilities at IBM, DEC (now part of HP), AT&T, and NCR. He has been involved with numerous technology, educational, and youth organizations including current board service on several technology-based start-up companies, and Chairs the Board of a Christian Missions organization called SonSet Solutions. He serves as Chair of the FCC’s Technological Advisory Council (TAC) and is a member of the NTIA’s Commerce Spectrum Management Advisory Committee (CSMAC). He is also a Life Senior Member of the IEEE. Mr. Roberson has BSEE and BS Physics degrees from Washington State University and an MSEE from Stanford.
Jeff Blum
Senior Vice-President and Deputy General Counsel, DISH Network L.L.C.
Jeffrey H. Blum is the Senior Vice-President and Deputy General Counsel of DISH Network L.L.C., overseeing litigation and government affairs in Washington, DC. He has been with DISH for over 11 years.
Before coming to DISH, Jeff was a partner at Davis Wright Tremaine, where his practice focused on copyright, First Amendment and anti-piracy litigation. At Davis Wright Tremaine, Jeff co-represented a class of songwriters and music publishers in the Grokster P2P file sharing case, which was decided by the United States Supreme Court in favor of Jeff's clients. The Grokster decision established a new basis for secondary copyright liability, called "inducement liability." Jeff was a part-time lecturer at the University of Southern California, Annenberg School of Journalism from 2003-2005, where he taught "Media Law". He currently serves as Chairman of the Satellite Broadcasting and Communications Association (SBCA), and was Co-Chairman of the Broadband Internet Technical Advisory Group (BITAG) from 2013-2015. Jeff also serves on the boards of the Computer & Communications Industry Association (CCIA) and BUILD Metro DC.
Jeff graduated summa cum laude and first in his class at Boston University School of Law, where he was a Note Editor of the Boston University Law Review. He received his undergraduate degree from McGill University, with a B.A. in History and Classics. After law school, he clerked for Chief Judge Joseph Tauro of the U.S. District Court of Massachusetts.
Brett Kilbourne
Vice President Policy and General Counsel, Utilities Technology Council
Mr. Kilbourne is currently Vice President of Government and Industry Affairs and Deputy General Counsel at the Utilities Telecom Council (“UTC”) where he provides legal guidance to utilities on telecommunications issues both pending before federal and state agencies and being considered in Congress.
UTC is the national representative on telecommunications matters for its electric, gas and water utilities and natural gas pipeline company members, which range in size from large combination electric-gas-water utilities which serve millions of customers, to smaller, rural electric cooperatives and water districts which serve only a few thousand customers each.
Brett received his Juris Doctor degree in 1998 from Catholic University and his Bachelor of Arts degree in 1987 from the University of the South. He is licensed to practice law in the state of Maryland, and is a member of the American Bar Association and the Federal Communications Bar Association.
Hazem Moakkit
Vice President, Spectrum Strategy, Intelsat
Hazem Moakkit is responsible for shaping Intelsat’s strategic long-term positioning in the marketplace. In his role, he works closely with the company’s product management and innovation service teams to analyze and identify emerging growth opportunities for Intelsat. In addition, he is responsbile for managing efforts that protect, optimize and leverage the company’s spectrum assets in support of Intelsat’s broader long-term growth strategy.
Mr. Moakkit is a veteran of the satellite industry where he held various capacities over the last 25 years. Prior to rejoining Intelsat in 2015, Mr. Moakkit served as Vice President, Spectrum Development, at O3b Satellite Networks where he was responsible for managing and acquiring spectrum assets for the non-geostationary satellite operator, in addition to overseeing all of their regulatory activities at the ITU, CEPT, and other regulatory bodies. Before that, he was the Director or Regulatory & Spectrum Affairs where he created and managed the spectrum strategy for Yahsat (UAE), and was a key member of the Corporate Strategy team where he was instrumental in formulating and executing the expansion strategy for Yahsat in Africa and South America.
Prior to Yahsat, Mr. Moakkit was a member of the Spectrum & Regulatory group at Intelsat (previously PanAmSat) in Washington, DC. During his tenure at PanAmSat, he also worked in various system and sales engineering capacities.
Early on in his career, Mr. Moakkit served as a systems engineer at ATCI, a nascent satellite systems integrator based in Tempe, Arizona. While at ATCI he designed and built RF systems for several Fortune 500 clients.
Mr. Moakkit earned a Master of Business Administration Degree from Georgetown University and a Bachelor of Science Degree in Electrical Engineering from Arizona State University.
Intelsat S.A. (NYSE: I) is the world’s leading provider of satellite services, delivering high performance connectivity solutions for media, fixed and mobile broadband infrastructure, enterprise and government and military applications for more than 50 years. Intelsat’s satellite, teleport and fiber infrastructure is unmatched in the industry, setting the standard for transmissions of video and broadband services. From the globalization of content and the proliferation of HD, to the expansion of cellular networks and mobile broadband access, with Intelsat, envision your future network, connect using our leading satellite technology and transform your opportunities.
Kalpak Gude
President, Dynamic Spectrum Alliance (DSA)
Kalpak S. Gude is President of the Dynamic Spectrum Alliance, a global organization advocating for laws and regulations supporting more efficient and effective spectrum utilization through sharing. The DSA’s membership spans multinationals, SMEs, academic, research, and other organizations from around the world, all working to create innovative solutions to increase the amount of available spectrum to benefit consumers and businesses alike. Before joining the DSA, Mr. Gude was the Vice President Legal Regulatory at OneWeb, a low-earth-orbit satellite broadband provider seeking to bring internet connectivity to unserved and underserved regions of the world. Prior to this, Mr. Gude served in several senior positions at the Federal Communications Commission in Washington, D.C., overseeing complex regulatory issues in the Media and Wireline Competition Bureaus. Mr. Gude also served as Vice President and Deputy General Counsel at Intelsat, held various board positions in the satellite and telecommunications industry and was named a co-Satellite Executive of the Year 2007. He holds a J.D. from the Indiana University School of Law – Bloomington, and a B.S. Electrical Engineering from the Rochester Institute of Technology.
Matthew Berry
Chief of Staff to Chairman Pai, FCC
Matthew Berry
FCC Chief of Staff
Matthew Berry serves as the Commission’s Chief of Staff. He has previously served as the Commission's General Counsel and Deputy General Counsel. In those roles, he was responsible for providing legal advice to the Commission and managing the Commission's litigation docket. Prior to joining then-Commissioner Pai’s office in 2012, he was a Partner at Patton Boggs LLP, where he was a member of the firm's Technology and Communications practice group. Mr. Berry has also worked at the United States Department of Justice, serving as Counselor to the Assistant Attorney General for the Office of Legal Policy and an attorney-adviser in the Office of Legal Counsel. During his tenure there, he earned the Department's John Marshall Award for providing legal advice related to counter-terrorism policy.
Mr. Berry has also served as a law clerk for United States Supreme Court Associate Justice Clarence Thomas and Judge Laurence Silberman of the United States Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit. Additionally, he has worked as a staff attorney at the Institute for Justice. Mr. Berry graduated summa cum laude from Dartmouth College and received his J.D. from Yale Law School.
Matthew Pearl
Assistant Chief - Wireless Telecommunications Bureau, FCC
Matthew Pearl is an Assistant Bureau Chief at the Federal Communications Commission (FCC), where he works in the Wireless Telecommunications Bureau, Office of the Bureau Chief.
In his FCC duties, Matthew contributes to the development of policy and rules governing wireless spectrum and auctions, including rules to facilitate the rapid, widespread deployment of communications services. Additionally, he assists the Bureau in reviewing license applications, overseeing existing licenses, and adjudicating complaints and requests. Previously, Matthew worked as a Legal Advisor in the Office of the Bureau Chief and as an Honors Attorney in the Bureau’s Broadband Division.
Matthew is also a Research Affiliate at the Berkman-Klein Center for Internet and Society at Harvard University, where he serves in a personal capacity. His research interests include communications law and policy, internet governance, social media and the law, cybersecurity, and administrative and constitutional law. At Berkman, Matthew is part of an effort to assess whether mesh network technologies can and should be used to improve public safety communications, and to evaluate the legal, policy, and technological issues that are raised by the adoption of such networks.
In 2010, Matthew earned a J.D. at Yale Law School, where he served as a submissions editor for the Yale Journal on Regulation. Before joining the FCC, he worked as a law clerk for Judge Harris Hartz of the United States Court of Appeals for the Tenth Circuit. Prior to that, he was a law clerk for Judge Lawrence Kahn of the United States District Court for the Northern District of New York.
Martha Heller
Chief of the Policy Division, Media Bureau, FCC
Martha Heller is Chief of the Media Bureau Policy Division at the Federal Communications Commission. She previously held several other positions at the FCC, including Assistant Chief in the Enforcement Bureau Front Office and Deputy Chief of the Media Bureau Industry Analysis Division. She also has served as the Acting Media Advisor for FCC Commissioner Mignon Clyburn. Before coming to the FCC, Ms. Heller was a Partner at the law firm Wiley Rein LLP in Washington, DC. She is a graduate of the University of Virginia Law School and received her undergraduate degree from Cornell University.
Alan Tilles
Partner, Shulman Rogers
With over 30 years of wireless experience, Alan Tilles is viewed as one of the “go-to” attorneys in the industry regarding spectrum utilization. From radio manufacturers, to frequency coordinators, radio engineers, municipalities, public safety agencies, railroads and utilities, he is frequently called upon to create innovative answers to complex technological problems.
Alan’s work in wireless goes well beyond simply reviewing contracts and writing FCC comments. Rather, using his extensive background owning and running radio stations, Alan has been at the forefront of conceiving and proposing rules at the FCC to address problems faced by the wireless industry. Major projects include: authoring rules for land mobile radio narrowbanding; representing hundreds of public safety entities in 800 MHz rebanding; authoring rules defining interference; writing and evaluating Requests for Proposal to implement public safety radio systems; and helping railroads acquire spectrum for Positive Train Control.
As counsel to the Government Wireless Technology & Communications Association, he advocates on behalf of government users of wireless on numerous issues, including smart city build-outs and wireless siting issues.
As one of the most sought-after public speakers in the country, Alan can be seen at seminars and webinars nationwide on a regular basis, including the International Wireless Communications Expo and the Global Transport Forum. His writing can be seen on websites such as Urgent Communications, and he is a regular contributor on Federal News Radio.
Rich Rossi
General Counsel, America Tower Corporation
Rich Rossi is the Senior Vice President and General Counsel for American Tower’s U.S. Tower Division. Mr. Rossi joined American Tower in 2001 to negotiate divestitures and M&A transactions in the Corporate Business Development team. He later served in various operational and legal roles in the U.S. Tower Division, including the Vice President Legal until August 2018 when he was appointed General Counsel, U.S. Tower. Mr. Rossi received his J.D. from Boston College Law School and is a graduate of Providence College magna cum laude. He also serves on the Board of Directors of East Cambridge Savings Bank.
Walter Johnston
Chief of Electronic Compatability Division, OET, FCC
Walter Johnston is currently Chief, Electromagnetic Compatibility Division for the FCC where he is responsible for the evaluation of new technologies and services. Prior to the FCC, he served as CTO for several companies focused on data and VoIP services. He has held senior positions in Telcordia and was Vice President at BellAtlantic/NYNEX, now Verizon, where he was responsible for the development of new broadband data services including the company’s first Internet service offering. While at Verizon he also directed the trial of one of the nation’s first high speed regional Internet networks as part of the National Science Foundation’s Internet program and also established one of the nation’s largest experimental broadband networks, a statewide facility connecting research organizations throughout New York State. Mr. Johnston served as program manager for the introduction of optical technology to the Bell System while he was at AT&T. He began his career with Bell Laboratories where he was responsible for design and development of a number of computer systems automating processes within the telephone network. He has a B.S./EE and an M.S./CS both from Polytechnic Institute of New York.
Ari Fitzgerald
Partner, Hogan Lovells
Ari Fitzgerald provides strategic, legal, and policy advice on a wide range of communications and spectrum policy issues to some of the world's largest and most dynamic communications network operators and equipment manufacturers, as well as a diverse assortment of industry trade associations and investors. He especially enjoys helping automobile manufacturers and other technology companies bring new and innovative communications-related products and services to market.
Ari had a distinguished career in government before joining Hogan & Hartson (now Hogan Lovells) as a partner in 2001. He was a legal advisor to former FCC Chairman Bill Kennard, as well as deputy chief of the FCC's International Bureau. He also worked as a legal advisor in the U.S. Department of Justice's Office of Legal Counsel, where he advised the White House, executive branch agencies, and the U.S. attorney general on constitutional and federal statutory interpretation matters.
Ari currently serves on the board of directors of Crown Castle International, a large, publicly owned operator of towers and other communications infrastructure, and on the advisory board of several
Saul Friedner
Associate Director, Spectrum Services, LS Telcom
Saul Friedner is Associate Director of Spectrum Services at LS telcom in the UK. Saul has worked in the spectrum and regulatory domain his whole career starting at Ofcom, and its predecessor the Radiocommunications Agency in 2000. He has spent the last 11 years working as a consultant in areas of spectrum strategy, policy, licensing and management aspects. Saul also understands the wireless technology landscape and has delivered various projects and training related to the preparation and deployment of all wireless technologies including 5G. Most recently Saul has worked for the UK government on 5G infrastructure requirements and for the European Commission on spectrum authorisation approaches to support the roll out of 5G
Paul Vasington
State Public Policy Director, Verizon
Paul Vasington is a Director- Public Policy with Verizon Communications. He has been in that position since February 2005. Mr. Vasington was chairman and commissioner at the Massachusetts Department of Telecommunications and Energy from 1998-2003, and he was on the staff of that agency from 1990-1996. In 1996-1998 and 2003-2005, he was a consultant with a focus on the regulated energy and communications industries. Mr. Vasington is a graduate of Boston College and has a master’s degree in public policy from Harvard University.
David Rothbaum
Global Business Development Director, Mission Critical and Private Networks, Ericsson
David Rothbaum is Director of Business Development in the Mission Critical and Private LTE organization within Ericsson. He specializes in providing the public safety and railway industries with connectivity solutions using 4G and 5G for critical operational applications. He is Ericsson delegate on ETSI Railway Communications working group tasked to define the Future Railway Communications System (FRMCS) to replace GSM-R as well as Ericsson delegate on European Communications Commission working group to determine the spectrum for FRMCS in Europe.
David holds a B.A.Sc. degree in Electrical Engineering from the University of Toronto and a M.Sc. degree in Management from Boston University.
Moderators
Jose Albuquerque
Chief, International Bureau Satellite Division, FCC
Jose Albuquerque has Engineering and MSc degrees from Catholic University (Rio de Janeiro, Brazil) and a PhD in Electrical Engineering from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.
He was with Catholic University, Rio de Janeiro, for more than 20 years, as a professor, as director of its Center for Studies in Telecommunications and as Vice President, Academic Affairs.
For over 20 years he worked for different satellite operators: Intelsat, Teledesic, PanAmSat and again Intelsat.
He has been with the FCC, as Chief of the Satellite Division, since August 2013.
Amit Nagpal
Partner, Aetha Consulting
Amit Nagpal is a Partner at, and one of the co-founders of, Aetha Consulting. Amit has over 20 years of experience on spectrum management issues having started his career with the Radiocommunications Agency (now part of Ofcom) in the UK. Amit advises regulators/government bodies, fixed and mobile operators, broadcasters, financial institutions and industry associations on a wide range of issues including spectrum policy development and spectrum valuation and auction support. Amit’s experience includes leading studies for the European Commission on the introduction of spectrum trading and a harmonised approach to the digital dividend. Amit has undertaken projects for clients in Europe, Middle East and Africa, Asia and North America and is therefore able to bring a global perspective to his work. He recently supported a mobile operator in Colombia with its preparations for the AWS
spectrum auction.
Ruth Milkman
Partner, Quadra Partners, LLC
Ruth Milkman is a partner in Quadra Partners, LLC, a strategic-advisory firm providing integrated expertise across business, finance, and public policy in the context of converging communications technologies.
Ms. Milkman served as the Chief of Staff of the Federal Communications Commission from 2013-2017 and Chief of the FCC’s Wireless Telecommunications Bureau between 2009 and 2013. From 1998-2009 she worked as one of the leading telecommunications lawyers in Washington as co-founder of Lawler, Metzger, Milkman and Keeney, a firm serving clients ranging from start-ups to large established telecommunications companies and private-equity firms. Before joining Lawler, Metzger, Ms. Milkman held a variety of senior positions at the FCC, including Senior Legal Advisor to Chairman Reed Hundt and Deputy Chief of the International and Common Carrier Bureaus.
Ms. Milkman has a B.A. from Harvard University and a J.D. from the University of Michigan Law School. She served as a clerk for the Honorable J. Harvie Wilkinson III on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit.
Alexis Kramer
Legal Editor, Tech & Telecom, Bloomberg Law
Alexis Kramer is a senior legal editor at Bloomberg Law, where she covers internet, technology, and telecom issues. She holds a B.F.A. from Long Island University and a J.D. and M.A. in International Affairs from American University’s Washington College of Law. Follow Alexis on Twitter at @alexis_s_kramer.
Richard Marsden
Senior Vice President, NERA Economic Consulting
With a team based in New York City and London, but working around the world, Mr. Marsden’s practice focuses on the design of allocation mechanisms, including:
· auctions and trading design;
· bidding strategy; and
· related competition, pricing, regulatory and public policy.
His work spans multiple industries, including broadcasting, energy, mobile telephony, procurement, radio spectrum and transport.
Many of Mr. Marsden’s recent projects have involved auction design, software implementation and/or bidder support related to the current wave of spectrum awards worldwide. Since 1999, he has provided strategy advice to leading incumbent operators and aspiring entrants in more than 35 spectrum auctions. He was also a lead member of the design team that developed and implemented the combinatorial clock auction, the first practical multi-round package bid format for awarding radio spectrum.
Prior to joining NERA, Mr. Marsden spent 10 years as Director and Managing Consultant at DotEcon, where he was responsible for business development for auctions, public policy, and strategy projects. He managed the project teams supporting the UK regulator Ofcom on digital dividend policy and UK spectrum auctions between 2005 and 2010. He also completed major studies for the European Commission on the allocation of the digital dividend and on spectrum trading and liberalization.
Mr. Marsden presents and publishes frequently on the topics of auctions, the communications industry, and spectrum management and allocation. He is the co-author of a book on broadband regulation (Springer, 2005). He is also an advisor to Forum Global on Spectrum Management conferences in the Americas, Asia and Europe.
Elena Scaramuzzi
Head of Americas Telecom, Media & Digital Economy, Cullen International
Elena leads Cullen International’s Americas Telecommunications, Media and Digital Economy services, covering regulatory research for both Latin America and North America. Elena travels frequently to the Americas region to meet telecoms and television providers, regulators and government ministries. Prior to her collaboration with Cullen International, Elena worked as a regulatory advisor at Telecom Italia covering the company's international activities in Latin America and Europe, and at the World Bank in Washington DC.
J. Armand Musey
Valuation and Financial Analysis Expert, Summit Ridge Group, LLC
Armand Musey founded Summit Ridge Group and has over 15 years of equity research, investment banking and consulting experience. Armand has completed dozens of financial valuation, strategic analysis, business development, corporate governance and business plan creation assignments in the communications industry and has experience working on numerous financing and M&A transactions. His involvement with a wide breadth of companies has allowed him to develop a deep understanding of a range of media and telecom issues and the complex web of relationships underlying the sector’s competitive dynamics and associated regulatory issues.
Prior to founding Summit Ridge Group, Armand led the satellite industry research teams for Banc of America Securities, and later Solomon Smith Barney where he also covered the wireless tower industry. He earned numerous honors as a research analyst including being named to the Institutional Investor “All American” team three times (2000-2002) and the Wall Street Journal “All Star” team. He was ranked the top satellite industry analyst by Greenwich Associates. He was previously president of a boutique investment bank specializing in the satellite, media and telecom industries.
Armand regularly speaks at major industry conferences and has been frequently quoted in leading trade publications and by national publications as an expert in communications finance and corporate governance. He authored the highly regarded publication The Spectrum Handbook 2013 and his recent industry research has been published in leading law journals. Armand is a member of the Federal Communications Bar Association (FCBA) and is a co-chair of its New York chapter for 2016-2017. He is also member of the New York Society of Securities Analysts where he chaired the Corporate Governance Committee from 2007-2009, the CFA Institute and the American Society of Appraisers.
Brent Skorup
Senior Research Fellow - Technology Policy Program, Mercatus Center, George Mason Universtity
Brent Skorup is a Research Fellow in the Technology Policy Program at the Mercatus Center at George Mason University. His research topics include wireless policy, new media regulation, competition, and telecommunications. He serves as vice chair of a working group on the FCC’s Broadband Deployment Advisory Committee.
He has authored pieces for law reviews, National Affairs, The New York Times, The Chicago Tribune, Wired, Reuters, Reason, National Review, and elsewhere. His research and commentary has appeared in news outlets like C-SPAN, NPR, CBS, The Washington Post, Vox, Bloomberg, and Buzzfeed.
Brent has a BA in economics from Wheaton College and a law degree from the George Mason University School of Law. He was formerly the Director of Research at the Information Economy Project, a law and economics research center.
Jeffrey Eisenach
Managing Director, NERA Economic Consulting
Dr. Eisenach is a Managing Director and Co-Chair of NERA's Communications, Media, and Internet Practice, and also serves on the firm’s Board of Directors. He is also an Adjunct Professor at George Mason University Law School, where he teaches Regulated Industries, and a Visiting Scholar at the American Enterprise Institute. Previously, Dr. Eisenach has served in senior policy positions at the US Federal Trade Commission and the White House Office of Management and Budget, and taught at Harvard University's Kennedy School of Government and Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University. Dr. Eisenach's consulting practice focuses on economic analysis of competition, regulatory, intellectual property and consumer protection issues. He has submitted expert reports and testified in US federal court as well before the Antitrust Division of the U.S. Department of Justice, the Federal Trade Commission, the Copyright Royalty Board, the Federal Communications Commission, US Tax Court, utility commissions, and courts and regulatory bodies in Australia, Canada, the United Kingdom, the Caribbean, and South America. He has also advised clients in some of the world’s largest information technology sector mergers. He has written or edited 19 books and monographs, including Broadband Competition in the Internet Ecosystem and Competition, Innovation and the Microsoft Monopoly: Antitrust in the Digital Marketplace. His writings have also appeared in scholarly journals such as The Review of Network Economics, as well as in popular outlets like Forbes, The New York Times, and The Wall Street Journal. Prior to joining NERA, Dr. Eisenach was a managing director and principal at Navigant Economics, and before that he served as Chairman of Empiris LLC, Criterion Economics, and CapAnalysis, LLC. Among his other previous affiliations, Dr. Eisenach has served as President and Senior Fellow at The Progress & Freedom Foundation; as a scholar the Heritage Foundation, and the Hudson Institute; as a member of the 1980-81 Reagan-Bush Transition Team on the Federal Trade Commission, the 2000-2001 Bush-Cheney Transition Team on the Federal Communications Commission, the Virginia Governor's Commission on E-Communities, and the Virginia Attorney General's Task Force on Identity Theft. In 2016-2017 he led the Trump-Pence Transition Team for the Federal Communications Commission. Dr. Eisenach received his PhD in economics from the University of Virginia and his BA in economics from Claremont McKenna College.
Logistics
When
Tue October 2, 2018 08.30 to
Wed October 3, 2018 17.00
EST
Where
The National Press Club
529 14th St NW,
Washington, DC 20045,
USA
Downloads
Global Spectrum Series Sponsorship Brochure
