Mr Brahima Sanou was elected Director of the ITU Telecommunication Development Bureau by the Plenipotentiary Conference in October 2010 in Guadalajara, Mexico.  He took office on 1 January 2011. A national of Burkina Faso, Mr Sanou has more than thirty years experience in the telecommunication and ICT sector, both at a regional and at an international level. During his ten years as Head of the ITU Regional Office for Africa and Liaison Officer to the African Union and the United Nations Economic Commission for Africa (UNECA), he contributed to the development of the African telecommunication/ICT sector and played a key role in the organization of the Connect Africa Summit, held in Kigali, Rwanda in October 2007 and in its follow-up. Prior to working for the ITU, Mr Sanou held several high-level positions in the Posts and Telecommunication Services in Burkina Faso. Mr Sanou has served as Head of Burkina Faso’s delegation to various international and national conferences and as Governor representing 15 African countries on the Board of INTELSAT as well as representing his country in the ITU Council for almost 10 years. He holds an Engineering degree from the Ecole Nationale Supérieure des Télécommunications (ENST) in Paris and a post-graduate diploma from the Centre for Financial, Economic and Banking Studies in Paris.

H.E. Group Captain Anudith Nakornthap took office as Minister of Information and Communication Technology of Thailand on 9 August 2011. Prior to taking his political career, H.E. Anudith Nakornthap was a distinguished pilot serving in the Royal Thai Air Force. He was repeatedly awarded for his outstanding performance and academic achievements while in the Air Force. Although H.E. Anudith Nakornthap became well known as a politician in Thailand when he was elected as Member of the House of Representatives from 2007-2011, his role in the Parliament, in fact, began as early as in 2005 when he dually served as a political secretary for Minister of Defense and advisor to Minister of Agriculture and Cooperatives from 2005-2006. He was also actively involved in the energy sector while he was a member of the Committee on Energy of the House of Representatives in 2007-2011, during which he was appointed as Chairman of the Sub-Committee on Renewable Energy Promotion of the House of Representatives.

Jirawan Boonperm,

Ms Jirawan Boonperm has a long successful career in the field of statistics and indicators. She was serving as Director General of National Statistical Office before being appointed as Permanent Secretary of Ministry of Information and Communication Technology of Thailand in October 2010. Ms Jirawan Boonperm contributed significantly to improving the production and management social and economic statistics through censuses and surveys. She played a key role in the development of Thailand’s national statistical system including the amendment of Statistical Act 2007. She was granted a range of Royal Thai Orders and Decorations and was also awarded for being an outstanding government officer of National Statistical Office.

Cosmas Zavazava, Chief of Project Support and Knowledge Management Department, ITU/BDT  

Lina V. Castro,

Ms Lina V. Castro is the Assistant Secretary General and con-currently the Officer-In-Charge Secretary General of the National Statistical Coordination Board (NSCB), the highest policy-making and coordinating body on statistical matters in the Philippines. Her academic background includes degrees on Statistics and Demography at the University of the Philippines, and a post graduate certificate on Social Research for Development at the University of London, United Kingdom. She has served as resource person/speaker in various local and international seminars/workshops/fora and trainings on Gender Statistics, Millennium Development Goals, Education and Health Statistics, Governance Statistics, Disability Statistics, and Social Statistics. She also serves as Chair/Co-Chair or member of various subject-matter Inter-agency Committees and Technical Committees, e.g. Inter-Agency Expert Group on Gender Statistics, Washington Group on Disability Statistics, Poverty, Population and Housing, Health and Nutrition and Multi-Sectoral Committee on Human International Development Commitments.

Salam Yamout,

Salam Yamout is the National ICT Strategy Coordinator at the Presidency of the Council of Ministers since July 2010.  Per such, she handles the innovation and ICT portfolios for the Prime Minister Office.  Before that, Salam was Program Manager for Corporate Social Responsibility at Cisco since 2005.  Salam has 20 years experience in the development and management of ICT systems for both the private and public sectors, the formulation of ICT Strategies and ICT for Development (ICT4D) programs.  She has consulted with the EU, UN, ESCWA, the Ministry of Administrative Reform, and the Ministry of Economy. Salam holds an MBA from ESCP-EAP, Paris / Ecole Supérieure des Affaires, Beirut in 2005.  Salam also holds a M.S. in Electrical and Computer Engineering from the University of Arizona (Tucson, USA) in 1987 and a B.S. in Electrical and Computer Engineering from Valparaiso University (Indiana, USA) in 1985. A serial social entrepreneur, Ms Yamout is the founder of Women in IT, the Lebanese Broadband Stakeholders Group, and the Lebanon Chapter of the Internet Society.  She also established the Beirut Internet Exchange Point (BIX) in 2008.  She is Secretary General of the MIT Enterprise Forum Arab Business Plan Competition, a member of the Lebanese Association for Democratic Elections, the Lebanese Transparency Association, and the Order of Engineers of Beirut.  She is a certified PMP with the Project Management Institute. 

Krishna Oolun, Executive Director, Information and Communication Technologies Authority, Mauritius

Dr Krishna Oolun holds an electronic engineering degree from the University of Mauritius and a Masters and PhD in Communication engineering from the University of Manchester UK, as well as a MBA in Information Technology Management from the University of Leicester, UK. He is a Chartered Engineer of the UK Council of Engineers and member of the IEEE Communication Society, USA. Dr Krishna Oolun is presently the Chief Executive of the ICT Authority of Mauritius, the National Regulatory Authority. He has been working with the Regulator for the last 10 years and was involved in the drafting of the White Paper in Telecommunication in 1997 following the commitment of Mauritius to liberalise the sector. He has then contributed in the elaboration of the National IT Strategic Plan of Mauritius in 1998, the National Spectrum Management Policy for Mauritius in 2002, the National Numbering Policy in 2003, the National Telecom Policy of 2004, the elaboration of the National ICT Strategic Plan for the years 2007-2011 for Mauritius and the preparation of the National Broadband Policy 2012-2020. Dr Oolun has a wide experience in Telecom sector planning with research interest in the regulatory reform modelling and has over 40 international publications in the field of Communication engineering, amongst others.

Haishan Fu, Director, Statistics Division, United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (UN-ESCAP)

Ms Haishan Fu is the Director of the Statistics Division of United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (ESCAP). Previously, she had held positions as Chief of Statistics at the Human Development Report Office of United Nations Development Progrmme (UNDP), Senior Research Associate at the Guttmacher Institute in New York and Population Affairs Officer at the United Nations Population Division. She had also worked as a postdoctoral fellow at the Population Studies Center, University of Pennsylvania and Visiting Research Collaborator at the Office of Population Research, Princeton University.  She is a former member of the Executive Committee of IAOS, and a member of the Advisory Committee on Ethics of ISI and the Statistical Advisory Panel of the Human Development Report (HDR) of UNDP. She has published a number of research papers in leading academic journals, and contributed as core team member, team leader or executive editor to major international and regional reports. A native of China, Ms Fu holds a doctoral degree in Demography from Princeton University and a bachelor degree in Economics from Peking University. 

Maitree Wasuntiwongse, Advisor to the Director General, National Statistics Office, Thailand

Dr Maitree Wasuntiwongse is Advisor to the Director General of the  National Statistics Office (NSO) of Thailand. He has been Director of the Institute for Learning Development (a non-profit Organization) since 2007. Dr Wasuntiwongse has worked as a consultant and programme manager of many projects both for the Government and the private sector. In 2006, he was consultant under the project run by UNDP and the NSO, on the “Development of Thailand’s National Statistical System Master Plan”. Another project that he worked closely with the NSO was the “Programme for the Development of Thailand National Statistical System” during the years 2007-2009. Mr Wasuntiwongse received his Ph.D. in Engineering Management in 1984 from the University of Missouri-Rolla, Missouri, United States.

Susan Teltscher, Head, ICT Data and Statistics Division, ITU/BDT

Susan Teltscher is Head of the ICT Data and Statistics Division of the International Telecommunication Union’s Telecommunication Development Bureau. Her Division is responsible for the collection, harmonization, analysis and dissemination of information and communication technology (ICT) statistics worldwide, and for the production of analytical reports on global and regional trends in ICT. Before joining the ITU in July 2008, she was Chief of the ICT Policy and Analysis Unit, ICT and E-Business Branch, of the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development, Geneva. Ms Teltscher received her Ph.D. in Economic Geography in 1992 from the University of Washington (Seattle, United States).

Iñigo Herguera, Director, Studies and Statistics Department, Comisión del Mercado de las Telecomunicaciones, Spain

Iñigo Herguera is Licenciado in Economics by the Universidad Autónoma de Madrid (1987), has a Diploma in European Studies by the Universitaet des Saarlandes (Germany, 1988) and a PhD in Economics from the European University Institute (Dept. of Economics, 1994). He is an Associate Professor in the Universidad Complutense de Madrid and currently Works as Director for the Studies and Statistics Department of the telecommunications regulator in Spain,  the Comisión del Mercado de las Telecomunicaciones. He has a number of publications in international refereed journals. His research field is Industrial Organization, anti-trust and regulation. He has been consultant in relevant cases on regulation of the telecommunications industry and has been involved in several anti-trust cases. He has worked in consultancy for big electricity and telecommunications firms, as well as for the European Commission.

Tiong Yeow YEO, Deputy Director, Competition Management Department, Infocomm Development Authority, Singapore

Mr Yeo Tiong Yeow is currently the Deputy Director in Policy and Competition Development Group in the Infocomm Development Authority of Singapore (“IDA”), primarily responsible in the formulation and reviews of major economic regulation and competition policies, as well as enforcement of these policies to promote and maintain sustainable competition in the telecom and postal sectors. Mr Yeo joined the then Telecommunication Authority of Singapore (the former IDA) in 1998 and has been in IDA since. He was also seconded to the Competition Commission of Singapore (“CCS”) for 2 years from October 2007 to September 2009, and was responsible in leading teams in investigating alleged anti-competitive practices and conducting market studies in other economic sectors such as real estate, education, retail and healthcare sectors, including advising other government agencies on competition-related matters.

Paul Hamilton, Managing Director, Hamilton Research

Paul Hamilton is the Managing Director of Hamilton Research, a specialist provider of research, analysis and cartographic services and publisher of Africa Bandwidth Maps. He has been an African Telecom Analyst for nearly fifteen years, and has worked as a consultant for over ten years. Prior to the that, he was the Telecoms Research Manager at World Markets Research Centre. Mr Hamilton studied Geography and International Politics at Keele University in the UK.

Rita Vala, Information and Consumers Department, Autoridade Nacional de Comunicações (ANACOM), Portugal

Rita Vala works at ANACOM, the Portuguese National Regulatory Authority (NRA) for electronic communications,  in Lisbon, at the Information and Consumers department. She works on issues such as the definition and analysis of indicators for the assessment of broadband services and next generation networks, gives support by providing information to other entities (e.g. NRAs, BEREC, ITU, OECD, etc.). She is a member of the Body of European Regulators for Electronic Communications (BEREC) - Benchmark Expert working group and takes part in the European Commission’s working groups related with statistics and indicators. She holds a degree in Finances and has a postgraduate degree in Public Regulation from Coimbra University, in Portugal.

Henri Helanterä currently works as Solution Architect in Nokia Siemens Networks where he is a leading expert in telco Customer Experience Management (CEM) and wider Operations Support Systems (OSS) domain. He has lead the implementation of large scale CEM solutions to mobile operators across the Asia Pacific region and consulted operators on end user experience and insights. Prior to his current role he has worked as a sub-regional business owner for Network Planning and Optimization portfolio and has held various R&D positions at Nokia Siemens Networks. He holds an MSc degree in the field of Automation and Information Technology from Tampere University of Technology, Finland, and has co-authored articles on 3G/4G mobile network performance management systems.

John Garrity, Manager, Global Technology Policy, Cisco Systems

John Garrity is an economist focused on the impacts of broadband IP networks. His role in Cisco’s global technology policy team involves informing global Internet policy through rigorous data analysis and data visualization. Previously, he spent five years in Cisco’s emerging markets unit, responsible for advising strategy across 130 countries and researching the role of information and communications technologies (ICTs) in economic growth, productivity, social inclusion and environmental sustainability. Research and publications include topics on national ICT strategies, municipal ICT utilization and the global shift in the emerging Internet economy. He has also engaged in future scenarios development at Cisco ("The Evolving Internet: Driving Forces, Uncertainties, and Four Scenarios to 2025") and in his previous role in corporate strategy at the World Bank ("The World and Development in 2020"). Prior to the World Bank his work at the US Federal Trade Commission and the State of Ohio’s economic development department focused on managing and utilizing data to support policy research and action. He holds undergraduate and graduate degrees in applied economics from the Ohio State University. 

Agustín Díaz-Pinés, Telecommunication Economist, Information, Communications and Consumer Policy Division, OECD

Since 2009, Mr Díaz-Pinés is a Telecommunication Economist/Policy Analyst in the OECD’s ICCP Division, where he has worked in the areas of international mobile roaming, broadband policy and regulation and telecommunication indicators, including the OECD Broadband Portal and OECD Communications Outlook. Concerning broadband indicators, he has coordinated the development of the newly adopted OECD methodology for constructing a wireless broadband price basket. Previously, he served as Spanish public official in the State Secretariat for Telecommunications and the Information Society, where had responsibility for national telecommunications policy, taking part in the design of universal service policy and in the negotiation of the European Telecom Directives and the EU Roaming Regulation. He was also seconded to the European Commission in 2008, where he worked on the economic impact of ICTs. Agustín holds a Master of Science (MSc) in Telecommunications Engineering from the Madrid University of Technology and a Master of Arts in Music (MoA) from the Spanish Royal School of Music.

H E Koay, Acting Senior Director, Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission (MCMC), Malaysia

Mr H E Koay is Acting Senior Director in the Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission (or MCMC) where among other things, he looks after the Statistics portfolio.  Prior to joining the MCMC, he was with the national statistical organization of Malaysia.  Under his watch, the Statistics department of MCMC evolved from merely collecting secondary data to actively conducting primary surveys through its CATI Centre as well as providing statistical advisory services in communications and multimedia to stakeholders in Malaysia.

Saeed Mashkoor, Market Analyst, Telecommunications Regulatory Authority (TRA), Bahrain

Saeed joined TRA in 2007 and is responsible for the collection, auditing, and reporting of market indicators and statistics. He also leads the annual price benchmarking study of telecommunications services prices in Arab countries. His other duties include reviewing tariff proposal and conducting competiton-based tests. Saeed has B.Sc. in Statistics and Operational Research.

Tim Johnson, Consultant Analyst, Point Topic

Tim Johnson’s experience of research on telecoms metrics goes back to 1976 at Logica when he was responsible for the first complete compilation of telecoms tariffs for Western Europe, later branded as the Tarifica service.  In 1977-79 he created the methodology and acted as Chief Consultant for the second Eurodata Study, compiling definitive data and forecasts on data communications user numbers, traffic and applications in Western Europe.  As the founder and Chair of Ovum during the 1980s he presided over trail-blazing studies tracking the growth of such developments as ISDN and the early days of telecoms deregulation.  In the 1990s he returned to tariff issues through setting up Point Topic which has been tracking broadband tariffs and user numbers since 1999, adding video-over-broadband services from 2004.   From 2005 Point Topic has been using its expertise in broadband metrics to map broadband coverage and take-up in geographical detail, first of all for the UK and more recently for the whole of the European Union and other European countries.  Recent projects for the European Space Agency and the European Commission have produced the first-ever pan-European maps of broadband coverage with special reference to the Digital Agenda target of availability of superfast (over 30Mbps download) broadband for all European citizens by 2020. Tim Johnson graduated in Physics from Imperial College, London and started his career as a science journalist.  He still lives in London and likes to get out to the countryside and walk over a few hills when he can.

Walter Strack, Assistant Bureau Chief for Economics and Chief Data Officer (Acting), International Bureau, U.S. Federal Communications Commission (FCC), United States

Walt Strack is the Assistant Bureau Chief for Economics, and Chief Data Officer (Acting), at the International Bureau of the U.S. Federal Communications Commission (FCC).  He is responsible for interacting on a regular basis with the ITU and OECD on ICT data issues.  He also works on a number of economic policy issues including the evaluation of international mobile telephone roaming and competition disputes in the satellite sector.  Prior to joining the International Bureau in early 2010, Mr. Strack was for over a decade the Chief Economist of the FCC’s Wireless Telecommunications Bureau.  He holds a Ph.D. in economics from the University of Virginia.

Anne-Laure Durand, Deputy Chief, Observatoire statistique et suivi des marchés, ARCEP, France

Anne-Laure Durand is deputy chief of the unit in charge of statistical observatories and market monitoring at ARCEP (Autorité de régulation des communications électroniques et des postes). She is specialized in statistical monitoring of the market for high speed and ultra-high speed internet as well as in issues related to statistical measurements of evolutions of telecommunications services prices.

Ms Bonapace, an international development economist, works at the United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (ESCAP), the UN’s regional development hub. For over 22 years, she has promoted regional policy-making processes with a particular focus on macroeconomic, trade and industrial analysis.  More recently, Ms Bonapace , has worked on digital innovations offer and their role in building regional economic connectivity and transforming societies for e-resilience. Ms Bonapace has led multidisciplinary teams involved in the preparations of key studies, research and analytical papers and has participated as a panelist and resource person in many meetings of senior government officials and business leaders. Ms Bonapace has lived in Italy, Thailand, and South Africa, where she obtained her Masters Degree in Commerce.

Peter Wallet, Assistant Programme Specialist, Communications and Information Statistics, UNESCO Institute for Statistics (UIS)

Having worked at UNESCO since 2003, Mr Peter Wallet currently leads the international data collection on information and communication technology in education (ICT4E) statistics. His unit is responsible for data collection, applying international standards to ensure international comparability, analysis and dissemination of ICT4E statistics worldwide, and for the production of analytical reports on regional and global trends in ICT4E. He is the UIS’s representative at the Partnership on Measuring ICT for Development. Before joining UIS he  contributed to the implementation of ICT solutions within the Quebec (Canada) Canadian school system as well as for several other education reform projects both in Canada and South Africa. He has also published articles in international refereed journals, particularly on the subject of effectiveness of learning via ICT-enabled distance education. He holds postgraduate degrees in Educational Technology from Concordia University  and McGill University in Montreal, Canada.

Kamla Al-Rahbi, Senior Project Specialist, International Relations & Information Department, Information Technology Authority, Sultanate of Oman

Ms Kamla Al-Rahbi has been working in developing the measurement of ICT adoption and usage in Oman based on International ICT Indicators, supporting Government offices in e-Government, working on ICT data interpretation,  collecting ICT statistical data from different sources, designing questionnaires & output tables for different ICT surveys (Household & Individual, Government, Education, Higher Education, Business). Ms Al-Rahbi Worked as Technical Designer at the Ministry of National Economy (NSO) in two key projects: General Census of Population, Housing and Establishments 2003 and the Household Income and Expenditure Survey 2006/2007 & 2007/2008, where she designed the forms for the handheld devices, prepared samples for the lists inside the applications, provided suggestions for technical adjustments , and participated in preparing many reports. Ms Al-Rahbi holds a Bachelor Degree in Information Systems from Sultan Qaboos University, Sultanate of Oman and a Higher diploma in Education from the same university.

Sultan Al-Wadhahi, Director, Network & Telecommunication Department, Ministry of Education, Sultanate of Oman

Mr Sultan Al-Wadhahi is the Director of Network & Telecommunication Department at Ministry of Education (MoE) where he is responsible for designing and provisioning the IT infrastructure at MoE buildings and schools. He was the Deputy Director of the Information System Department for the Archiving and E-services. At that time he was working in the Educational Portal e-services implementation in terms of awareness, marketing, and communication channels. He has been working in MoE since 1995 as a teacher for the elementary schools and moved to the ministry headquarters in 2006 as internal Auditor for 2 years and then moved to the DG of IT. Mr Al Wadhahi holds an MBA and graduated from the University of Bedfordshire, United Kingdom in 2008.

Torbjörn Fredriksson, Officer-in-charge, Science, Technology and ICT Branch, UNCTAD

Mr Torbjörn Fredriksson is the Officer in Charge of the Science, Technology and ICT Branch of the Division on Technology and Logistics at UNCTAD. He is among other things responsible for the annual Information Economy Report and UNCTAD’s work on measuring the information economy. The Science, Technology and ICT Branch is also covering work related to national reviews of science, technology and innovation as well as ICT policies. Mr Fredriksson joined UNCTAD in 2000 and was for eight years one of the principal authors of the World Investment Report. Before joining UNCTAD, Mr Fredriksson has held positions at the Invest in Sweden Agency, the Swedish Ministry of Industry and Commerce the Industrial Institute for Economic and Social Research in Stockholm. Mr Fredriksson is the author of several books and has published articles related to international trade and investment in such publications as the Journal of International Business Studies, International Journal of Industrial Organization and the Journal of World Investment. He holds an MSc in International Economics from the Stockholm School of Economics.

Seung Keon Kim, Director General, Statistics Information Center, Korean Association of Information and Telecommunication (KAIT), Republic of Korea

Dr. Seung Keon Kim is Director General of the Statistics Information Center at the Korean Association of Information and Telecommunication (KAIT). The KAIT manages ICT policy in Korea, produces ICT statistics, and is affiliated to the Korea Communications Commission. Dr. Kim holds a PhD and M.B.A. in Public Policy from the University of Southern California as well as Graduate degrees in Public Administration. Before joining the KAIT, Dr. Kim was a Professor of Public Administration at Seojeong College and Yonsei University. He also served in the Seoul Metropolitan Council and in the Korean National Assembly.

Matthias Helble, Statistical Expert/Economist, Universal Postal Union (UPU)

Matthias Helble is leading the statistics program of the United Nations’ Universal Postal Union. He previously worked as economist for the World Trade Organization as well as for the World Health Organization. He has published widely in the field of international trade, including in the Journal of World Trade, World Economy, and the Review of World Economics. He was a research fellow at Yale University and obtained his PhD in international economics from the Graduate Institute of International Studies in Geneva, Switzerland. He holds Masters’ Degrees from the University of Wisconsin, Madison, as well as from the University of Tübingen, Germany.

Mr Hector Manuel Nambo is currently Subdirector of ICT Statistics, in the Directorate General of Economic Statistics at the Mexican National Institute of Statistics and Geography (INEGI). The exercise of the profession has led him to perform a wide range of activities associated with the generation of statistics in various sectors, such as the development of statistical yearbooks of the Ministry of Communications and Transport, the statistical analysis of administrative records related to the insurance industry, and the design of probabilistic surveys as deputy consultant. On his current position, his main task has been to direct the generation of statistical information on availability and use of information and communications technologies (ICT) in Mexico, including work on the conceptual framework of such surveys. Work on the most recent Module on Availability and Use of ICT in Households (MODUTIH) began in 2001 and has since been the main source of data for the Mexican government with regards to the measurement of ICT access and use through a household survey.

Alexandre Barbosa, Manager, Center of Studies for Information and Communications Technologies (CETIC.br), Brazil

Mr Alexandre Barbosa is the manager of the Center of Studies for Information and Communications Technologies (CETIC.br), a Unesco Category II Center for the development of information society based in Sao Paulo, Brazil. He is in charge of several nationwide ICT Survey projects in Brazil aimed at the production of indicators and ICT statistics. Mr Barbosa holds a PhD degree in Business Administration from Getulio Vargas Foundation, a Master Degree in Business Administration from Bradford University, a Master Degree in Computer Science from Federal University of Minas Gerais, and a Bachelor of Science Degree in Electrical Engineering from Catholic University. He has conducted postdoctoral research at HEC Montreal in Canada.  

Sureerat Santipaporn, Director of Social Statistics Bureau, National Statistical Office, Thailand

Ms Sureerat Santipaporn is the Director of Social Statistics Bureau, National Statistical Office of Thailand. She is responsible for management social statistics projects such as Population Census, Agricultural Census, Household Socio – Economic Survey, Multiple Indicator Cluster Survey (MICS), Health and Welfare Survey, Disability Survey, Migration Survey, etc. She had held position as Chief of Information and Communication Technology Statistics Group. She has long experiences in the field of Information and Communication Technology Statistics. Ms Sureerat holds a master degree in Statistics from Chulalongkorn University.

Nancy J. Hafkin,

Dr. Nancy J. Hafkin has been working to promote information and communications technology in Africa and other developing areas, with particular emphasis on gender, for more than thirty years. She was chief of research for 12 years in the program for women and development at the United Nations Economic Commission for Africa (ECA) in Addis Ababa — the first international women and development program in the world — and went on to head the ECA program to Promote Information Technology for Development in Africa, where she worked to establish the African Information Society Initiative (AISI) -- eight years before WSIS). The program worked to set up the first electronic communication networks in a number of African countries and went on to convince African governments of the importance of the Internet. In 2000 the Association for Progressive Communications established the annual Nancy Hafkin Communications Prize competition. She has written widely on information technology, gender and international development, including Gender, Information Technology, and. Developing Countries: An Analytic Study, Cinderella or Cyberella: Empowering Women in the Information Society and Engendering the Knowledge Society: Measuring Women’s Participation. Most recently she contributed the chapter on gender issues to the World Web Foundation volume edited by George Sadowsky, Accelerating Development Using the Web: Empowering Poor and Marginalized Populations. Nancy has a Ph.D. in History (Africa) from Boston University. She is an Executive Board member of the international NGO PACT Inc. and serves on the advisory boards of a number of initiatives to encourage the use of the Internet in Africa. She is the mother of a son and a daughter and the grandmother of Dameon Berhanu, age 4. In 2012 she was in the first group of honorees inducted into the Internet Society Hall of Fame, in the category of “Global Connectors.”

Sonia N. Jorge, Research and Consulting Director, Pyramid Research

Sonia Jorge is Research and Consulting Director at Pyramid Research, and responsible for Pyramid’s global regulatory and policy consulting practice. Ms Jorge has over 20 years of experience as an international consultant in communications policy and regulation, gender and development and has worked extensively with public and private clients in Latin America and the Caribbean, Africa and Asia. Her recent work has focused on ICT policy and regulation, strategic planning for the ICT sector, national ICT policy and program development, new regulatory frameworks (to address competition, interconnection, cost-based pricing, sector development, licensing, convergence), market analysis and business strategies, universal access in the context of development, rural networks and infrastructure planning, gender analysis and awareness in the process of planning for information and communication technologies. Recent projects include: Pyramid’s research initiative on mobile applications for development in emerging markets; the development of strategic plans, the preparation of rural connectivity development policy and universal access strategies for African regulators; extensive market analysis and recommendations for new legal and regulatory frameworks in several countries across emerging markets. Ms Jorge has published and frequently presents at international conferences, focusing on regulatory and policy issues as well as the intersection of gender and ICT. Ms Jorge holds a Masters in Public Policy (Tufts University) and a BA/BS in Economics and Business Finance (University of Massachusetts). She is fluent in Portuguese, Spanish and English.

Nidhi Tandon, Independent Development Consultant, Networked Intelligence

Nidhi Tandon is originally from East Africa (Tanzania, Uganda and Kenya) and is now based in Toronto, Canada where she works as an independent development consultant. Nidhi is a social activist, animator and writer working with women and with marginalized communities to raise their voices in a digitized world.  For the past twenty years she has been specialising in digital media, information and communication technologies and applications that enhance women’s livelihoods in developing countries. Most recently she authored a global report for the International Telecommunications Union (A Bright Future in ICTs for a New Generation of Women) and compiled the content for the Girls in ICT Portal.