Agenda

Cosmas Zavazava took office as Director of the​ Telecommunication Development Bureau (BDT) at the International Telecommunication Union (ITU) on 1 January 2023.

With more than 30 years in telecommunications, including over 20 years in ITU's Development Sector, Dr Zavazava has promoted and implemented impactful information and communication technology projects around the world.

Prior to his election as BDT Director, he served as ITU's Chief of Partnerships for Digital Development , overseeing development-related projects, strategic partnerships, and resource mobilization between 2019 and 2022, while launching new initiatives that have boosted the engagement of industry, private-sector and academia members in ITU's work.

Previously, as ITU's Chief of Projects and Initiatives, he oversaw development projects focused on gender, youth, and people with special needs, along with capacity building, emergency telecommunications, climate change mitigation and adaptation, and e-waste management. 

Earlier, Dr Zavazava headed the Republic of Zimbabwe's Government Telecommunications Agency and served as a senio​r diplomat. He also taught MBA classes at the UK's Nottingham Trent University. 

Throughout his career, he has focused on closing the digital and skills divide and accelerating digital transformation to achieve socio-economic development for all. 

Dr Zavazava holds a PhD in Multilateral Trade from Business School Lausanne (Switzerland), and a Master of Laws degree in Telecommunications and Information Technology from the University of Strathclyde (UK), as well as a Master's in International Relations from Webster University (US), and an MBA from the University of Zimbabwe. He also holds a Bachelor's in Business Administration and diplomas in Telecommunications and Systems Engineering.

Isabelle Mauro is Director General of the Global Satellite Operators Association (GSOA) that represents the interests of the satellite industry ecosystem. Under Isabelle’s leadership, GSOA and its member CEOs lead the effort to showcase the benefits of satellite communications for a more inclusive, sustainable and secure society - vital to bridging the world’s digital divide, achieving the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals and realizing the full potential of the 5G & 6G ecosystem.
Isabelle has 25 years’ experience in the Telecoms and Technology sector, starting at the GSMA, where she was responsible for International & External Affairs for fifteen years. In 2015 she moved to New York to join the World Economic Forum as Head of the Information, Communications and Technology (ICT) Industry.
Isabelle is passionate about inclusion and sustainability. She is a Commissioner of the UN Broadband Commission for Sustainable Development. She also sits on the Advisory Board of Women in Tech.

Alexandre Vallet is the current Chief of the Space Services Department in the Radiocommunication Bureau of the International Telecommunication Union (ITU), since November 2017. As such, he leads the team responsible for the maintenance of the international registry of satellite radio frequencies, which allows all countries around the world to coordinate their use in order to avoid radio interference in outer space.

Alexandre Vallet began to work in 2000 in the R&D center of Orange dealing with communications satellites. In 2006, he joined the satellite operator Eutelsat where he was in charge of regulatory matters. From 2007 to 2017, he was the Head of the Regulatory affairs and Spectrum/Orbit Resources Department at the French Agency in charge of radio spectrum management (Agence Nationale des Fréquences – ANFR).

After spending 25 years in the space industry, working on the design and manufacturing of Earth observation satellites (now Airbus DS), Philippe Lattes joined Aerospace Valley, the premier European innovation hub for aeronautics and space, located in Toulouse, where he worked for 11 years. Aerospace Valley brings together over 800 aerospace stakeholders, including more than 100 in the space sector, making it one of the largest concentrations of space players worldwide. During his time at Aerospace Valley, Philippe Lattes held the position of Space Sector Manager, overseeing activities related to satellite design, manufacturing, and various space data services such as navigation, Earth observation, and telecommunications. In this role, he developed tools to support the growth of new services and applications, including a dedicated incubator (ESA Bic Sud France), student competitions (ActinSpace), and innovation support systems in collaboration with CNES, ESA, and the European Commission. In September 2021, he left Aerospace Valley and currently works as an international consultant specializing in space and its applications, particularly in developing countries. He’s created the LEOBLUE company in September 2023 with Pr Guillaume Ferré, researcher in digital telecommunication in IMS laboratory.

Pierre-Philippe Mathieu is the ESA implementation manager of the Civil Security from Space (CSS) programme at the European Space Agency (ESA), aiming to bring together space technologies (e.g. Earth Observation, secure connectivity and navigation), with digital technology (e.g. AI) to enable rapid and resilient response to crisis and develop new space-based market opportunities. He spent 20+ years working in the field of environmental and ocean modelling, weather risk management and remote sensing. He has a degree in mechanical engineering and M.Sc from University of Liege (Belgium), a Ph.D. in oceanography from the University of Louvain (Belgium), and a Management degree from the University of Reading Business School (Uk).

Margo Deckard is the Chief Operating Officer and Senior Vice President of Special Projects at NexGen Space, LLC.  She is also a Co-founder of Lynk Global, Inc. (“Lynk”) where she served as the Chief Operating Officer and led the Regulatory and Government Teams. Her humanitarian work inspired her to discover and identify the ability to use Low Earth Orbit satellites to connect directly to unmodified mobile phones.

Margo created and executed Lynk’s regulatory strategy for persuading the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) to allow satellites to use cellular bands from space. This work culminated in the world's first commercial license for Direct-to-Device services from the FCC as well as regulatory licenses in over 50 countries. Her efforts persuaded the FCC to adopt a major regulatory change with global implications resulting in the Single Network Future: Supplemental Coverage from Space Report and Order in 2024. A retired paramedic, she sits on the International Wireless Communications Expo (IWCE) Advisory Board supporting a forum for critical communications technology professionals.