In alphabetical order:
                  

Ms Josephine Ifeoma Amuwa, Director, Policy, Competition & Economic Analysis Department, Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC)

Ms Josephine Amuwa is the Director, Policy, Competition & Economic Analysis Department of the NCC. Ms. Amuwa has over fifteen years’ experience in the telecommunications industry and has demonstrated expertise in telecommunications law. Prior to joining the NCC in 2001, Josephine Amuwa served as the Company Secretary/Legal Adviser of a commercial bank in Nigeria for more than ten years. Ms. Amuwa has acted as an international resource person at various forums within and outside Nigeria and has represented Nigeria at various conferences and seminars. These include the Nigerian Bar Association, the International Telecommunications Union, the Institute for Advanced Legal Studies and the West Africa Telecommunications Regulators Assembly (WATRA). She has demonstrated expertise in the telecommunications industry and has delivered presentations on Telecommunications Policy and Regulations, Cybercrime, Broadband and Corporate Financing, Mobile Number Portability, to mention but a few. A barrister and solicitor of the Supreme Court of Nigeria, she holds a Second Class (Upper Division) in Law from University of Ife (now Obafemi Awolowo University) and also holds an LLM degree from the University of Lagos.

Mr Aki Anastasiou, Host of CNBC Africa Television Show Tech Busters

Mr Aki Anastasiou is the host of CNBC Africa’s television show Tech Busters. As Talk Radio 702’s award winning trafficologist, Aki has endeared himself to generations of Joburgers by guiding them through the city’s gridlocked streets each morning. Aki’s other great passion is technology and he presents technology and gadget driven features on 702’s Technobyte, hosts Tech Busters on CNBC Africa and is a regular speaker and MC at South Africa’s top technology and innovation conferences.

Mr Bernard Banda, Manager for Research and Statistics at the Zambia Information and Communications Technology Authority (ZICTA), Zambia

Mr Bernard Banda is currently Manager for Research and Statistics at the Zambia Information and Communications Technology Authority (ZICTA) under the Markets, Competition and Licensing Department. He is also a part time post graduate lecturer in Industrial Economics and Advanced Micro Economics at the University of Lusaka. Prior to his current appointment, Bernard served as a Research Fellow in the Trade and Investment Unit at the Zambia Institute for Policy Analysis and Research. Bernard has planned, coordinated and undertaken numerous policy-oriented, academic and business-oriented assignments. His main focus has been on providing empirical evidence, research reviews, capacity building/training and advice on policy, planning and M&E to a wide range of multilateral, bilateral regional and national organizations. He is currently involved in a number of research activities in the ICT sector including digital financial services. Bernard holds a Master of Science in Economics obtained under the African Economic Research Consortium and a Bachelor of Arts in Economics/Mathematical Statistics from the University of Zambia.

Ms Annie Baldeo, Executive Officer of the Policy, Planning and Market Economics Division, Telecommunications Authority, Trinidad and Tobago

Ms Annie Baldeo is the Executive Officer of the Policy, Planning and Market Economics Division at the Telecommunications Authority of Trinidad and Tobago. She has served with this organisation for over ten years. Preceding this, Annie was employed with the National Information and Communication Technology Secretariat of the Ministry of Public Administration where she was involved in the development of Trinidad and Tobago’s first National ICT Plan. During her service at the Telecommunications Authority, she has gained a wealth of knowledge in the areas of ICT policy formulation and implementation particularly in the fields of Universal Service and the Digital Divide. Her academic qualifications include a Bachelor’s of Science Degree (with Honours) in Management, Economics and Finance from the University of the West Indies, and an MBA in Strategic Planning from Heriot-Watt University, United Kingdom. 

Dr Alexandre Fernandes Barbosa, Head, Regional Center for Studies on the Development of the Information Society (CETIC.br), Brazil

Dr Alexandre Fernandes Barbosa leads several information and communication technologies (ICT) surveys and research projects on the socioeconomic implications of ICT in Brazil. He is responsible for conducting nationwide ICT surveys for the production of ICT-related statistics on the access to and use of ICTs in different segments of society and capacity building in survey methodologies in Latin América and lusophone countries of Africa. Mr Barbosa is also the Chair of the Expert Group on ICT Households indicators from the International Telecommunications Union (ITU). Mr Barbosa holds a PhD degree in Business Administration from Getulio Vargas Foundation (Brazil), a Master Degree in Business Administration from Bradford University (UK), an MSc Degree in Computer Science from Federal University of Minas Gerais (Brazil) and a BSc Degree in Electrical Engineering from Catholic University (Brazil). He has also conducted postdoctoral research at HEC Montreal (Canada).

Dr Mårten Blix, Digitalization Expert and Former Secretary to the Swedish Prime Minister in the Commission on the Future Challenges of Sweden

Dr Mårten Blix is research scholar at the Research Institute of Industrial Economics in Sweden. His work is focused on understanding the effects of digitalization and structural change. His recent work includes the book “Digitalization and the economy” (available as an e-book) and “Digitalization, Immigration and the Welfare State” (forthcoming with Edward Elgar). Dr Blix has held several senior management positions in the Swedish Ministry of Finance, the Ministry of Industry, and at the Swedish Central Bank; he has also worked at the European Central Bank and been secretary to the Swedish Prime Minister in the Commission on the Future Challenges of Sweden. He is currently working on a book entitled “Quality and Profit in Tax-Financed Welfare Services”. He has a PhD in Economics from Stockholm University and an MSc in Econometrics and Mathematical Economics from the London School of Economics.

Mr Joseph Bulan, Statistical Specialist, Philippine Statistics Authority, Philippines

Mr Joseph Bulan is a Statistical Specialist II of the Poverty and Human Development Statistics Division of the Philippine Statistics Authority.  Mr Bulan currently serves as one of the lead staff on the developments of the indicator and monitoring framework of the post-2015 development agenda/Sustainable Development Goals and generation of the official poverty statistics and poverty statistics for the basic sectors. He is also in charge in the generation of poverty maps and producing infographic materials. Mr Bulan received his Bachelor of Science in Statistics at the University of the Philippines (UP) in Los Baños, Laguna and currently taking up his Master’s of Statistics in UP, Diliman.

H.E. Mr Vincent Byron, Attorney General, Ministry of Justice, Legal Affairs and Communications, St. Kitts and Nevis

The Honourable Vincent F. Byron, Jr., has appeared in several recent groundbreaking cases which have had significant ramifications for good governance and Constitutional rights in St. Kitts and Nevis, including the landmark cases of Shawn Richards and Others vs St. Kitts and Nevis Constituency Boundaries Commission, and of Eugene Hamilton and Robert Charles vs Joseph Edmeade. He frequently appears in constitutional and administrative law cases involving the rights of voters and other critical questions of democratic importance.
Hon. Vincent F. Byron has been associated with the Firm for more than twenty years. A graduate of the University of the West Indies, he attained a Bachelor of Arts Degree in History in 1976 and taught West Indian History and European History at the Basseterre Senior High School for a number of years before pursuing postgraduate studies at the New York Institute of Technology where in 1989 he was conferred the degree of Master of Business Administration.  Shortly thereafter, Vincent returned to St. Kitts to work as a Management Consultant. Working out of the Chambers of Terence Byron, he eventually assumed duties as Office Manager of the Firm. These duties had been competently undertaken for the previous ten years by the late Vincent F. Byron, Sr., M.B.E., retired senior civil servant, who had provided invaluable support to the Firm. In March 2010, Vincent Byron became a Member of the National Assembly of the Federation of St. Kitts and Nevis when he was appointed a Senator by the Leader of the Her Majesty's Loyal Opposition in the Federal Parliament. The Hon. Vincent F. Byron was appointed by His Excellency the Governor General as a Member of the Constituency Boundaries Commission in 2012.
In addition, Vincent also worked in public administration as National Instructor of the Health Management Information System. He installed and maintained the primary healthcare database and trained public health personnel in computer use. He was Deputy Census Officer for the 1991 Population and Housing Census, in charge of day-to-day management and planning. Vincent later embarked upon legal studies, gaining the Bachelor of Laws degree from the University of Wolverhampton in 2003. He was called to the Bar of England and Wales by the Honourable Society of the Inner Temple in 2006. He then gained the Legal Education Certificate from the Norman Manley Law School in 2007. In August 2007, he was called to the Bar of St. Kitts and Nevis. Vincent is also a Notary Public. 

H.E. Dr Rufino Ovono Ondó Engonga, Secretario de Estado encargado de Telecomunicaciones y Nuevas Tecnologías, Ministerio de Telecomunicaciones y Nuevas Tecnologías, Equatorial Guinea

Trained as an Electronics Engineer and with a PhD in Electronic Systems from the Engineering Faculty of the Università degli Studi in Pisa (Italy), he started his career working in the private sector in Italy between 2000 and 2005, for Arcotronics Industries SpA, dealing with the control, preparation and management of the raw materials used for the production of electronic components.  Most of his career however, has taken place in his home country, Equatorial Guinea, first in the regulator (Órgano Regulador de Telecomunicaciones/TIC) until 2012 as top technical and financial manager and, since September 2013, carrying out the function of Secretary of State in charge of Telecommunications and New Technologies.  His mother tongue is Spanish, has fluent Italian and intermediate French.  In addition to his tasks in the government, at the moment he is preparing a thesis for a Master’s degree in Information and Communication Technologies, from the Atlantic International University (USA).

Dr Aminata A. Garba, Assistant Professor, Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, Carnegie Mellon University, Rwanda

Dr Aminata A. Garba is an Assistant Professor at the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering at Carnegie Mellon University in Rwanda. She previously served as the Director General of the Multisector Regulatory Authority of Niger and worked on engineering, management, research and teaching in telecommunications at Orange (Niger), the National Institute for Scientific Research (Montreal), the National Center for Scientific Research (France) and the Telecommunication and Signal Processing laboratory and McGill University (Montreal).
She also served as a Director at the African Network Information Center, chair of the West African Telecommunication Regulatory Assembly (WATRA), member of the executive board of the African Water Association, member of the consultative committee of the ECOWAS Regional Electricity Regulation Authority, member of the Informal Experts Group for preparation of the 2013 World Telecommunication/ ICT Policy Forum and member of the national Steering Committee for the Africa Higher Education Centers of Excellence Project. Dr Garba received her Master and Ph.D. degrees in telecommunications from McGill University (Canada). She co-authored several journal articles, conference papers, invention disclosures and patent applications. Her interests include ICT infrastructure, technologies and policies, Internet of things, emergency communications, cybersecurity, ICT4D (e.g., women empowerment), high data rate transmission, capacity building and higher education. 

Dr Alison Gillwald, Executive Director of Research ICT Africa (RIA)

Dr Alison Gillwald is the Executive Director of Research ICT Africa (RIA) and holds an adjunct professorship at the University of Cape Town Graduate School of Development, Policy and Practice where she convenes a transdisciplinary PhD programme focusing on ICT policy and regulation. A former regulator she was appointed the founding Council of the South African Telecommunications Regulatory Authority (SATRA) having headed the policy department at the first broadcasting regulator, the Independent Broadcasting Authority established in the wake of the first democratic elections in South Africa in 1994. She also served as chairperson of the South African National Digital Advisory Body, which reported on digital migration in 2001; the board of the public broadcaster, the South African Broadcasting Corporation; and is currently deputy chairperson of the SA National Broadband Advisory Council. She has provided technical assistance to several African countries, and regional bodies, advising the Ministry of Communication on the South Africa’s Broadband Plan: SA Connect and for the African Development Bank and Government of Mauritius on the i-Mauritius broadband policy. She has worked extensively with multilateral agencies such as the International Telecommunications Union, UNCTAD and the World Bank. She served on the first ITU Task Force on Gender Issues set up in 2001 to develop gender-aware guidelines for policy-making and regulatory agencies and on the Partnership on Measuring the Information Society Task Group on Gender to develop standard indicators for measuring gender inequality in relation to ICT and which drew extensively on the sex disaggregated statistics and gender modelling in relation to ICT access and use undertaken by Research ICT Africa for more than a decade across Africa. In 2012 she served on the Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN) President’s Strategy Panel on Multi-stakeholder Innovation. She serves as deputy chairperson of the South African Broadband Advisory Council and sits on the boards of the African Tertiary Education Networks (TENET).

Ms Vanessa Gray, Head, LDCs, SIDS and Emergency Telecommunications Division, ITU

Ms Vanessa Gray is the Head of the Division for Least Developed Countries (LDCs), Small Island Developing States (SIDS) and Emergency Telecommunications within the ITU’s Telecommunication Development Bureau (BDT). She is responsible for studying the ICT needs of LDCs, Landlocked Developing Countries (LLDCs) and SIDS, developing specific programs of assistance tailored to address the particular vulnerabilities of these countries, and identifying ICT for development opportunities. Ms Gray coordinates the BDT’s work in the area of Emergency Telecommunications, to develop ICT projects and provide assistance for disaster prevention, preparedness, mitigation, response, and recovery. She is also responsible for the BDT’s programs on e-waste and climate change adaptation.
Prior to this position, Ms Gray was a Senior ICT Analyst in the ITU’s ICT Data and Statistics Division. She contributed to the design and preparation of analytical publications, including the Measuring the Information Society Report, organized ICT-related meetings, delivered national and regional trainings and workshops on ICT statistics and was the ITU focal point for the Inter-agency and Expert Group (IAEG) on MDG/SDG Indicators. Ms Gray holds a Master’s degree in Political Science and Economics from the Graduate Institute of International and Development Studies in Geneva, Switzerland.

Mr Alasdair Hainsworth, Chief, Disaster Risk Reduction Service Division, World Meteorological Organisation (WMO)

Mr Alasdair Hainsworth has been the Chief, Disaster Risk Reduction Services Division at the World Meteorological Organisation in Geneva since mid-2015. He is responsible for oversight of WMO’s Disaster Risk Reduction strategy and the coordination, establishment and enhancement of an international network of multi-hazard early warning systems. Prior to this, Mr Hainsworth had a 35 year career with the Australian Bureau of Meteorology where for the last five years he was the Assistant Director of Weather Services and Hazard Prediction with responsibility for delivery of the Bureau’s Warnings and Weather Forecasting Program to the public and the specialized weather services user community. For more than 20 years, Mr Hainsworth was a forecaster in five different Australian States and Territories and had a stint providing meteorological support for Antarctic and Southern Ocean scientific research on-board the scientific and supply ships “Polar Bird” and “Aurora Australis” as well as Casey and Davis Stations.

Mr John Harding, Programme Officer, UN Office for Disaster Risk Reduction (UNISDR)

Mr John Harding has 18 years of work experience in multilateral organizations in support to national and regional governmental efforts to build resilient societies. He currently works on inter-agency coordination at the United Nations Office for Disaster Risk Reduction (UNISDR). Mr Harding has assisted countries and partners with regard to risk governance, risk assessment and early warning systems.  He has served in a number of functions, including, as the Political Advisor on Energy, the Environment and Disaster Risk Reduction to the UN Special Envoy to Haiti, President William Jefferson Clinton, Head of the UNDP Disaster Risk Reduction Unit in Haiti and Advisor to the UN Resident Coordinator in Pakistan. Previously, he worked as Team Leader for the Global Facility for Disaster Risk Reduction (GFDRR) at the World Bank in Washington DC.

Ms Maria G. Harrison, Commissioner, Liberia Telecommunications Authority, Liberia

Hon. Maria G. Harrison was appointed by the President of the Republic of Liberia, Her Excellency, Madame Ellen Johnson Sirleaf in June 2014 to serve as Commissioner on the Liberia Telecommunications Board of Commissioners with regulatory oversight for the International Gateway Services Department.  Through this role she has been the focal point for the ITU Big Data Project in Liberia She has been instrumental in establishment and launch data of the first Internet Exchange Point (IXP) in Liberia in August 2015.  She also serves as the focal point for the Country Code Top Level Domain (ccTLD). Prior to her current appointment, Hon Harrison served as a consultant in the energy sector in Liberia, working towards improving access to cost effective and reliable electricity supply in Liberia.  She has also worked in the both the public and private sector in Liberia and the United States in various engineering and managerial roles in the telecommunications and semiconductor industries.
Hon. Harrison has a Bachelor of Science degree in Electrical Engineering (BSEE) from the University of Liberia in Liberia and a Master of Business Administration (MBA) from the North Carolina State University in North Carolina.  She also has the esteemed designation of Certified Supply Chain Professional (CSCP) with the Association of Operations Management (APICS).

Dr Iñigo Herguera, Professor of Economics, University of Madrid, Spain and Chair of the Expert Group on Telecommunications/ ICT Indicators (EGTI) 

Dr Iñigo Herguera is an associate professor in Economics at the Universidad Complutense de Madrid (Spain) and has a number of publications in international refereed journals. His research field is industrial organization, anti-trust and regulation. He has worked as the Director of the Statistics Division at the telecommunications regulatory commission in Spain for 11 years and participated and chaired several international expert groups on benchmarking telecommunications and ICT indicators. He has been consultant in relevant cases on regulation of the telecommunications industry and has been involved in several anti-trust cases working both for private corporations as for regulators and public institutions (energy regulator, European Commission). He holds a degree in Economics from the Universidad Autónoma de Madrid, a Diploma in European Studies from the Universitaet des Saarlandes and a PhD in Economics from the European University Institute.

Mr Noble Thapeli Katse, Director, Business Development, Botswana Communications Regulatory Authority

Mr Noble Thapeli Katse is currently Director of Business Development at Botswana Communications Regulatory Authority (BOCRA). He is responsible for ICT sector and in charge of licensing, market analysis and regulation. His interests are in project management, pricing, market analysis and measurements and he was involved in development of database for ICT Indicators at BOCRA, a tool that has become indispensable in daily operations of the regulator and the industry. He has recently led various regulatory initiatives that have had profound impact in the ICT market in Botswana, notably in the areas of Licensing and Pricing Regulation. Mr Katse has a MBA obtained from the University of Botswana.

Dr Seung Keon Kim, Director General, Korea Association for ICT Promotion, Korea (Rep. of)

Mr Seung Keon Kim is the Director General of the Korea Association for ICT Promotion (KAIT). KAIT manages ICT policies in Korea, produces ICT statistics, and is affiliated to the Ministry of Science, ICT and Future Planning (MSIP). In addition to his contribution to KAIT, Dr Kim Seung Keon also serves as the Secretary General of the Korea Big Data Forum and is the Chief Organizer of the World IT Show (WIS), the largest ICT exhibition held in Asia. Dr Kim holds a Ph.D. in Public Policy from the University of Southern California. Before joining the KAIT, Dr Kim was a Professor of Public Administration at Yonsei University. Between 1992 and 1995, he also served as a Chief Administrative Assistant for the Korea National Assembly; between 1995 and 1998 he was a Member of the Seoul Metropolitan Council.

 

Mr Paul Kiage, Assistant Director, Universal Service Obligations and Funding, Communications Authority, Kenya

Mr Paul Kiage has over the last 15 years of experience in the field of demography and ICT regulatory (telecom) market studies. In his current position Mr Kiage oversees the implementation of the Universal Access (UA) projects in Kenya in addition to the production of Quarterly ICT Sector Statistics Reports. During his work at the Communications Authority, he has directed several projects, including the Internet Market Study (2007), the National ICT Survey (2010), the ICTs Access Gaps Study in Kenya (2011, 2015), and the Public and Enterprise ICT Surveys (2016) in partnership with the Kenya National Bureau of Statistics (KNBS). He worked previously with the African Union (AU) as the Monitoring and Evaluation Specialist for AU health-related programs in the East African region. Mr Kiage holds a Bachelor of Arts and Masters’ degree in Populations Studies and Statistics from the University of Nairobi and a Diploma in Telecommunication Studies.                                          

Ms Esperanza Magpantay, Senior Statistician, ICT Data and Statistics Division, ITU

Ms Esperanza Magpantay is the Senior Statistician of the ICT Data and Statistics division (IDS) of the ITU, where she has been working since December 2000. She is responsible for the collection, harmonization and dissemination of ICT statistics particularly through the Yearbook of Statistics, World Telecom/ICT Indicators Database, ICT Eye and the ICT Development Index. Ms Magpantay coordinates the work of the ITU Expert Group on ICT Household Indicators (EGH) and the ITU’s representative at the Partnership on Measuring ICT for Development and its Steering Committee. She also coordinates the pilot project of the ITU on ‘Big Data for Measuring the Information Society’. Before joining ITU she worked for 7 years at the International Labour Office (ILO) in Geneva as a statistical officer. She has a degree in Statistics from the University of the Philippines.

Ms Anna N. Majelantle, Statistician General, Statistics Botswana

Ms Anna N. Majelantle is the Statistician General (CEO) of Statistics Botswana. Ms Majelantle is an expert in the formulation of statistical strategies and policies. She guides and directs the execution of systematic collection, processing, analysis, interpretation, storage and dissemination of official statistics covering population and housing censuses, social statistics and demographic data, macro-economic statistics, environment and agriculture statistics as well as business and household surveys. 
She serves as a Member of several high level national committees for effective policy decision-making and appropriate use of statistical information and represents Botswana in several international forums, such as the UN Statistical Commission, and is currently the Chair of the Southern African Development Community Statistical Committee. She is a Member of several other African Statistical Committees and uses this exposure to ensure that Botswana adheres to international statistical standards and best practices. She is also a Member of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO) Board of Directors. Ms Majelantle holds an MPH in Bio-Statistics from Tulane University in New Orleans and a BA in Statistics from University of Botswana.

H.H. Mr Mokgweetsi E. K. Masisi, Vice President of the Republic of Botswana

His Honour the Vice President trained at various institutions in the United States of America (USA), specialising in the United Kingdom (UK) as an educationist and social developer; he further read for Curriculum design specialisation in the USA. In 1999 he was awarded the Commonwealth Chevening Scholarship where he undertook graduate studies in Economics and Social Policy in Manchester, UK. He joined politics in 2003, contesting unsuccessfully for the Botswana Democratic Party (BDP) primaries in the then Moshupa Constituency. He remained active in politics and was elected Deputy Secretary of the Moshupa Branch Committee. He then joined an International Research NGO and focused on HIV Prevention research, whereupon he began post graduate studies in epidemiology, before he won the Botswana Democratic Party Primary elections in 2008; whereupon he abandoned his studies in preference for politics. He became the party’s Parliamentary candidate for Moshupa and subsequently secured the seat in the October 2009 general elections. Post elections, he was appointed Assistant Minister for Presidential Affairs and Public Administration at the State Presidency, overseeing the President’s Flagship Programmes, under the tutelage of the then Vice President. In January 2011 he was appointed Minister for Presidential Affairs and Public administration responsible for, amongst others: the Poverty Eradication Programme, he also oversaw the expansion of broadcasting capacity by Botswana Television and Radio Botswana. He conceptualized and initiated the Moshupa Constituency Development Show as well as the roll out and free distribution of seedlings to his entire Constituency and other community initiatives to improve peoples’ lives. He initiated partnerships for continuing education and economic groups etc. He was appointed Chairman of the Communications and International Relations Sub Committee of the BDP Central Committee in July 2013. He was redeployed to the Ministry of Education and Skills Development as the Acting Minister in April 2014, until the general elections on the 24th October 2014. After which, he was re-elected Member of Parliament for the Moshupa-Manyana Constituency. He was appointed the Minister of Education and Skills Development, October 28th 2014.
Mr Mokgweetsi E. K. Masisi was endorsed as the 8th Vice President of the Republic of Botswana, 12th November, 2014; in addition to being Minister of Education and Skills Development. Amongst other things, he is responsible for the oversight of Government programmes which include flagship programmes such as: Poverty Eradication, Economic Diversification Drive and Employment Creation. He is the Chairman of the: National AIDS Council, Rural Development Council and is also Leader of the House in Parliament as well as Ntlo Ya Dikgosi.                

Dr Burton S. Mguni, Deputy Statistician General, Statistics Botswana 

Dr Burton Mguni is the Deputy Statistician General for Economic and Social Statistics at Statistics Botswana, the National Statistical Organisation of Botswana. He is a Statistician with formal academic qualifications of a Bachelor’s degree in Economics and Statistics and Masters and doctoral degrees in Statistics. Dr Mguni has vast experience as an academic and University executive manager at the University of Botswana.  He has also worked as a private consultant in the areas of social environmental impact assessment; social and market surveys; data mining and analysis and higher education quality assurance and improvement.

H.E. Dr Win Busayi Juyana Mlambo, Deputy Minister of Information Communication Technology, Postal and Courier Services, Zimbabwe

H.E. Dr Win B.J. Mlambo is the first Deputy Minister of Information Communication Technology, Postal and Courier Services to be appointed since the creation of the Ministry, and a Member of the House of Assembly in Zimbabwe, Chipinge East Constituency. Before his appointment as Deputy Minister he spent about 9 years as a Diplomat at the Zimbabwe Embassy in London. Previously, he was seconded from the Public Sector to set up the first Regulatory Authority in Zimbabwe and became the first Acting Director General to the Postal and Telecommunications Regulatory Authority of Zimbabwe (POTRAZ).  Before that, he had spent about 20 years working in different aspects of ICT fields in both the private and public sectors of Zimbabwe. Dr Win B.J. Mlambo holds a PhD in Communications, a Master of Arts Degree (MA) in Communications Policy and Regulation (University of Westminster, London); a Master’s Degree in Business Administration (MBA, Pennsylvania State University, USA); and a Bachelor of Science (BSc) in Computer Science and Physics from the University of Zimbabwe.He has vast experience in telecommunications and regulatory matters of the sector, international ICT standards, qualities and practices. He has a great passion and a strong sense of rural community empowerment, and believes in leap-frogging poverty eradication through the adoption of ICTs and inciting innovative potential in young entrepreneurs.

H.E. Mr Onkokame Kitso Mokaila, Minister of Transport and Communication, Botswana

The Honourable Onkokame Kitso Mokaila is Botswana’s Minister of Transport and Communications since 1st October 2016. His portfolio mandate within the Ministry is to provide and facilitate delivery of transport and communications infrastructure and services for an enabling environment for sustained socio-economic growth and prosperity. The Ministry is responsible for formulating relevant ICT and Transport policies as well as coordinates their implementation through national, regional and global collaborative efforts that harness local resources, talent and innovation. Hon. Mokaila was the Minister of Environment, Wildlife and Tourism from November 2004 to 30th September 2012. On the 1st October 2012 he was appointed the Minister of Minerals, Energy and Water Resources (MMEWR), a post he held until 30th September 2016.
Hon. Mokaila started his career with the Botswana Defence Force from 1980-1988. He then became the Managing Director of International Computer Limited Botswana (Pty) Ltd from 1988-1996. He joined Hyundai Motor Distributors (Pty) Ltd- Botswana, in 1997-2000 as the General Manager. He became the Managing Director of Unisys Botswana Pty Ltd (IT Company) from 2000-2002. In 2003, he established his own company, Systems Consultancy and Services (Pty) Ltd trading as Unisystems, where he held the position of the Managing Director until he was elected to Parliament in 2004. Hon. Mokaila has a Bachelor of Science Degree in Mechanical Engineering from the Military College of Electronic and Mechanical Engineering in India.

Mr Thari G. Pheko, Chief Executive & Board Member, Botswana Communications Regulatory Authority (BOCRA)

Mr Thari G. Pheko is the founding Chief Executive and Member of Board of Botswana Communications Regulatory Authority (BOCRA), having been the Chief Executive of the Botswana Telecommunications Authority (BTA) for six years prior to its dissolution on 31 March 2013. He successfully managed the transition from the then sector specific regulator called the BTA to BOCRA that has a wider integrated ICT regulatory mandate.
Since assuming the position of Chief Executive of BOCRA, Mr Pheko guided the growth of mobile communications through regulation to the current teledensity in excess of 160%, in the process generating corresponding increases in financial performance and contribution to the GDP of Botswana.  In parallel, the ICT landscape has been experiencing positive developments leading to the 2015 ITU IDI ranking that placed Botswana among the top five (5) countries in Africa. Mr Pheko served in a number of consultancies, amongst which was a Consultancy on the Information Society and ICT Development Strategy. The report of the Strategy formed Botswana’s input to the World Summit on the Information Society (WSIS).  He has also consulted for the then Ministry of Communications, Science and Technology during the formulation of the National ICT Policy for Botswana. He previously held several directorships including Builders Merchants Botswana (Pty) Ltd, Fast Trend (Pty) Ltd T/A First Choice Technologies, ZBL Investments, Botswana Post, Botswana Couriers.  He also serves on the Choppies’ Boitumelo Foundation.  He has recently been nominated a Commissioner of the Botswana National Commission for United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO). Mr Pheko holds a B.Sc (Hons) in Business Finance and Economics from University of East Anglia obtained in 1983 and an M.Sc in Management Information Systems obtained in the same university in 1986.

Mr Pakamile Kayalethu Pongwana, Chief Executive Officer, Independent Communications Authority of South Africa

Mr Pakamile Kayalethu Pongwana is the Chief Executive Officer at the Independent Communications Authority of South Africa since 01 November 2013. He left South Africa in 1981, to Lesotho, Mozambique and Angola and later received military training in Angola and Russia, specialized in military radio communications, electronic warfare and political science. He was integrated into South African National Defence Force (SANDF) as a Lieutenant Colonel in 5 Signal Regiment in 1994, a unit responsible for Electronics Warfare in the South African National Defence Force. On completion of all courses including the Senior Command and staff Course in 1998, Mr Pongwana was promoted to Colonel and assumed command of 1 Signal Regiment in 1999. Mr Pongwana resigned from the SANDF in May 2000 after having been appointed as Deputy Director General – Telecommunications in the Department of Communications. In this post he was responsible for telecommunications policy with the major achievements being the amendment of Telecommunications Act to facilitate Telkom’s listing, drafting and finalisation of Electronic Communication and Transactions Act and the drafting of the existing Electronic Communications Act. He held this post until appointed by Vodacom from 01 June 2005 as Executive Head – Government Relations, subsequently Managing Executive- Government Relations. In February 2006, he was appointed Managing Executive: Regulatory Affairs SA. Mr Pongwana matriculated in 1979 at St Johns College, Umtata, and completed his Bachelor of Accounting Sciences at the University of Transkei (UNITRA) - now Walter Sisulu University, majoring in Accounting and Auditing. He completed the Master of Business Leadership (MBL-2011) with the UNISA Graduate School of Business Leadership including research report titled Mobile Technology Impacting Hospitality Industry SMMEs in South Africa.

Mr Jorge Iván Rodríguez Rojas, Advisor of Sector Studies, Ministry of Information Technologies and Communications, Colombia

Mr Jorge Rodríguez is adviser for sectoral studies of the Ministry of Information Technologies and Communications of Colombia government. His role as an adviser has allowed him to lead projects related to the identification of new sources of data for measuring the information society, and in particular is responsible for the development in Colombia for ITU’s Big Data project. Similarly, he has led the strengthening of the information in the ICT sector in Colombia with the development of indicators (ofert and demand) and associated information systems for measuring progress towards building an information society and bridging the digital divide, it is also the responsible for producing official statistics ICT sector in Colombia. Mr Rodriguez is a Telecommunications Engineer and Master in Planning for the development of the University of Santo Tomas based in Bogota, experience of nearly 10 years develops in the direction, formulation, implementation and evaluation of plans, programs, projects Technology information and Communications, as well as management information systems architecture spatial data and / or drawings, analysis and data mining for decision-making.

Ms Aurora A. Rubio, Head of the ITU Area Office for South East Asia

Ms Aurora A. Rubio is the Head of the ITU Area Office for South East Asia, based in Jakarta, Indonesia. She joined ITU in 2005 and has since then been working on the promotion of telecommunications development through direct country and sub-regional actions, advisory services, and capacity building in the Asia-Pacific region. The ITU Area Office for South East Asia covers at least 10 countries in region which include four least developed countries and three low income developing countries. She has implemented initiatives and projects in partnership and collaboration with international and regional organizations, e.g. ADB, ASEAN, UNESCAP, UNICEF, WHO, UN Women, Asia-Pacific Broadcasting Union (ABU), Asia-Pacific Telecommunity (APT), Telecentre.org, Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation and the Asia-Pacific Women Information Network Center (APWINC).
Ms Rubio is involved in ITU development activities particularly on areas related to digital inclusion, telecommunication policy and regulations, cybersecurity, capacity building on ICT Indicators and Statistics. Before joining the ITU in 2005, Ms Rubio worked at the Department of Transportation and Communications of the Philippines from 1988 to 2005. She was directly involved in a number of important projects, strategy planning and policy development that introduced early competition in the Philippine telecommunications sector. Ms Rubio has 12 years academic experience as professor in the Faculty of Engineering at the University of Santo Tomas from 1977-1989. She was actively involved in the activities and work of the Institute of Electronics and Communications Engineers of the Philippines (IECEP), an association of professional electronics engineers where she was IECEP President in 2004. She is an accredited ASEAN professional electronics engineer. Ms Rubio graduated with the Degree in Electronics and Communications Engineering in 1977 from the University of Santo Tomas, Philippines and Master’s Degree in Electrical Engineering Education in 1979 from the University of the Philippines.

Mr Andrew Rugege, Regional Director for Africa, ITU

Mr Andrew Rugege, a veteran in the Information Technology field is currently the International Telecommunication Union (ITU) Regional Director for Africa, based in Addis Ababa. He is also the ITU Representative to the African Union Commission (AUC) and the UN Economic Commission for Africa (UNECA) both in Ethiopia. He is responsible for collaboration with and technical assistance to ITU Members in Africa and believes that by putting ITU’s resources and expertise at the disposal of its Members, Telecommunications/ICT can become the backbone of Africa’s knowledge-based socio-economic development. Andrew’s broad experience in the Telecommunications/ICT sector spans over private and public sectors as well as Academia.

Mr Brahima Sanou, Director, Telecommunication Development Bureau, ITU

Mr Brahima Sanou has been Director of the ITU Telecommunication Development Bureau (BDT) since 2011. In October 2014 he was elected to a second four-year term. As BDT Director, he has led key initiatives, like for instance the m-Powering Development Initiative, to deliver improved services such as healthcare, education and business over mobile platforms; and the Smart Sustainable Development Model initiative, focused on optimizing resources for sustainable development and disaster management. Mr Sanou draws on over thirty years of experience in the ICT sector at national and international level. As Head of ITU Regional Office for Africa and Liaison Officer to the African Union and the United Nations Economic Commission for Africa (UNECA) from 2000 - 2010, he worked to foster the growth of mobile telecommunications across the continent. From 1997 to 2000, he worked as coordinator of the African regional project on telecommunications reform and the General Agreement on Trade in Services (GATS). He began his professional career in his native Burkina Faso, where he held several high-level positions in the Posts and Telecommunications services. Mr Sanou holds a degree in Engineering 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.

Mr Kennedy Shoniwa, Director, Zimbabwe National Statistics Agency

Mr Kennedy Shoniwa is the Director for the Production Division at the Zimbabwe National Statistics Agency (ZIMSTAT), where he has been working since March 1984. He is also the current Acting Corporate Director for Corporate Services Division.  Mr Shoniwa has over 30 years of experience in the field of statistics i.e. planning, designing organizing and managing statistical systems. In his current position, Mr Shoniwa is responsible for coordinating the activities of the Production Division including preparing studies and reports related to the ICT sector. During his work with ZIMSTAT he has directed several projects, including the Central Business Register Project in 2012, the Survey of Services Project in 2013, ICT Access and Use by households in 2014 and Agriculture and Livestock Survey 2015. Mr Shoniwa holds a Bachelors of Arts degree (with Honours) in Accounting from the Polytechnic of North London, and a post-graduate diploma in Quantitative Development Economics from the University of Warwick, UK.

Mr Abdoulkarim Soumaila, Secretary General, African Telecommunications Union

Mr Abdoulkarim Soumaila is the current Secretary General of the African Telecommunications Union (ATU) since January 2011. His mandate was renewed for another term of four years having been re-elected by the 4th Ordinary Session of ATU plenipotentiary Conference held in Harare, Zimbabwe in July 2014. He is leading the continental body entrusted with building consensus within African countries and coordinating African Common Proposals in international fora. Prior to his election as the Secretary General of ATU, he was the Director of Information Technologies at the Ministry of Communication, New Information Technologies and Culture in Niger from 2007 to 2010. Mr. Soumaila in his 20 years as a Telecommunication expert and  professional, has acquired a solid experience in Management of Telecommunication networks and service development strategy and has contributed immensely to the implementation of sectorial policies and innovative investment projects in several African countries. He has also diligently managed the affairs of the Union for the period he has been the Secretary General. Mr. Soumaila holds a Master of Science degree in Operational Telecommunications from the University of Coventry (UK) and Telecommunications Application Diploma from National Institute of Posts and Telecommunication in Rabat (Morocco).

Mr Seiji Takagi, Director-General for International Affairs, Global ICT Strategy Bureau, Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications, Japan

Mr Seiji Takagi has been Director-General for International Affairs, Global ICT Strategy Bureau, Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications (MIC) since 2016. In his current position, Mr Takagi promotes international cooperation and international dialogue on both a bilateral and multilateral basis in the area of ICTs. After joining the Ministry of International Trade and Industry in 1987 (METI), he mainly dealt with trade and energy issues for over twenty years as Director for Northeast Asia and DG for Trade Policy in METI as well as DG for Japan External Trade Organization (JETRO). He holds an MBA from the Ross School of Business from the University of Michigan, and a BA from the Department of Law from the University of Tokyo.

Dr Susan Teltscher, Head, Human Capacity Building Division and Head, a.i., ICT Data and Statistics Division, ITU

Dr Susan Teltscher is Head of the Human Capacity Building Division (since March 2016) and Head, a.i., of the ICT Data and Statistics Division of the International Telecommunication Union’s Telecommunication Development Bureau. In this context, she is responsible for ensuring the delivery of ICT-related capacity building activities and projects, with the objective to enhance knowledge and capabilities in the field of ICT, in particular in developing countries. This includes the direction and coordination of the ITU Academy and of the ITU Centers of Excellence network, working in partnership with Government, industry and academic institutions. She is also responsible for ITU’s work on the collection, harmonization, analysis and dissemination of ICT statistics worldwide, and for the production of analytical reports on global and regional trends in ICT, including the annual ITU Measuring the Information Society Report and the ICT Development Index.
Before joining 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. Dr Teltscher received her Ph.D. in Economic Geography in 1992 from the University of Washington (Seattle, United States).

Mr Victor Teppeh, Deputy Director, Research & Development, National Communications Authority (NCA), Ghana

Mr Victor Teppeh is a Deputy Director of the Research and Development Division of the communications industry regulator, National Communications Authority (NCA) in Ghana. He is a graduate from the Tufts University in Medford, Massachusetts, USA. Prior to joining the NCA in 2010, he served as a senior economists at the Wilkosfky Gruen Associates, a renowned telecoms consultancy firm in New York, USA. He has co-authored various publications including Telecommunications Industry Report for the Veronis Suhler and Associates, Global and Media Entertainment for the PricewaterhouseCoopers and ICT Market Review and Forecast for the Telecommunications Industry Association (TIA).

Dr Dhanaraj Thakur, Research Manager, Alliance for Affordable Internet

Mr Dhanaraj Thakur is Research Manager at the Alliance for Affordable Internet. He has been designing and leading research on telecoms policy and regulation, gender and ICTs, and the socio-economic impacts of ICTs in developing countries for the last ten years. He previously held academic faculty positions in the public policy and political science in the US and Jamaica. A former Fulbright scholar, he holds a PhD in Public Policy from the Georgia Institute of Technology (USA), and is a graduate of the London School of Economics and the University of West Indies (Mona, Jamaica).

Mr Margus Tiru, Project Coordinator for ITU’s project “Big Data for Measuring the Information Society”

Mr Margus Tiru has been working in the field of GIS and Mobile Big Data technologies since 2005. He is partner and CEO at Positium, a company transforming Big Data from telecom operators into statistical indicators about location and mobility of population. Among various local and international projects, Mr Tiru has been involved in international initiatives on mobile big data with Eurostat, UNSD, OECD and different national statistical institutes concerning business, methodological, technological and analytical aspects of mobile data for mobility, tourism, population statistics, urban and transportation planning, geo-marketing, and safety and security. At Positium, he is in charge of the international business development, and public and private initiatives for implementing mobile positioning data. Mr Tiru is also a consultant for ITU’s Big Data pilot project on measuring ICT indicators. Mr Tiru holds an MSc in GIS from the University of Tartu and is a member of a workgroup at the Mobile Positioning Laboratory in University of Tartu.

Mr Oshinka Tsiang, Broadcaster, Motshwarateu Media, Botswana

Mr Oshinka Tsiang is a veteran Broadcaster with more than 30 years in the industry. Popularly known as Motshwarateu, he cut his teeth in broadcasting when Radio Botswana was the only station in Botswana and was recognized as one of the outstanding news presenters in both Setswana and English. His talent saw him switch to Television as both presenter and eventually taking over as the first Motswana General Manager for BTV. He then moved to the regulation of Broadcasting when he joined Botswana Telecommunications Authority, now BOCRA in 2002. He has since left paid employment and is now a consultant on Broadcasting as well as providing rapporteur services, trading as Motshwarateu media. He also trains broadcasters. He was educated in Canada for his Journalism degree and in the United Kingdom for his Master’s degree in Mass Communication Research as well as post graduate diploma in Telecommunications Regulation. He is a born again Christian and family man.

Dr Cosmas Zavazava, Chief of Department, Projects and Knowledge Management, ITU

Dr Cosmas Zavazava works in the Telecommunication Development Bureau of the ITU. Since 2001, Cosmas Zavazava has been passionately designing and implementing ICT projects for both sustainable development and public safety of ITU Member States. He has a track record in high-level negotiations, resource mobilization and publishing. He organized and ran over 20 Partnership Round Tables to promote and attract financing for projects in least developed countries LDCs) and small island developing states many of which are also LDCs. He writes of the use of ICT to address the unique needs of least developed countries, landlocked developing countries, Small Island Developing States, developing countries in general, and disaster risk reduction and management. He is currently working on solutions to mitigate the Ebola disease and epidemics in general through ICT including harvesting big data. He taught MBA classes with a focus on strategic management, management information systems and other related topics. He has spoken at many international conferences to include the Fourth United Nations Conference on Least Developed Countries that was held in Istanbul, Turkey in May 2011, the Third United Nations Conference on Small Island Developing States held in Apia, Samoa in August 2014, the Third United Nations Conference on Disaster Risk Reduction held in Sendai, Japan from 14 to 18 March 2015. Dr Cosmas Zavazava: PhD, LLM in Telecommunication and Information Technology Law, MA (summa cum laude), MBA, BBA, Dipl. Telecommunications and Systems Engineering.