Meet The Judges
Adlane Fellah - Maravedis LLC // Senior Wireless Analyst & Marketer
Alexander Richardson - IHS Markit // Market Analyst
Alex has also presented at tradeshows such as IWCE and GITEX, in addition to holding webinars and in-person briefings on his research findings. Most recently, he has been responsible for the development of the group’s ‘Safe Cities’ research.
Before his position with IHS, he worked in a product management and research role in the aerospace & defense sector. He has a Bachelor’s degree from Indiana University.
Caroline Gabriel - Co-founder and Research Director, Rethink Technology Research Senior Contributor, Analysys Mason, Next Generation Wireless
As co-founder and research director of Rethink Technology Research, Caroline has developed a significant research base and forecast methodology, based around deep contacts with mobile and converged operators round the world. This addresses critical issues and trends in mobile and wireless infrastructure, and particularly operator deployment intentions for 4G, 5G, small cells, Cloud-RAN and other technologies.
She is also a senior contributor to Analysys Mason’s Next Generation Wireless research programme.
She has led research and consulting projects with a wide range of clients, including mobile infrastructure vendors, large and start-up operators, regulators, trade bodies, government agencies and financial institutions. Her advice and forecasts have helped inform strategic decisions at a wide range of vendors, operators, start-ups and finance houses.
Prior to setting up Rethink, Caroline held various executive positions at VNU Business Publishing BV, then Europe’s largest producer of technology related B2B reports and publications. She was the European content and research director, and was a member of the leadership team for VNU’s online business. She holds an MA from the University of Oxford.
Chris DePuy - Dell Oro Group // VP Carrier IP Telephony, Storage Systems, Wireless LAN & Wireless Packet Core Market Research
Chris has written articles on VoLTE that have been published in Capacity Magazine and Service Provider Wi-Fi published in RCR Wireless.
Christian Kim - IHS Technology // Senior Analyst, IoT & Connectivity
Prior to joining IHS in 2016, Christian was at Conversant IP Management Corp. as a senior business and market research analyst where he analyzed markets and industries in which Conversant and its clients own patents – including smartphones, tablets, data-centric devices, infrastructure, and semiconductors. Prior to joining Conversant, he spent seven years as a Program Manager at Chipworks Inc.’s Patent Intelligence division in Ottawa. Before that, he was a product manager at Samsung Electronics Canada Inc. in Mississauga, Ont., where he oversaw logistics for Samsung’s cellular phone products sold in Canada.
Christian is a Chartered Professional Accountant of Canada (CPA, CMA), has a Master of Business Administration (MBA) from the University of Western Ontario in London, Ontario, and a Bachelor of Electrical Engineering (B. Eng.) from McMaster University in Hamilton, Ontario.
Dana Cooperson - Analysys Mason // Research Director
Dana works within Analysys Mason’s network-focused Software Research programmes. Her area of expertise is intelligent fixed and mobile network infrastructure. Her goal is to help customers strengthen their link in the communications value chain while evolving their business operations to benefit from, rather than be threatened by, shifts in the market.
The key network infrastructure trends Dana focuses on include the integration of communications and IT assets and the drive towards software-controlled, virtual networking.
Dexter Thillien - BMI Research // Research Analyst
Dexter has experience of the market trends, dynamics and issues facing operators and other stakeholders worldwide.
He has authored several reports on issues such as net neutrality, spectrum and overall companies’ strategies within their markets. His specialist areas include: Operators’ strategies, Regulation, Spectrum, Net neutrality, Fixed-mobile convergence, LTE, and New technologies.
Earl Lum - EJL Wireless // President
Earl has 20 years of experience within the wireless industry. Prior to starting EJL Wireless Research, he was the Managing Director of the Wireless Technology Equity Research sector for Montgomery & Co.
Frank Rayal - XONA Partners // Founding Partner
Kyung Mun - Mobile Experts LLC // Senior Analyst
Monica Paolini - Senza Fili Consulting // President
Monica Paolini is the founder and president of Senza Fili. She is an expert in wireless technologies and has helped clients worldwide to understand technology and customer requirements, evaluate business plan opportunities, market their services and products, and estimate the market size and revenue opportunity of new and established wireless technologies. She has frequently been invited to give presentations at conferences and has written several reports on wireless broadband technologies. She has a PhD in cognitive science from the University of California, San Diego (US), an MBA from the University of Oxford (UK), and a BA/MA in philosophy from the University of Bologna (Italy). You can contact her at monica.paolini@senzafiliconsulting.com.
Senza Fili is an analyst and consulting firm that provides advisory services on wireless data technologies and services since 2003. At Senza Fili we have in-depth expertise in financial modeling, market forecasts and research, white paper preparation, business plan support, RFP preparation and management, due diligence, and training. Our client base is international and spans the entire value chain: clients include wireline, fixed wireless, and mobile operators, other service providers, enterprises and other vertical players, vendors, system integrators, investors, regulators, and industry associations. We provide a bridge between technologies and services, helping our clients assess established and emerging technologies, leverage these technologies to support new or existing services, and build solid, profitable business models. Independent advice, a strong quantitative backing, and an international perspective are the hallmarks of our work.
Peter Briggs - Current Analysis // Senior Analyst
Peter Briggs works within Current Analysis’ Consumer Services team in Europe. He is responsible for analysing the trends and developments in services and service providers, primarily in Europe but also including key innovations and emerging best practice in other regions, such as Asia and Latin America.
His coverage areas include mobile and fixed delivery of Internet and value-added services.
Peter Jarich - Chief Analyst, Global Data Technology
Richard Webb - IHS Technology // Research Director, Mobile Backhaul and Small Cells
Mr. Richard Webb is Senior Principal Analyst, Mobile Backhaul & Small Cells within the IHS Technology group.
He joined IHS in December 2014, when IHS acquired Infonetics Research—a premier global communications technology market research firm he joined in 2001. He is a highly sought-after analyst who has been covering telecom markets for more than 18 years. As directing analyst for Infonetics, he led the firm’s mobile backhaul & small cells research units. His expertise includes microwave, millimeter wave, mobile backhaul, small cells and carrier WiFi. A consultant, analyst and thought leader, he is regularly quoted in the telecommunications industry press. He holds a Bachelor of Arts (hons) in English Literature from the University of Gloucestershire, UK.
Roz Parkinson - Research Manager // IDC UK
Roz Parkinson is a research manager in the EMEA Enterprise Networks and Life-Cycle services team. Her work focuses on new developments and trends in the enterprise network space, especially as the network transforms to keep up with the rapidly changing demands of enterprise users caused by innovations like IoT and software-defined networking. Before joining IDC, Parkinson was a senior analyst at STL Partners, a strategy research and consulting house focused on telco business model transformation, where she focused on new strategies to monetize IoT. Prior to that she was lead analyst for smart cities at IHS. She is a regular speaker at industry events and holds a BA in Russian and Japanese from the University of Leeds.
Ian Scales - TelecomTV // Managing Editor
Ian Scales ‘s profile – Ian Scales has been an IT journalist for 32 years. He’s edited several publications in the communications field including Communications Management , Datacom (which he launched), Communications International and New Carrier; and has spent a decade freelance writing and editing. He is now Managing Editor at TelecomTV where he presents and writes.
Rupert Wood - Analysys Mason // Research Director
Rupert is the lead analyst for Analysys Mason’s Fixed Networks and Wireless Networks research programmes, and his research focuses on next-generation networks and convergence. Rupert regularly contributes to the international press on a wide range of telecoms subjects and has been quoted by The Times, The Economist, Business Week, Telecommunications Online and Kommersant.
Susan Welsh de Grimaldo - Strategy Analytics, Service Provider Strategies // Director
Susan joined Strategy Analytics in 2008, and has nearly 20 years of experience developing strategy and analyzing trends in the global wireless and broadband industries. Susan thrives on discussing both the business and technical angles of wireless and new digital services and regularly speaks at conferences and client events. Her recommendations are invaluable to clients across the value chain as they tackle critical issues such as operator innovation and transformation for the digital world, service evolution on the roadmap to 5G, 3G/4G plans and pricing strategies, competitive positioning and performance, data and video monetization and revenue growth opportunities, and voice/data/video business models for traditional and emerging devices. Recent publications include “DT Stands for Digital Transformation as Deutsche Telekom Leads Telco Transition,” “Operator Innovation Strategies: Unlocking the next $1 Trillion,” “Innovation Leader: AT&T Business Centric Innovation Strategy Impact and Lessons Learned”, and “Mobile Service Evolution on the Road to 5G.”
Prior to joining Strategy Analytics, Susan was a Strategic Business Manager at General Dynamics Wireless Services, where she conducted strategic planning and market analysis for commercial and public safety wireless network and international IT services. She held various positions including Director of Wireless Consulting at The Strategis Group, where she led projects involving business and strategic planning, market entry strategies, competitive assessment, market sizing and forecasting, and due diligence. Her experience includes analysis and forecasting of wireless services and devices, wireless infrastructure and components, pricing innovations and evolution of billing and charging systems. Her early career prior to telecommunications was in the area of nuclear non-proliferation, including work at the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) and at US think tanks.
Susan holds a master’s degree (MA) from The Middlebury Institute of International Studies at Monterey (Monterey, California) and a bachelor’s degree from Guilford College (Greensboro, North Carolina).
Vijay Sammeta - Civic Foundry, LLC // CEO
William Webb - CEO of the Weightless SIG
William has published 16 books, 100 papers, and 18 patents. He is a Visiting Professor at Southampton University, a Fellow of the Royal Academy of Engineering, the IEEE and the IET. He has been awarded multiple honorary doctorates by the UK’s leading universities.
Chris Pennell - Research Director for IDC Government Insights in EMEA
Background
Chris has spent the last 11 years researching governments use of technology to achieve policy objectives and manage outcomes for citizens. Prior to joining IDC Government Insight team, Chris spent four years as the Practice Leader for Public Sector at Ovum where he was responsible for growing the government, healthcare and education stream as well as driving the agenda on the use of AI, cloud, mobile and analytical tools that support the development of ‘digital’ government services.
Ksenia Efimova - Senior Research Analyst // IDC
Outside IDC, Ksenia has worked both on the vendor side, where she was responsible for sales and marketing of software products, as well as in research of other industries (energy and chemicals).
Ksenia Efimova holds a masters in international marketing from Omsk State University, Russia, and a BSc from the University of New York in Prague. In addition to her native Russian, she is fluent in English and Czech, and has working knowledge of German. In her free time, she enjoys ice-skating.