Ivo A. Ivanov is Chief Operating Officer of the DE-CIX Group AG and also – as Chief Executive Officer of DE-CIX International – responsible for the global business activities of the Internet Exchange Operator. Ivo has more than 15 years’ of experience in the regulatory, legal and commercial Internet environment.

Ivo joined DE-CIX in January 2007. In recent years, Ivo has been deeply involved in the establishment DE-CIX sites in Istanbul, Palermo, Madrid, Marseille, New York, Dallas, Dubai (UAE-IX powered by DE-CIX) as well as Mumbai (Mumbai IX powered by DE-CIX), and several DE-CIX consultancy projects in Africa, Asia and Europe.

Ivo has an educational background focused on Law and Business. Fluent in German, English, Russian and Bulgarian, he graduated from a German business school in 1995 and holds two Law degrees, from the Universities of Sofia (Bulgaria) and Bonn (Germany). After graduation, he worked as a lawyer, with a focus on e-commerce law, IP law, telecommunications law and data protection law.

Philippe Dumont is a member of ‘2020 Capacity Power 100’ an elite group of the most influential people of the wholesale carrier community. He is a CEO with over 25 years of international experience in the Telecoms industry. His strong leadership style is supplemented with an entrepreneurial attitude and long term vision.

Philippe was President & CEO of ASN (Alcatel Lucent Submarine Networks),  a worldwide leader for turnkey telecoms submarine cable systems, for 6 years and has also served for 5 years as President of the Wireless Transmission activities at Alcatel Lucent.

He is currently the CEO of EllaLink, a €180m project that has been designed to satisfy the growing traffic demand  between Europe and Latin America. The system will offer the first ever large scale, direct fibre route between the two continents, bypassing the congested routes of the North Atlantic.

Dr. Daniel S. Hamilton is President of the Transatlantic Leadership Network and directs its Atlantic Basin Initiative of African, European, South, Central and North American Eminent Persons, research institutes and private sector leaders that explores the changing dynamics among the four continents of the Atlantic Basin with regard to digital connectivity, energy, economic growth, human development, and human security.

He is Senior non-resident Fellow at the Brookings Institution and a Senior Fellow at the Foreign Policy Institute of Johns Hopkins University’s School of Advanced International Studies. Recent publications include The Transatlantic Digital Economy 2024 and The promise of a free and open Atlantic. He has held a variety of senior positions in the U.S. Department of State, and serves on several international advisory boards.

Ana Figueiredo is the Chief Executive Officer and Chairman of Altice Portugal, and Chairman of Altice Dominicana. From 2018 to March 2022, she was the CEO of Altice Dominicana.

Additionally, she also chaired the Association of Foreign Investment Companies in the Dominican Republic.

Between 2016 and 2018, she was appointed as Chief Audit Executive of the Altice Group in Switzerland, overseeing operations in France, the United States, Israel, Portugal and the Dominican Republic.

Ana Figueiredo has nearly 20 years of professional experience in the telecommunications sector since joining the PT Group in 2003, where she worked in the Auditing, Operational consulting, and Organizational transformation areas; and led teams and projects in Portugal, Brazil, Cape Verde, Morocco, Namibia, São Tome and Príncipe, Mozambique, Kenya and East Timor.

She holds a degree in Business Administration and Management from Instituto Superior de Economia e Gestão (ISEG) and an MBA from Universidade Católica and Nova Business School (Lisbon MBA).

Mohamad H. Ibrahim is a visionary leader in the field of network and satellite communication. With over 15 years of experience in the Internet Service Provider (ISP) business, he has played a pivotal role in connecting countries across Africa. His passion for providing reliable, secure, and affordable connectivity has driven the success of Interfiber Networks.

Mohamad holds a strong background in ICT (Information and Communication Technology). He founded several Internet service providers in the Democratic Republic of Congo (D.R.Congo), contributing significantly to bridging the digital divide in the region. His expertise lies in leveraging leased circuits on the West African submarine cable to connect African countries.

As the CEO of Interfiber Networks, Mohamad leads a dedicated team focused on expanding connectivity throughout Africa with services such as IP Transit, Internet Connectivity, and Active Circuits.

Cristina is a renowned cyber technology executive,  entrepreneur, and MIT alumna. She is a Senior Lecturer at Columbia University’s Technology Management Program and co-founder of Additum, a European’Value Based Healthcare’ ecosystem. Formerly, she was the RSA Netwitness Managing Director for LATAM, Head of America’s Channel and Global Head of Alliances.  Cristina has served on the boards of several prominent public technology and cybersecurity companies and co-authored books on ESG
(ESGdataBook.com), cybersecurity, and the data economy
(https://www.weforum.org/agenda/2022/03/three-reasons-why-cybersecurity-is-a-critical-component-of-esg/).

She also contributed to the World Economic Forum’s cybersecurity publications (https://www.weforum.org/agenda/2022/03/three-reasons-why-cybersecurity-is-a-critical-component-of-esg/). Her career spans executive roles at IBM, Oracle, Disney, and Hearst, and she led the MIT spin-out, Wordstream, in AI and machine learning. She co-founded OneMain, which was acquired after a successful IPO. Cristina’s dedication to education led her to found Dream it. Code it. Win it., where over $250,000 in prizes were awarded to students. Her efforts have been recognized with several accolades, including the Harold E. Lobdell Distinguished Service Award from MIT and the Coup de Coeur du CEFCYS Cybersecurity
Europe award

As Chief Executive Officer, Tesh sets the strategy for the company and leads the talented team creating Europe’s leading data centre platform. Tesh is a digital infrastructure and data centre industry veteran with more than 25 years of experience in development, finance, sales, marketing, and real estate. Before joining AtlasEdge, he served as CEO of Africa Data Centres, where he led the company’s hyperscale expansion, making it one of the continent’s largest operators. Prior to this, Tesh held various executive roles at CyrusOne, eventually becoming the company’s CEO. During his tenure at CyrusOne, annual revenue grew from $221 million in 2012 to over $1 billion by 2020. His previous roles also include Chief Marketing and Business Officer for Telx, founder of NYC-Connect, and various management positions at Abovenet, Sprint, and Metromedia Fiber Networks.

Mrs Judith Yah Sunday ACHIDI is the CEO of Cameroon Telecommunications (CAMTEL) since 14 December 2018 and has 30 years of experience in governance and development of public enterprises. She is holder of a degree in Economics from the University of Quebec in Montreal, Canada in 1991 and a master’s in international Banking and Finance from the International Relations Institute of Cameroon, IRIC.

In 2022, Rafael de Fermín was appointed to lead Nokia’s Network Infrastructure business in Europe, in charge of all IP, Optical and Fixed Networks in the region.

Over his career in the industry, Rafael has been involved in multiple responsibilities, mostly linked to Telecom Networking, while living in the UK, the US, Belgium and Spain. Prior to his current position, he led the IP/Optics Networks team for Nokia in Europe and EMEA, as well as the EMEA Global Customer Delivery and Presales teams for Alcatel-Lucent. Before that, he spent five years working for the Access Business Division in Alcatel, in charge of the Regional Support Centers for different geographies (including Europe, Middle East, Africa, India and Latin America). He held pre- and post-sales responsibilities for the Division in those geographies. His earlier jobs with Alcatel include General Management of the Fixed Networks Division for Iberia, and several positions in R&D and PLM.

Buddy Rizer serves as the Executive Director for economic development in Loudoun County, Virginia, which was named the 2021 Economic Development Organization of the Year by the International Economic Development Council. He leads the agency responsible for encouraging growth and developing relationships with Loudoun’s business community in both the commercial and agricultural-based business sectors. During his tenure, Rizer and his team have attracted more than $60 billion in new commercial investment and more than 50 thousand new jobs. During this time, the growth in the commercial based has helped lower the tax rate in Loudoun by more than 42 cents on the dollar, saving residents thousands of dollars annually on their tax bill.

In 2007, Mr. Rizer joined Loudoun County and helped build “Data Center Alley” into the largest concentration of data centers in the world. He also has extensive international business development experience in China, France, Germany, Russia, Ireland, United Kingdom, Finland, Taiwan, Japan, India, Korea, Ghana, Uruguay, and the United Arab Emirates. Mr. Rizer has been named a Tech Titan eight times by Washingtonian Magazine (2017 – 2024), one of the 50 most influential Virginians six times by Virginia Business Magazine (2018 – 2023), a five-time member of Virginia’s Power 500 (2020 – 2024), and three times named to the Washington Business Journal’s Power 100 as one of the most influential businesspeople in Washington, DC (2020, 2022, 2023). In 2024, he was named as one of the most influential people in Northern Virginia by Northern Virginia Magazine.

Mr. Rizer serves as the past chair of the Northern Virginia Economic Development Alliance (NOVA EDA), is a member of the Board of Trustees for Northern Virginia Community College (NOVA), past chair of the
Northern Virginia Community College Foundation Board, and Secretary of the Go Virginia Region 7 Council. He is on the Board of Directors for the Northern Virginia Technology Council, the Dulles Free Trade Zone (FTZ #137), and the Washington Airports Task Force (WATF). He is also the Chair of the Rivana at Innovation Station Community Development Authority.

Mr. Rizer is a Certified Economic Developer (CEcD), a certified Entrepreneurship Development Professional (EDP), has a master’s in business administration/economics from Longwood University and is a graduate of Virginia Tech’s Local Government Management Graduate Certificate Program.

Isabel Caldeira Cardoso was appointed Executive Board Member of aicep Global Parques in July 2018, when she was the Business Manager of the Company, after leading the Marketing Direction since the creation of this department in October 2007. She holds a degree in Economics from Nova School of Business & Economics and an Executive Master in Retail Management from INDEG Business School. (Business Manager).

Isabel Cardoso began her professional activity in 1994 at OSRAM, a company of the Siemens Group, where she arrived at Sales Manager SBH (Modern Distribution), after a brief passage between 1997 and 1999 by – Freudenberg Group.

At the same time, she collaborated punctually in economic journals with short articles. As a hobby she attended the Painting Course at the National Society of Fine Arts. She is a Founding Member of Joao 13 – Association of Support and Service to Poor People, belonging to its fiscal council and she is member of the General Assembly of APLOG – Portuguese Logistics Association for the 2016-2020 Triennium.

Giuseppe Valentino leads in Telecom Italia Sparkle the Backbone & Infrastructure Solutions – Product Management team. He joined the company in 2003 and he has held senior positions within sales, product management and innovation organizations.

From 1996 to 2002 he worked, in Belgium and in Italy, for GTS/Ebone, a pioneer in IP and cross-border fiber backbones development in Europe, with business development as well as sales responsibilities.

He started his carrier in 1991 at ICT manufacturer Italtel as Project Engineer and worked at Bell Labs in Denver, Colorado, between 1994 and 1995 as coordinator of a joint development program between Italtel and AT&T (now Nokia).

He holds a Master’s degree in Management and Production Engineering from Politecnico di Milano University.

Dr. Sanjay Basu has worked in technology for more than 30 years and currently leads the AI infra, Generative AI , and GPU Cloud Engineering teams at Oracle Cloud.

Sanjay holds a Doctorate in organizational behavior and a double master’s in management & computer engineering. He is working on his second PhD in Artificial Intelligence.

He is a Life Member of ACM, AAAI, AAAS, and IEEE, and a Fellow of IETE. He is a prolific writer and author of 5 technical books and holds 6 US patents.

Vincent is the driver of the company’s efforts in expanding EllaLink’s subsea cable network, after successfully leading the Sales and Marketing team of the EllaLink project since its inception.

Vincent has been a member of Alcatel Submarine Networks’ Sales and Marketing team for 9 years. Previously, held various international positions within the Alcatel-Lucent Group in India and Chile.​

Vincent is a graduate of the Mines Telecom Nord Europe. ​

He is fluent in French, English and Spanish.

Jorge is passionate about digital infrastructure and of ways to interconnect it. He has worked for the telecommunications industry for the past 15 years having been appointed as Head of Altice’s International Wholesale unit 5 years ago.

With responsibilities ranging from Strategy and Network Development to Sales and Product Management, to Wholesale Roaming, Jorge leads an experienced team dedicated to the development of the Portuguese telecommunications and digital infra ecosystem leveraging on Altice’s network, infrastructures, and know-how.

Altice is one of the founders of the newly created Portuguese data center association-PortugalDC, through its company MEO, and Jorge is now a member of the association’s Board, hoping to boost the country’s capabilities to enhance the data center industry.

Luís Manuel Brás Bernardino is a Portuguese Army Colonel (Reserve) with more than 37 years of experience in UN, NATO and EU missions graduated with the Staff Course and the National Defence Course. He holds a master’s degree in Strategy and a PhD in International Relations from the Lisbon
University. Professor at the Military University Institute with extensive international experience on teaching, training, and advising. Luis Bernardino is the author and co-author of 15 books and has published more than 100 articles in national and international scientific and non-scientific journals on
topics of Security and Defence. Regularly participates in conferences, evaluation boards, and other academic or institutional events related with submarine cables and global interconnectivity. He is currently Professor at the Department of International Relations at the Autonomous University of
Lisbon.

…

Current post:
Deputy Director General of Cybersecurity of Telecommunications. Secretary of State for Telecommunications and Digital Infraestructure. Ministry for Digital Transformation and Civil Service.

Past posts:
More than 20 years of experience in cybersecurity, including:

2013-2024

• National Security Department. Cabinet of the Prime Minister of Spain.
  Senior Policy Advisor in the Cybersecurity Unit.
• European Union Agency for Cybersecurity (ENISA). National Liaison Officer of Spain with the European Cybersecurity Agency.
• Spanish representative in the NIS Cooperation Group (NIS Directive) and EU-CYLONe Network.

2011-2012

• European Parliament: National Expert in the Risk Management Unit.

2007-2012

• Spanish Ministry of the Interior: Head of Information Technology Area. National Counter-Terrorism Coordination Center.

2004-2007
Civil Guard: Head of technical Area. Cybersecurity Office.

1991-2004
Civil Guard.

Education
Information Systems Engineer. Catholic University of Ávila.

Computer Science Engineer. Polytechnic University of Valencia.

Master in Cyberintelligence and Cyber Terrorism. UNED University.

Master in Audit and Information Security Management from UCINF of Chile.

CISA Computing Auditor. ISACA.

CISM Information Systems Manager. ISACA.

Information Security Management Systems Auditor. AENOR.

ISMS Information Security Management Systems Implementer Specialist. ISO 27001. AENOR.

Teacher at IE Law School Executive-Education, University of Alcalá de Henares, UNED, University of León and University of Nebrija.

Others
Member of the expert group that developed the Spanish National Cybersecurity Strategy

…

Since January 2018 Jon serves as Technology Director, Strategic Segments for Vertiv in Europe, Middle East and Africa (EMEA), defining Communications and Edge Network strategy through ‘Voice of the Customer’ and segment facility trend; focusing on power, cooling and energy efficiency.

Jon has over 20 years of experience in Networks, working with critical infrastructure for OEMs, CSPs and Integrators.

Jon holds a bachelor’s degree in Engineering Product Design from London South Bank University and is alumni of Cambridge University’s Institute for Sustainability Leadership.

He has a degree in Computer Science, Management (MBA) and postgraduate degrees in Leadership, Senior Management of Information Systems and Digital Transformation.

He has collaborated nationally and internationally with several companies and in large projects, having been developing his action in the regulatory context in recent years, at ANACOM – National Communications Authority.

Its permanent objective is to share knowledge and put at the service of society its growing experience of more than 30 years dedicated to management, consultancy, research and teaching in the contexts of innovation, connectivity, telecommunications, information systems and technologies and digital transformation.

With 20+ years in technology and a computer science education, Kevin has become a specialist in accelerated (AI/HPC/3D) platforms, with a focus on business process transformation. Empowering business through strategic adoption of these transformative technologies. His diverse experience spans managed services, telco, and cloud providers, with a recent focus on cutting-edge GPU as a service platforms. Kevin leverages market intelligence to guide businesses on their AI & HPC journey, ensuring success in the digital age.

Chief Revenue Officer at Elea Digital, Tito has 15+ years of experience in the Telecommunications and IT markets. Building high performing teams to sell directly or indirectly, throughout this period, achieved extensive knowledge creating business ecosystems within Datacenters, fostering different platforms for peering and interconnection and also becoming a reference for M&A/Expansion strategies and Submarine Cable Systems in South America.

Alex Ramoneda is a telecommunications engineer and MBA graduate from ESADE with over 30 years of professional experience in the IT industry. He has developed his career in an international setting over the past 15 years, holding senior management positions in operators and vendors in Asia, Latin America, and the Middle East.

Complementing his extensive experience and knowledge in fiber networks and optical transmission, Alex has participated in and led digital several transformation projects for telecommunications operators. He is passionate about and an expert in new Artificial Intelligence technologies, which he teaches as a master professor at the European University.

In 2023, Alex joined the Barcelona Cable Landing Station team as Deputy COO and Business Development Manager. Barcelona CLS, an open access cable landing point for Submarine Cable Operators, began operations in 2022 and has capacity to host up to 8 incoming submarine cables.

With over 20 years of experience, Karina worked in the digital industry and in the last years contributed to managing the EU funding of several projects in telecommunications and e-health.

Currently, at the Health and Digital Executive Agency (HaDEA) of the European Commission, Karina leads the Connecting Europe Facility (CEF) topic investing in backbone networks called “digital global gateways”. As a Project Adviser, she also follows closely the implementation of several projects benefiting from CEF grants. Karina holds a PhD degree in Applied Mathematics from Université Joseph Fourier, France.

Angelo Gama has recently been appointed as the Chief Executive Officer of Angola Cables.

Prior to his appointment he was the Chief Technology Officer for the company,
playing a critical role in developing and reengineering the global subsea network and related infrastructure to improve both the efficiencies and performance of the network.

Angelo has a Degree in Electrical and Computer Engineering from Instituto Superior Técnico in Lisbon, Portugal and has also earned several certifications in business and project management – as well as ICT administration and process engineering.

As an Executive Director for the technical portfolio of Angola Cables, Angelo had
responsibility for the management of all structuring projects and the development and implementation of the company’s technological innovation strategy.

Under his curatorship, the company has successfully expanded its Points of Presence (PoPs) globally, bringing this number to 32 across 20 countries and on three continents. Angelo also played a leading role in the successful trial of
the first direct fibre optical link between Africa and the USA, a project that was undertaken in partnership with Nokia.

His knowledge and technical foresight have set the company on a new path in terms of optimising processes through innovative engineering that will provide the flexibility to meet the rising demands of the rapidly evolving data and digital
economy.

Prior to joining Angola Cables in 2019, Angelo was the General Manager of Net One – one of the first wireless internet providers in Angola. Within this role he was responsible for repositioning the business to take advantage of new
technological developments and the changing market dynamics within an evolving and highly competitive market.

Between the period 2013 and 2018 he was the Business Development Director for MS Telcom, Angola’s second largest fixed telecommunications operator with the largest national backbone of satellite stations.

Angelo’s professional career to date has exposed him to a wide range of developments and skills within the global IT & telecoms sector, providing him with insights and knowledge across the industry spectrum. This ranges from
operations and mission critical project management to the development and rollout of innovative products and services and corporate strategic business planning.

Following his academic studies, Angelo successfully completed several specialised projects and assignments with companies such as Three Mobile and Hewlett-Packard in the United Kingdom and Belgium as well as providing
consulting services to Atos Origin based in the Netherlands.

Chris Atherton is a Senior Research Engagement Manager at GÉANT, an e-infrastructure organisation based in the Netherlands, with over 20 years of experience in the IT and Space industries. He has been instrumental in supporting international user communities and research organisations by identifying and developing new solutions to meet specific research requirements in Earth Observation, Astronomy, and Planetary Science. Chris is currently leading the technical work package for the EU-funded SUBMERSE project, which aims to transform existing submarine fibre-optic cables into sensors for detecting earthquakes and tsunamis. He played a crucial role in forming the project consortium with the collaboration of research and industry stakeholders. SUBMERSE not only seeks to enhance the utility of existing infrastructure but also aims to pioneer the integration of Distributed Acoustic Sensing (DAS) and State of Polarisation (SoP) technologies for continuous monitoring of the Earth’s systems using live telecom cables. Chris’s work in this field has positioned him at the forefront of innovative research that bridges the gap between computer networking technology and environmental monitoring.

…

Nacho Velilla has been dedicated to digital transformation in the data center sector for over twenty-five years. He holds the position of CEO at Templus since the company’s creation in May 2024. Previously, starting in 2022, he served as VP Global Managed Services at Equinix, having been the Managing Director of Equinix Spain since 2018.
His resume also highlights his role as a co-founder of Spain DC, the Spanish Data Centers Association, where he served as president between 2021 and 2023.
Always connected to the world of technology, over the years, Nacho has shifted his career focus toward digital services, with an emphasis on interconnection, cloud enablement, and data management. His multidisciplinary background, including previous responsibilities in operations and sales departments, provides him with a holistic perspective to tackle the challenges faced by the industry.
Nacho Velilla holds a degree in Telecommunications Engineering from the University of Alcalá and an Executive MBA from IE Business School. Additionally, his passion for technology has led him to advisestartups in diverse fields such as boar sharing and e-sports.

…

Miguel Álava is the General Manager of AWS for Software Companies (ISVs) in Europe, the Middle East, and Africa, and has 30 years of experience in information technology (IT). For the past 12 years, Miguel has been leading AWS teams in Europe, the Middle East, and Africa. Prior to his current position, he served as the General Manager of AWS in Spain and Portugal for 6 years. His mission is to contribute to the innovation of companies and organizations by demonstrating that they can all provide better service to their customers and drive their businesses through the technology offered by cloud computing.

Julien Bollati is an expert of infrastructure financing at the European Commission. He has 8 years of experience with the implementation of the Connecting Europe Facility (CEF) Programme across the transport, energy and more recently the connectivity sector. His main specialty is supporting
commercial sectors where European grants are used together with market financing or EU funds are directly invested in the form of debt, equity or guarantees (such as in the Connecting Europe Broadband Fund or the InvestEU guarantee). His past experiences include working at the EIB in the European PPP Expertise Centre and as consultant for PwC on assignments related to the evaluation of EU funded projects and the creation of investment funds with EU resources.

Serge Radovcic brings nearly a quarter-century of experience to the Internet industry, with a deep-rooted focus on Internet Exchange Points (IXPs) across the globe. His professional journey is marked by pivotal contributions, particularly in Europe but extending worldwide.

Serge was instrumental in the development from the inception of the European Internet Exchange Association (Euro-IX) in 2001. His tenure as Chief Communications Officer at the RIPE NCC for nine years further solidified his influence, where he engaged with various IXP, peering, and IP community forums across Europe. These include the European Peering Forum (EPF), the Middle East Network Operators Group (MENOG), the Euro Asian Network
Operator Group (ENOG), and the South East Europe Regional Initiative (SEE).

Currently, as a Senior Strategic Advisor for the Dstream Group, Serge maintains his engagement with high-profile IXPs in Europe. He continues to support the evolution of interconnection points, striving to meet the dynamic needs of existing and prospective customers seeking more efficient and secure networking solutions.

Professional activity

• Member of the Board of Directors of the National Communications Authority (ANACOM), since May 2023
• Former senior consultant at the Competence Center for Planning, Policy and Foresight in Public Administration – PLANAPP, responsible for implementation of the Legislative Impact Assessment Technical Unit, November 2016 to 2023
• Senior economist at the Competition Authority, between October 2004 and 2016 Academic activity
• Associate Professor at the School of Economic Sciences and Organizations Lusófona University of Humanities and Technology, Linboa
• Guest lecturer at different universities and academic centers
  Portuguese, namely: Nova-IMS, Institute of Economic Law,
  Financial and Tax (IDEFF), Institute of Legal and Political Sciences (ICJP)
• Publications on regulation, impact assessment, game theory and regulation environmental.

Academic Training

• PhD in Economics from the Higher Institute of Economics and Management (ISEG) from the University of Lisbon (UL)
• Master’s degree in Industrial Strategy, ISEG – UL
• Postgraduate in Economist, Universidade Portucalense, Porto

…

• Employed in Tusass A/S (former TELE Greenland) since 1987.
• 1987 to 1990 I worked with operation of telex, PSTN, X.25
• 1990 to 1994 planning and project management of microwave radio relay systems (backbone) and data communication systems.
• 1994 – 1998 Department Manager, Technical Section/TELE Greenland International & Project division – delivering communication projects in Greenland and internationally.
• 1998 – 2007 Sales Manager, TELE Greenland International & Project Division
• 2007 – Department Manager Tusass Danish Department
• 2024 (May) – Department Manager Tusass PLAN department.
• In 2007 I became involved in the first submarine Cable project within Tusass (TELE Greenland) and was the contract manager for the project until RFS in first quarter of 2009.
• In 2009 I was appointed as system responsible for submarine Cable networks within Tusass and have been working with this (and the Department Manager role) since. I have been planning and managing the establishment of Greenland Connect North covering aspects from business case, marine route survey, tendering, negotiation, establishment, and operation including coordination/managing submarine cable repairs in arctic waters.
  In May 2024 I was appointed Department Manager for PLAN with the entire planning, development and system responsible for the entire telecom infrastructure.

Ángel Martin is the Telxius Commercial Manager for the EMEA region, with 12 years of experience in the telecom industry, primarily in business development, marketing, and sales. Ángel has been actively involved in the development of the European and USA Backbone Network at Telxius, which saw rapid growth in demand in the Mid-Atlantic Region with the introduction of the MAREA, BRUSA and DUNANT cable systems, as well as the deployment of Telxius’ Derio and Virginia Beach Data Centers.

At Telxius, Ángel has gained extensive experience as a sales consultant specializing in complex projects, working externally with customers, suppliers, and organizations, and internally with all the relevant departments at Telxius to ensure customer satisfaction.

He has been with Telxius since its creation in 2016 and previously was part of the marketing team for IP and Capacity services at Telefónica International, starting in 2012. Ángel holds a bachelor’s degree in business administration and has completed post-graduate qualifications in telecommunications and business.

Robert Assink is Managing Director of Digital Realty in Spain. Since 2000, Robert has been working to facilitate a more interconnected world; first by interconnecting telecommunications networks, then by linking digital content and distribution, and now by bringing enterprise IT traffic to cloud platforms. All these interconnections take place in Digital Realty’s data centers.

Robert is Dutch by birth and Spanish by adoption. He holds a degree in business management from the European University of Antwerp (Belgium) and an MBA from IESE Business School in Barcelona.

Justin is a member of the MOX Board of Directors, where he advises on strategic initiatives, development, and the ongoing vision for the company. Prior to this role, Justin served as President and Chief Operating Officer of MOX where he was responsible for leading daily operations as well as planning and executing MOX’s corporate strategy. Justin has extensive background in building, developing and executing on strategic alliances, acquisitions, and establishing or procuring assets that align with the executive vision. Before his tenure at MOX, he managed business development for Sidera Networks, where he was responsible for building strategic relationships that facilitated network expansion as well as revenue production and cost savings for the organization. Justin received his J.D. from The Catholic University of America Columbus School of Law, B.S. from The Ohio State University, and holds a license to practice law from the Commonwealth of Virginia.

Rui is the General Manager of RENTELECOM the wholesale telecoms and IT provider of REN, the Portuguese energy group.

He entered Marconi (Portuguese telecoms carrier, now Altice) in 1989 having different responsibilities namely as Regional Director in charge for the European market. In 1998, he joined the founding team of Oni being the General Manager of the Wholesale Business Unit. From 2008 to 2010, he was Chief Sales and Marketing Officer for T-Systems (Deutsche Telekom) in Portugal. From 2010 to 2011 he was the Partner in charge for the launch of nae
(Spain based ICT consultancy) in the Portuguese market.

A freelance journalist and author specializing in technology and cybersecurity.

Esther has been recognised as one of the best science writers in Europe and has received numerous awards in science, technology and innovation journalism. In 2023 she received the Inspire Award for her work on Artificial Intelligence and its impact on society.

Esther is one of the ‘Forbes 100 Most Creative People in Business’ and one of the ‘Top 100 Women Leaders in Spain’, as well as a sought-after speaker, presenter and presenter on topics related to artificial intelligence, cybersecurity, technology ethics and digitalization.

University lecturer and advisor to several think tanks (Salesforce, Fundación Innovación Bankinter and Santa Lucía).

She participates as a jury member in numerous prestigious national and international awards and competitions.

João Filipe Alves is the Head of Security at National Regulatory Authority for Telecommunications (ANACOM) and Vice Chairman of Emergency Communications Planning Committee. Previously he was Head of Regulation, Supervision and Certification Department at the National Cybersecurity Centre (CNCS). During the Portuguese Presidency of the Council of the European Union, he was the Chair of the NIS Cooperation Group and Chair of the CyCLONe Network. He was the national representative in the European Union Cybersecurity Exercises project of the European Union Agency for Cybersecurity (ENISA) since 2010. He also was Software Engineer at Critical Software, Portugal Telecom and Siemens. He has a degree in Computer Engineering from the Faculty of Sciences of the University of Lisbon and a postgraduate degree in IT Security Engineer, also from the Faculty of Sciences of the University from Lisbon.

Marco Terenziani is the director of the Strategic Growth function within the optical Europe business centre to develop the business of quantum security, neutral host, EU funding and ESG.

Before taking this position, he was proposal manager and domain architect for optical solutions, and he started his career as FPGA / ASICS designer for the micro-wave division.

John W. Martin is a futurist, award-winning author, and leader of America’s 12 th largest U.S. megaregion – the I-64 Innovation Corridor that connects the Richmond and Hampton Roads regions of central Virginia. This 800-square mile, three-million-person area is an innovation hot spot that’s located just south of Ashburn a.k.a. Data Center Alley. John is also the CEO of S.I.R., a 60-year-old marketing consultancy that supports some of America’s largest brands and communities.

John is recognized as one of the foremost thinkers and marketing practitioners on advancing large-scale infrastructure projects using an equitable economic development approach.

In his role advancing the I-64 Innovation Corridor, John is spearheading the bold vision of making this U.S. megaregion a global gateway as a worldclass international space port, maritime port, and digital port.
Last year, John organized an unprecedented, corridor-wide strategic planning effort funded through a public-private partnership. This year-long, research-based initiative included 68 top leaders from Richmond-Hampton Roads’ Fortune 500 companies; city, county, and state governments; chambers of commerce; economic development agencies; institutions of higher education; workforce training organizations; four branches of military; and digital infrastructure owners (subsea cables, data centers, terrestrial networks, Internet exchanges, etc.). During the planning effort, international project consultants, InterGlobix Group and TeleGeography, said they had never seen anything like this multi-stakeholder, community-wide strategic planning effort.

What resulted was the world’s first, community-inspired, strategic digital infrastructure growth plan that is now making an entire U.S. megaregion, not a city, one of the world’s next global internet hubs.
This planning work is showcased on the I-64 Innovation Corridor’s Global Internet Hub website, where intentional knowledge-building and collaboration drive community-wide support for growing investment in and the growth of local digital infrastructure.

John holds an MBA from Virginia Commonwealth University and a B.A. in Economics and Studio Art from Washington & Lee University.

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Carlos Casado is Telxius Northern Region Sales VP, with 25+ years of experience in the telecoms field, including project management, business development, sales and marketing. Carlos has been involved in the submarine cable business since 2003. He was responsible for the Capacity Services Business line in Telefonica International Wholesale Services until 2016, when he joined Telxius as Head of EMEA Business development. Carlos was promoted in 2021 to Vice President Sales North Region, where he covers North America and EMEA countries.

Recently, Carlos has been involved in the development of the Marea, Dunant and Brusa submarine cable projects. Prior to his career in the submarine cable industry, he worked for different companies of the Telefonica Group in Italy and at the Representation Office of the EU in Brussels. Carlos holds a bachelor’s degree in law from the Complutense University of Madrid,
and has post-graduate qualifications in telecommunications, business, and management.

Degree in telecommunications and electronics engineering from IST, Lisbon in 1983. Post graduations in management and leadership.

José Barros performed International Network Planning and Provisioning Managing functions at CPR Marconi during 1984-2002.

At Portugal Telecom during 2002-2003, José Barros was responsible for the International Network Administration.

At ANACOM, José Barros served as Director of External Relations Department during 2003-2020, and until September 2023 served as Senior Advisor for International Connectivity and Submarine Cables.

From October 2023 José Barros develops independent activity related to the development of the country’s international connectivity, considering the installation of data storage services in Portugal and landing of submarine cables in the country and their use for environmental and seismic detection for the benefit of scientific communities and populations (early warnings of tsunamis and earthquakes). José Barros is member of the Executive Council of JTF SMART Cables and joined PQI – Portuguese Quantum Institute as Researcher for submarine cables and is ambassador of PORTUGAL.DC association.

Ik has been developing and installing seafloor cable systems for 30 years in the energy and fiber optic telecommunications industries. He is a founder and director of Far North Digital LLC. FND, an Alaskan company, is leading the development of the Far North Fiber submarine cable project. It will be the first submarine fiber optic cable system spanning the Pacific and Atlantic Oceans through the Arctic’s Northwest Passage, connecting Asia, U.S., Canada, Europe and Scandinavia over the most secure, diverse and direct route. FNF incorporates latest generation, high fiber count cable and optronics, and offers high capacity, low latency data transmission.

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Professional with over 25 years of experience in the IT sector, specialist in design and implementation of cloud systems architecture and microservices. Graduated in CCEE and Business, Microsoft MCSE certified engineer, Cisco CCNP, Citrix CCEA and others.

Alberto Teixeira Passos has a degree in Electrical and Computer Engineering attained at Instituto Superior Técnico de Lisboa (1992) with a specialization in Telecommunications (5 years), a master’s degree in Marketing for Executives from Católica Lisbon School of Business and Economics (2009) and a Leadership and Strategy graduation Course at Nova School of Business and Economics (2021).

With more than 30 years of experience, mainly in the telecommunications and transportation sectors, having held roles at Telecom Portugal, Philips Portugal, MaxitelSat, Maxitel, Refer Telecom and IP Telecom. He also collaborated with INESC, Gustave Eiffel technical school, Grupo Águas de Portugal (AdP) and consultancy at UITP (International Union of Public Transport) as part of an experts group (SECURED) between 2012 and 2014.

Former Deputy General Manager of Refer Telecom, now IP Telecom, Alberto hold positions in the areas of network planning (Telecom Portugal), Network planning and DataCom Product Management (Philips Portugal), Satellite Comms Key Account Manager (MaxitelSat), Direct Sales and Satellite communications Responsible (Maxitel), Head of Enterprise Sales (Maxitel) and Head of Marketing & Sales Direction (Refer Telecom).

Currently Head of Direction at IP Telecom’s Business Development Department, working alongside the Atlantic CAM as Head of the Technical Implementation Team submarine cable project, which will connect mainland Portugal to the Azores and Madeira islands up to 150Tbps and an innovative SMART technology component associated.

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Head of the Information, Communication and Technology practice, the Digital Frontiers practice and the Aerospace sector, Magda has in-depth knowledge and experience with innovative technological projects in the electronic communications industry and across several jurisdictions and regions, notably Europe and Africa. She has led multidisciplinary teams in different ICT projects & transactions and assisted Governments and Regulatory Entities in connection with the definition of regulatory policies and legislative drafting, having also advised various international organizations such as International Telecommunications Union, the World Bank and the European Investment Bank. Magda has provided expert advice to companies and public entities across different industries on several digital economy legal issues, from electronic and postal communications to information and emerging technologies, such as AI, robotics, blockchain, nanotechnology, Big Data and IoT. She also advises clients on Data Protection & Cybersecurity and Space sector projects, being VdA’s representative at the International Astronautic Federation (IAF) and responsible for liaising with The Alliance for Affordable Internet (A4AI). She is an Officer at the International Bar Association (IBA) Communications Law Committee and a member of the European Union’s Digital for Development (D4D) Hub Private Sector Advisory Group (PSAG). Magda is also a member of the World Economic Forum’s Metaverse Governance working group and the AI Global Alliance – Resilient Governance and Regulation working group. She participates in several Space sector-related forums, namely the United Nations Office for Outer Space Affairs (UNOOSA)

Paul Rendek is currently a Director at Dstream Group, a strategic management consulting group specialised in the IT industry. He has 30+ years of experience in a global capacity in the Internet industry and a solid understanding of the Internet’s technical aspects, business development, and public policy.

He was part of RIPE NCC’s Senior Management Team, responsible for developing organisational strategies and maintaining the RIPE NCC’s external relations and public affairs activities, overseeing outreach to RIPE NCC & RIPE members, industry partners, governments, law enforcement and regulators.

Paul was one of the founders of the Middle East Network Operators Group (MENOG) and the Eurasia Network Operators Group (ENOG). He was also appointed to the Consolidated RIR IANA Stewardship Proposal (CRISP) team to produce the Internet Number Community response to the IANA Stewardship Transition Coordination Group’s RFP.

As an Internet governance expert passionate about Internet development, he was an appointed representative of the Internet technical community in the global Internet governance arena.

Before his employment at the RIPE NCC, his position at EUnet, the first commercial Internet Service Provider (ISP) in Europe, and GEANT, the pan-European network for research and education have ensured that he has been a known face in the Internet community since 1993.

Vinay Nagpal has been leading the development of digital infrastructure solutions on a global scale for over 29 years. As the CEO of InterGlobix, a global consultancy, advisory and media firm advancing digital infrastructure and leading economic growth, he has been leading global initiatives focused on the convergence of data centers, subsea fiber, and terrestrial fiber.

Nagpal is a former executive with Digital Realty, DuPont Fabros Technology, TATA Communications, Verizon Business, UUNET, CanWest Global Communications, and Intrinsyc Software. He is currently part of leadership and advisory teams for the Internet Ecosystem Innovation Committee (IEIC), Loudoun County Economic Development, Northern Virginia Technology Council (NVTC), Total Telecom Submarine Networks EMEA, DE-CIX, RTI Cables, SMU M.S. in Datacenter Systems Engineering, SubOptic, PTC and
previously GPX India, LINX NoVA, the QTS Richmond NAP and the Open-IX Association.

Nagpal has an MBA in Information Systems, a bachelor’s in computer science, and a Higher Diploma in Software Engineering. He has authored white papers, blogs, and industry publications on data centers and connectivity services. He has been a keynote speaker, panelist, and moderator at several renowned digital infrastructure conferences worldwide.