Mr S. M. Monir Ahmed, Commissioner, Bangladesh Telecommunication Regulatory Commission (BTRC)

Mr Russell T Ahmed, Chief Operating Officer, Aamra Networks Russell T. Ahmed is the Chief Operating Officer of aamra networks limited (www.aamra.com.bd), the leading Corporate ISP (Internet Service Provider) of Bangladesh. Other than the regular Internet, the Company offers critical networking services like IPLC, IPVPN, Data Security, Anti Spam etc. for corporate houses. Under his leadership the company has grown business volume year by year and achieved success in introducing new products & in bringing International business alliances. Considering his skill of new business development, Russell Ahmed has been awarded the responsibility of COO of other ICT concerns by “aamra” Group Management. The companies are BangladeshInfo.com, The Leading & Mostly browsed Web Portal of the country and aamra outsourcing limited, solution provider for BPO (Business Process Outsourcing). He successfully introduced “aamra outsourcing” in the European & US Market for outsourcing option where huge challenge from Indian companies always exists.

Mr Sumon Ahmed Shabir, Managing Director, BDCOM Online Ltd.

Christopher Almeida, Senior Vice President & Head Global Voice Solutions, Tata Communications Christopher Almeida is the Senior Vice President & Head of Global Voice Solutions; India, for Tata Communications, which is part of the $62.5 billion Tata Group. Mr. Almeida is currently responsible the SAARC region Voice business. His key focus areas include achieving the revenues and profitability of the region, driving strategic projects to increase the share of the domestic and international voice market. Mr. Almeida is also responsible for identifying new markets and business opportunities in the region and expanding the scope of the current business streams. He also provides the strategic and tactical direction for the India commercial operations, including billing, collection and customer relationship management. He is also responsible for ensuring India and other countries regulatory compliances and providing strategic regulatory inputs in the interest of the business and Industry. Previously Mr. Almeida was the Vice President, Sales and Marketing at Bharti Cellular Ltd. In this position he was responsible the launch of Airtel Services in Mumbai city and for providing the strategic direction for go-to-market models for each customer segment as well as the delivery of the “Annual Operating Plan” which was comprised of customer additions, revenue, usage (local, NLD and ILD & value added services), and costs. Having held senior level positions at Business Standard Ltd.; Hutchison Max Telecom Ltd.; Modi GBC Ltd., and Network India Ltd, Mr. Almeida has over 23 years of Marketing & Sales experience. Working in the Indian telecom industry since its inception, Mr. Almeida has nearly a decade of experience in the global telecommunications industry. Mr. Almeida holds a Bachelor of Science degree from St. Xavier’s College, University of Bombay. He also received his MBA in Marketing from S.P. Jain Institute of Management.

Mr Ghalib A Ansari, Chief Executive Officer, True Communication Ltd

Mr Syed Yamin Bakht, Director - Public Relations, Grameenphone Syed Yamin Bakht is the Director of the Public Relations Division. He joined the company as the Head of Information Department in June 1999. He is the company’s main point of contact for media related queries. Educated in the United States as a Journalist, Yamin has more than a decade of previous working experience in the media both at home and abroad. He has worked in senior positions of some leading newspapers in Bangladesh.

Mr Ahmad Tabshir Choudhury , Project Director - IT , Premier Bank Limited

Mr Mehboob Chowdhury, Chairman, South Asia GSM Forum

Mr Shahid M. Chughtai, Head – Corporate Quality Assurance, Warid Telecom (Pvt.) Ltd.

Mr Federick Chui, SVP, EMEA, International Products & Solutions, PCCW Global Frederick K.F. Chui is Senior Vice President of International Products & Solutions, PCCW Global at PCCW Limited, responsible for managing the Company’s international products management and development and marketing around the globe. Mr Chui joined Hongkong Telecom in 1991. Since then, he had held a number of management positions in the Company responsible for solution design, product management, development and marketing for both local and international services. Mr Chui is a graduate of the University of Nottingham with BEng and Executive MBA from The Chinese University of Hong Kong.

Mr Azad Delwar Hossain, Dy. Director & Head - Financial Services, Grameenphone

Mr Gehan Dias, AVP – Cards & Alternate Distribution Channels , Cards & Alternate Distribution Channels, NDB Bank Gehan is the AVP - Cards and Alternate Distribution Channels at NDB Bank, Sri Lanka. In his current role, he is both the project manager and business head for South Asia’s first commercially launched m-Commerce product ‘eZ Pay’. The ‘eZ Pay’ product was launched by NDB Bank in partnership with Sri Lanka’s largest mobile telecommunications operator Dialog Telekom in August 2007. Gehan, has had broad experience over the past 18 years in Retail and Corporate Banking, in both local and international banks. Areas of expertise covered include product development, marketing, risk management, credit administration, operations, branch banking and project management, having held a variety of management positions. Within the payments business Gehan has key relationships with payment associations, card issuers, card acquirers, processors and technology vendors. Gehan holds a MBA from the University of Western Sydney, Australia and is an Associate of the Institute of Bankers of Sri Lanka and the Association of Professional Bankers of Sri Lanka. He has also obtained the Certificate in Business Management in the Payment Industry offered by the Visa Business School Asia Pacific.

Mr Wangay Dorji, Head – Telecommunications, Bhutan InfoComm and Media Authority (BICMA)

Mr Thinley Dorji, Managing Director, Bhutan Telecom Thinley Dorji is a veteran in the telecom sector with more than 23 years of experience with the incumbent operator and regulator. He led the construction of the first country-wide National Telecom Network and the country’s first satellite earth station. He also established the country’s telecommunication regulatory body in 2000 and was actively involved in drafting of the Bhutan Information, Communications and Media Act 2006. In 2005, he became the Managing Director of Bhutan Telecommunications Ltd and has been the driving force behind the operator’s growth and technology advancement. He has a Post graduate Diploma in Management of Telecommunications Systems from University of Essex, UK and a Bachelor of Engineering degree from the University of Wisconsin, US.

Ms Rubaba Dowla, Director - Marketing, Grameenphone

Mr T R Dua, Senior Director, Cellular Operators Association of India (COAI)

Mr Rohit Gupta, AVP - Value Added Services & Enterprise Market Planning, Tata Teleservices Rohit Gupta is currently working as Additional Vice President, Value Added Services at Tata Teleservices. He has been associated with mobile telephony industry since 1995, when this industry was born in India. In his current portfolio, he is heading Value Added Services Operations for the company. Tata Teleservices currently offers a wide range of Value Added Services including Caller Ringback Tones, Voice Portal Services, Application SMS services and Mobile Data Services on the platform of WAP, JAVA and BREW using CDMA technology for mobile telephony. By education, he is Bachelor of Engineering with specialisation in Electronics & Communication and MBA Marketing.

Mr Khalid Hasan, Director - Corporate Affairs, Grameenphone Khalid Hasan was appointed as Director, Corporate and Regulatory Affairs, in May 2001. He has a Masters Degree in Business Management from Dhaka University. Khalid has acquired a wide range of experiences during the last two decades in international business development, specializing in breakthrough joint ventures and global partnerships in rapidly changing, highly competitive environments. Prior to joining Grameenphone, he was the country manager for General Electric (GE).

Mr Kabir Hasan, General Manager - System Engineering, Teletalk Bangladesh

Mr Muhammad Aslam Hayat, Consultant - Regulatory & Interconnection, Grameenphone

Mr Zeeshan K. Huq, Senior Manager - Marketing, Warid Telecom International

Mr Shafayatul Islam Khan, Head of Postpaid Market Development, Banglalink GSM

Mr Rajesh Kumar, Joint Deputy Director General (CMTS), Bharat Sanchar Nigam Ltd. (BSNL) Rajesh Kumar is working in the Cellular Planning unit of BSNL. He is responsible for GSM expansion in BSNL network. He was instrumental in rolling WiMAX network (d version) of BSNL and also planned for the WiMAX(e) rollout to be undertaken by BSNL. He is also involved in the development of Next Generation Network of BSNL . Rajesh Kumar has spent fourteen years in BSNL, which is the largest telecom service provider in India. He had worked in different engineering and management positions in BSNL and his area of concentration are Marketing and Development and Operation of wireline and wireless network. He is a post graduate from Indian Institute of Technology, New Delhi and has also done MBA from Indian Institute of Management-Kozhikode.

Mr Daniel Lo, Head - Next Generation Network Development, Hong Kong Broadband Network Mr. Daniel Lo is the Head of Next Generation Network Development of Hong Kong Broadband Network Limited. Daniel possesses valuable experience in Next Generation Network establishment as he has been staying with HKBN since its inception. Currently, he is a specialist in Metro Ethernet FTTX deployment in residential and corporate markets to support "multi-play" applications including broadband, VoIP and IP-TV services. Apart from technical arrangements, Daniel also plays a significant role in inter-operator interconnection negotiation and network dimensioning of HKBN’s service kick-off, as well as wholesales business negotiation. Throughout the years of services, Daniel has participated in several important projects. He has engaged in Government consultation on topics of “Full Liberalization of Fixed Telecom Market”, “Local Loop Unbundling”, “VoIP” and “Fixed-Mobile Convergence” which helped contribute to HKBN’s role as a pioneer of telecommunications in Hong Kong.

Mr Christian Michaud, Senior Vice President, Product Marketing & Business Development (Global Voice Solutions), Tata Communications Christian Michaud is the Senior Vice-President of Product Marketing and Business Development in the Global Voice Solutions Business Unit for Tata Communications, part of the $62.5 billion Tata Group. Mr. Michaud is responsible for developing the voice marketing strategy as well as product management and business development. Mr. Michaud has over twenty years of experience in international telecommunications, including twelve years with Teleglobe, which was acquired by VSNL in February 2006. Prior to his appointment as Senior Vice-President, Marketing & Business Development, he held a number of senior positions in Sales, Marketing and Regulatory Affairs and was a key member of the team that positioned Teleglobe in international markets. Mr. Michaud holds graduate and undergraduate degrees in economics from the Université de Montréal.

Mr Pallab Mitra, Head of Commerce, Marketing Innovation, Bharti Airtel

Mr Mubashir Naqvi, Managing Partner, Mint Consulting Group

Ms Anoja Obeyesekere, CEO, Dialog Telekom

Ms Anoja Obeyesekere, Chairman, GSMA APAC

Mr Zain Omar , CEO, Access Telecom (BD) Ltd. Mr. Zain Omar is co-founder, CEO & President and a member of the Board of Directors of the Company. Mr. Omar is responsible for overall corporate strategy, corporate policy, profitability and long-term growth. His responsibilities also include the acquisition of companies with complimentary services, the implementation of strategic partnerships, cross marketing alliances, and the identification and acquisition of all necessary capital resources. Mr. Omar has participated in various start-up companies such as of Phoenix Wireless Group, Inc. of Orlando Florida, a pioneer in software switching solutions for the cellular industry. As Director for Business Development, Asia, Mr. Omar contributed significantly to the rapid growth of Phoenix Wireless. He was able to procure and implement Phoenix Wireless's first project. Phoenix Wireless was subsequently acquired by Excel Communications, which then was acquired by Lucent Technologies. Mr. Omar practiced as a Certified Public Accountant for Reznick, Fedder & Silverman, where he had responsibility for Auditing and analyzing project feasibilities for a variety of firms in multiple industries. He began his career as a Marketing Executive with AMEV, Inc, (now Fortis Funds), a mutual fund management company, in Virginia. Mr. Omar received his BSc degree from University of Maryland and became a Certified Public Accountant in Maryland.

Ms Claire Paponneau, Executive Vice-President - International Wholesale Solutions, Orange Claire Paponneau is Executive Vice-President of International Wholesale Solutions of the France Telecom Group in which the key brand is Orange. The France Telecom Group provides innovative services to more than 1000 mobile operators, international carriers, ISPs and content providers. Before taking up her current position in 2002, Claire was Executive Vice-President of International Networks. Claire joined the France Telecom Group in 1984 and has been involved in the management of networks, services and video planning as well as finance, planning and information systems. She was also responsible for setting up a unified organization of multicultural teams in 2000 following the France Telecom acquisition of Global One (later to become Orange Business Services, the world leader in the corporate services market). Claire is a graduate of the French National School of Telecommunications and the Ecole des Mines, Paris. She also holds a research degree in Mathematics from the Ecole Normale Superieure, Paris.

Mr Manjula Pathiranage, Head – Operations & Maintenance, Suntel Limited Mr Manjula Pathiranage has been working for telecom operators for more than 10 years in Network Operations & maintenance beginning the carrier as an engineer after graduation from the University of Moratuwa, Sri Lanka in 1997. He is also a member of the Institute of Engineering and Technology (IET) and The Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers.

Mr Md. Mujibur Rahman, Managing Director, Teletalk Bangladesh Ltd.

Mr Omer Rashid, Chief Commercial Officer, Banglalink GSM Prior to joining the Banglalink team, Omer Rashid spent almost four years in Mobilink (Orascom Telecom's operation in Pakistan) where he was looking after Marketing Strategy and Planning. Omer has a diversified background as he started his career as an engineer having specialized in feedback control systems. After working as a Systems engineer in a Research & Development (R&D) organization for over three years, he decided to pursue an MBA degree in marketing. He then joined Nestle's brand management team and managed the NESCAFE brand for a year and a half, before joining Mobilink in 2001.

Ms Siobhan Ryley, Product Marketing Manager, Intec Siobhan is based in Sydney and is responsible for the marketing of Intec’s Singl.eView convergent billing, charging and customer management solution. With a career spanning more than 15 years in billing, CRM, telecommunications and IT, Siobhan has extensive experience in a variety of customer-facing and product management roles. Having worked in England for ICL, Siobhan came to Australia, working as a Business Manager in Brisbane. Subsequent roles saw Siobhan manage the launch of new CRM software, and included assignments in Toronto and Boston. Recent roles in strategic marketing and product management have added to her extensive experience focused on the global telecommunications industry.

Prof. Rohan Samarajiva, Executive Director, LIRNEasia Rohan Samarajiva is Executive Director of LIRNEasia [pronounced Learn Asia], a regional think tank specializing in ICT policy and regulation. It is active in ten emerging economies across South and Southeast Asia. Samarajiva was Team Leader at the Ministry for Economic Reform, Science and Technology of the government of Sri Lanka (2002-04) responsible for infrastructure reforms, a founder director of the ICT Agency (2003-05), and Director General of Telecommunications (1998-99). He helped design the comprehensive ICT development initiative known as e Sri Lanka. He was Visiting Professor of Economics of Infrastructures at the Delft University of Technology in the Netherlands (2000-03) and Associate Professor of Communication and Public Policy at the Ohio State University in the USA (1987-2000).

Mr Samir Satchu, Chief Legal Counsel And Head Of Government Affairs, Roshan Telecom

Dr Sankassa Senevirathna, Senior Manager - QoS and System Administration, Department of Projects and Planning, Lanka Bell

Mr Nikhil Shah, Board Member – VP International Development, IP / MPLS Forum

Mr Sameer Sharma, Senior Advisor, International Telecommunication Union (Asia and the Pacific), Sameer Sharma is currently Senior Advisor for IP based Networks and ICT Applications posted in ITU Regional office for Asia and the Pacfic in Bangkok, responsible for ten countries in South Asia covering India, Nepal, Bhutan, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, Afghanistan, Pakistan, Iran, Israel and Maldives. His addtional thematic funcations include partnership with private sector members for the whole Asia and Pacific region with ove 40 countries. He is also responsible for ITU Asia Pacific Regional Initiatives on NGN planning and migration and collaboration between ITU-T and ITU-D and currently undertaking various projects on USP, VoIP, Broadband, NGN etc. He is also the focal point for interface with UN agencies such as UNESCAP for ITU work on ICT related to MDG and WSIS targets.

Mr Pradeep Shrivastava, CMO, IDEA Cellular Pradeep Shrivastava, Chief Marketing Officer – Marketing, Idea Cellular Ltd., India is part of a dynamic Executive Committee of this leading cellular service provider in India, which has established itself as one of the top mobile operators in a fast growing Indian Cellular Market with many firsts to its credit. A post graduate from St. Stephen’s College, Delhi and an MBA from Indian Institute of Management, Ahmedabad, Pradeep’s career spanning 24 years has taken him to successfully manage diversified business such as food in HLL, advertising in Lintas and start up operation in computer, software, EPABX, retailing etc.

Mr Druvi Sirisena, Unit Manager, Mobile Commerce Group Commercial, Dialog Telekom Druvi joined Dialog Telekom PLC in January 2007 and is working as a Unit Manager for the newly formed Mobile Commerce business unit. As the Unit Manager, Druvi played a key role in launching the eZ Pay service in Sri Lanka in August 2007 (at the time, South Asia's 1st commercially launched Mobile Commerce network) and is now responsible for the overall coordination and management of the unit, plus overseeing marketing and business development activates in key sectors such as the banking sector, telecom sector and the retail sector. Prior to joining Dialog Telekom, Druvi was in the software development industry where he worked as a Senior Business Analyst for Virtusa Corp (headquartered in Boston) and played an onsite Business Consultancy role for one of the top 5 investment banks in the world, based in New York City. Further, he was also engaged in an onsite Project Management role for British Telecom in UK. Prior to Virtusa Corp, Druvi was employed with Hewlett Packard Consulting Melbourne, Australia where he played a Business Consultancy role for Telstra Australia. Druvi holds a Bachelors degree in IT from Queensland University of Technology Australia and a MBA (Finance Major) from Deakin University Australia.

Mr Ricardo Tavares, Senior Vice President - Public Policy, GSM Association

Mr Wahaj us Siraj, Chief Executive Officer, Micronet Broadband Wahaj us Siraj is Chief Executive Officer and co-founder of Micronet Broadband (Pvt) Ltd. which was the first company to launch broadband Digital Subscribers Line (DSL) services in Pakistan in 2002. After successful operations of Micronet BB, Mr. Siraj co-founded another telecom company, Naya Tel (Pvt) Ltd., which has installed first fiber to the home (FTTH) project in Islamabad, Pakistan to provide voice, video and high speed Internet access to the corporate and home users. Mr. Siraj has vast experience in Internet and telecom industry and also worked with the Government of Pakistan at policy making level. Mr. Siraj holds a Masters Degree in Engineering from The University of Melbourne, Australia and a Bachelors Degree in Mechanical Engineering from University of Engineering & Technology, Lahore. Mr. Siraj is a founder member of ISPAK (Internet Service Providers Association of Pakistan) and has been a strong activist for reforms in Pakistani IT and Telecom industry.

Mr Tandi Wangchuk, General Manager - B-Mobile Division, Bhutan Telecom Tandi Wangchuk has more than 15 years experience in the telecommunications industry. He has worked in various capacities in different areas from fixed line to mobile services. As Head of the Mobile arm (B-Mobile) of Bhutan’s leading operator he has been successful in expanding mobile coverage to reach all parts of the country and in building a 3G network to provide rich multimedia data services on mobile. He has a Masters degree in Operational Telecommunications from the Cable & Wireless College, Coventry University, UK and a BSc in Electrical and Electronic Engineering from Bangladesh University of Engineering and Technology.

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