Dr. William Cooper (Summit Chair)
Founder and CEO
informitv

Principal consultant at informitv, Dr William Cooper specialises in interactive media services across multiple platforms. As an independent consultant on strategy and implementation, he advises clients ranging from start-up companies to major corporations.

As head of interactive at BBC Broadcast, William operationally managed the successful launch and delivery of landmark interactive services on satellite, terrestrial and cable television across multiple channels and territories.

William was responsible for transitioning interactive publication and playout services from a public service cost centre into a profitable commercial subsidiary and managing the migration of services into a purpose-built multimillion pound technical facility in preparation for the subsequent sale of the business, now known as Red Bee Media. Previously, as head of new media operations, William oversaw the exponential growth of the BBC's online services.

Prior to that, as product manager for the new media division of the Press Association, William led the launch of online syndication services, leading to the creation of a successful standalone business, subsequently acquired by Orange for £98 million. A regular contributor to international conferences, with papers published at both IBC and NAB, William is a recognised commentator on interactive media and edits the online news service informitv.com. He is co-author of IPTV: Broadband meets broadcast - The network television revolution and the IPTV Guide. William began his career as a broadcast journalist, following a PhD in Communications and a degree in English from the University of Leeds.

 

Antony Walker (Moderator)
Chief Executive
Broadband Stakeholder Group (BSG)

Antony is Chief Executive of the Broadband Stakeholder Group (BSG), which was set up by government to advise on the development and implementation of the UK's broadband strategy.

Antony has a background in communications policy and the impact of convergence on the high tech-sector.

He has been closely involved in broadband policy development since the BSG was established and is the author of several major broadband related reports to government.

The BSG is based in Intellect, the high tech trade association, where Antony is director of strategy and communications.

Prior to joining Intellect, Antony spent six years working in Brussels for the American Chamber of Commerce and as a consultant to the European Commission.

Antony is a graduate of Aberdeen University and has an MA from the Institute of European Studies, KU Leuven, Belgium.

 

Matt Yardley (Moderator)
Partner,
Analysys Mason

Matt Yardley is a Partner at Analysys Mason and is Head of Broadband & Media. He joined Analysys Mason in 1997 and specialises in fixed networks. Matt is experienced in business planning and due diligence work, having advised operators, private-equity firms and global investment banks on broadband, cable TV and wireless businesses. He has advised a range of clients, including operators, regulators and Governments, on broadband and next-generation access (NGA) networks, including topics such as fibre to the cabinet (FTTC), sub-loop unbundling and fibre to the home (FTTH) deployments.

He also works with organisations seeking to distribute rich media content over fixed networks and helps them understand the economic and technical issues involved.

Matt has led a number of scenario planning projects looking at future demands for bandwidth, and has advised clients on network neutrality issues. He is a regular speaker at industry conferences and has been quoted in a wide range of newspapers and leading titles including the Financial Times, The Economist, The Wall Street Journal, Total Telecom, and others. Matt holds a B.Eng. Honours Degree (First Class) in Mechanical Engineering from UMIST, and a Ph.D. in Aerospace Engineering from the University of Manchester.

 

Mark Logan
General Manager, Next Generation Access (NGA)
BT Openreach

Mark is responsible for the Openreach portfolio of super fast fibre access products.

He leads a team of professionals who manage BT Openreache's investment in this area: defining the product roadmap, commercial terms, deployment and inter-working.

Mark has worked in the tele-communications industry for 16 years and has been involved with both UK and non-UK telecoms services spanning a range of markets and technical solutions.

Harry Eastman
Operations Director
Easynet Connect

Harry Eastman is Operations Director for one of the UK’s leading ISPs for small to medium size businesses, Easynet Connect and its high end consumer broadband arm UK Online. Both companies are part of the BSkyB group and operate the 2nd largest network in the UK.

Harry has full responsibility for Easynet Connect and UK Online’s four contact centres, all UK based, as well as all provisioning and billing services for both companies. Rather unusually Harry’s background is in the mature sector of blue chip manufacturing, where he started as a qualified engineer. This has given him a breadth of experience that has enabled him to approach and develop a world class customer service for Easynet Connect and UK Online with innovation and analytical insight.

His transformation strategy has majored on three main issues over the past two years - Quality, First Time Fix and the overall customer journey. This year will see the introduction of a first rate SAAS CRM system to further the efficient but personal customer service offering.

Harry has extensive team building experience as well as involvement in several start up enterprises. His successful track record in general manufacturing management also includes significant process and product development in the UK, USA and Europe. Previous roles with blue chip companies include Johnson & Johnson Ltd, British Gas and Minipack Ltd.

 

Adrian Crook
Business Development Director
Fibre City

Adrian Crook, business development director of Fibrecity Holdings, part of the i3 Group, is leading the specialist firm's deployment of town and citywide fibre networks to homes and businesses around the world, capable of delivering next generation services.

Prior to Fibrecity, Adrian joined H2O Networks, a sister company to Fibrecity, and was responsible for building a footprint of fibre optic connectivity to businesses both in the private and public sectors.

He has considerable commercial and technical expertise gained in the IT and Telecoms sector.

 

Joachim Luecking
Head of Antitrust unit,
DG Competition European Commision

Dr. Joachim Lücking is the Head of Unit responsible for Antitrust – Telecommunications in the Competition Directorate-General of the European Commission. His responsibilities include all antitrust cases in the electronic communications sector as well as the Article 7 Consultation Mechanism on national regulatory measures.

Joachim joined the European Commission in 1995 and has held several positions in the Competition DG, including Head of Unit – Mergers, Deputy Head of Unit – Telecommunications and Post, Policy coordinator and Case handler for merger cases.

Before joining the European Commission, he worked as a Research Assistant at the School of Business and Economics of the University of Erlangen- Nuremberg and as a manager for the Quelle Schickedanz Group. Joachim was educated in Germany and the USA. He holds a Ph.D. in Business Administration and a MBA (Diplom-Kaufmann) from the Friedrich-Alexander University of Erlangen- Nuremberg as well as a M.A. in Economics from Wayne State University, Detroit.

 

Karel Helsen
President,
FTTH Council Europe

Karel Helsen is president of the FTTH Council Europe, appointed by the board of directors in April 2009. Mr. Helsen continues in his current role as Vice President of Amsterdam-based Draka Communications.

Karel Helsen, 46 years, has a degree in Computer Sciences from the University of Utrecht in information systems design. He specialized in Business Economics, Finance and Investment and Political Economy at Erasmus University, Rotterdam before taking up a professional position in Asia Pacific. He has over 2 decades in the electronics and telecommunications industries , with a combination of marketing and business development skills over multiple countries, regions and cultures.

Karel Helsen has been active in the FTTH Council Europe since June 2007 when he was elected chairman of the newly formed Deployment and Operation committee which combined the former Infrastructure and Architecture committees with an economics dimension to include capital and operating expenditure models for active and passive technology, case studies and the evolution of FTTH technology deployment. Following a year on the Deployment and Operation committee Mr. Helsen became a board member with a liaison to the Council’s International Advisory Group (IAG).

 

Clive Carter
Policy Director,
OFCOM

Clive Carter is a Policy Director working in Ofcom's Strategy Team. His major focus is on the fixed and mobile telecommunications sectors, and has worked extensively on issues relating to broadband services including next generation access and core networks.

Clive leads Ofcom's work on super-fast broadband, including the recently published statement. He is also closely involved in developing Ofcom’s overall strategy and policy priorities. Prior to joining Ofcom, Clive was a management consultant providing strategic advice for a wide range of organisations in and around the communications sector

 

Markus Reinisch
Head of Regulatory Affairs,
Vodafone

Markus is heading the fixed regulatory function at Vodafone Group, the largest alternative broadband operator Europe's.

At Vodafone Markus is responsible for defining the overall fixed regulatory strategy for current and in particular for next generation networks.
 

He ensures the execution of that strategy across all 25 operating companies and provides regulatory support for business development and M&A activities with regards to fixed assets. Prior to working for Vodafone, Markus was the Director, Group Regulatory Development at COLT Telecom. Before that Markus held roles at Orange Group and Deloitte Consulting. Markus holds an LL.M. from Warwick University and a Master of Law from Vienna University.

 

Aleksandra Bosnjak
Senior Analyst,
SNL Kagan

Aleksandra Bosnjak is an analyst at SNL Kagan, specialized in European video economics, film finance and global Internet video trends.

 

Ms. Bosnjak also serves as a consultant for SNL Kagan Media Appraisals specializing in European pay-TV markets, IP-VOD systems and new media business models.

 

Prior to joining the company in 2009, Ms. Bosnjak worked as a content and media analyst at Ovum while serving as an executive advisor to a number of new media start-ups and co-founder of Funky Finance Productions, an independent film finance consultancy. Aleksandra holds an MBA from the University of Ottawa, Canada.

 

Malcolm Corbett
CEO,
Community Broadband Network (CBN)

Malcolm Corbett is the chief executive of the Community Broadband Network (CBN), the recognised leader in developing community-based next generation broadband projects. CBN works across the UK with a diverse range of organisations including local authorities like Manchester and Nottingham; regional development agencies like NWDA and EEDA; and with private companies like H2O Networks. Malcolm is active in the world of co-operative and social enterprise. Prior to working on the development of CBN, Malcolm was a director of Poptel, the co-operative Internet provider, where he developed new business opportunities and co-invented the global top level Internet domain .coop. Malcolm was also the founding chair of Social Enterprise London, the first regional organisation promoting social enterprise in the UK.

Malcolm is active in the world of co-operative and social enterprise. Prior to working on the development of CBN, Malcolm was a director of Poptel, the co-operative Internet provider, where he developed new business opportunities and co-invented the global top level Internet domain .coop. Malcolm was also the founding chair of Social Enterprise London, the first regional organisation promoting social enterprise in the UK.