Wavelengths 2025 Speakers

Horst Schmied

Head of Optical Network

A1

Horst Schmied has thirty years’ experience in the Telecommunications industry. Mr. Schmied is currently in charge of leading the department Access Transport Network Delivery Center, with responsibility for Microwave and Optical Network Architecture, planning and operating the Microwave & DWDM network of A1 Group in all CEE countries where A1 is present.  In his career he has lead several projects like the optical network migration of A1 Telekom Austria’s Group network and he supported the network swap in Austria. Currently his team is finalized the L-Band modernization of the international DWDM network.  
Horst has a master degree in Technical Management from the University of FH Campus Vienna.

Kellow Pardini

Network Manager

Alloha Fibra

Kellow Pardini is the Manager for the Engineering and planning team for Alloha Fibra. He has more than 20 years of expertise in transport networks, including IP and Optics DWDM, and  is responsible for overseeing the Alloha Group strategy to support more than 864 cities, 150.000km of fiber and 1,7M clients in FFTH, Wholesale.

Ronny Scharschmidt

Systems Engineering Expert

Avacon Connect GmbH

Ronny Scharschmidt is part of the engineering and operations team at Avacon Connect and is responsible for fixed access, IP and optical technologies. Avacon Connect is the broadband subsidiary in Lower Saxony and Saxony-Anhalt of the Avacon group. Previously, he was responsible for the expansion of the national optical backbone at Vodafone Kabel Deutschland.

Anouar Abdoh El Marrakchi

Project & Program Manager

Axent

Anouar Abdoh El Marrakchi is a highly experienced telecommunications engineer and project manager with nearly 20 years in the industry.
He holds a MSc in Telecommunications Engineering from the University of Sevilla along with a wide range of certifications.  Throughout his career, he has held key leadership positions, including Chief Technology Officer (CTO) and Transport Technologies Expert, where he developed deep expertise in telecom infrastructure and advanced transport I49technologies. Since 2023, Anouar has been serving as Program and Project Manager at Axent, overseeing large-scale projects and driving innovation to deliver impactful solutions. As a speaker, Anouar brings a wealth of knowledge and experience in managing complex technical initiatives, offering valuable insights into the latest trends and advancements in the telecommunications sector.

Prasanna Sundaram

Director, Optical and Fibre Network Engineering

Colt Technology Services

Prasanna Sundaram heads the fibre and optical network engineering function at Colt.  In his current role, Prasanna is responsible for Colt’s fibre and optical network and technology strategy, architecture, engineering and planning portfolio. He joined Colt in 2006.  Before joining Colt, Prasanna worked at Reliance communications. Prasanna holds a Bachelors degree in Electronics engineering from University of Pune. He has over 22 years of experience in telecommunication industry, and held various roles in engineering, pre-sales, network and infrastructure planning.
 

Nicolas Douvillé

Consultant

ConceptWAN

Nicolas Douvillé, Telecom Consultant and founder of Concept'WAN, a consultancy and training firm specializing in telecommunications and networks. With over 25 years of experience in the industry, I provide expert guidance to design and optimize network infrastructures and implement innovative communication technologies. Passionate about the evolution of telecom, I am committed to enhancing connectivity and performance for my clients.

Dr. Thomas King

Chief Technology Officer

DE-CIX

Dr. Thomas King has been Chief Technology Officer (CTO) at DE-CIX since 2018, and a Member of the DE-CIX Group AG Board since 2022. Before this, King was Chief Innovation Officer (CIO) at DE-CIX, starting in 2016. He has been instrumental in his role at keeping DE-CIX at the forefront of technological development of Internet Exchanges, establishing DE-CIX as a neutral Cloud Exchange, pushing the boundaries of what is possible in terms of high-bandwidth access technology and security solutions for IX platforms, and trailblazing the automation of IX services with the implementation of patch robots, the development of the DE-CIX API, and overseeing the DE-CIX self-service customer portal. Thomas King has also overseen the technical implementation of the international expansion in markets spanning from North America to Europe, the Middle East, India, Southeast Asia, and most recently Africa.  He started his career as a member of the technical staff at DE-CIX in 2008. In 2010, Thomas King joined 1&1 Internet AG as a Product Manager responsible for mobile applications and mail. In 2011, he founded the startup company audriga, for automatically migrating email accounts from one hosting provider to another. Dr. King re-joined DE-CIX as Head of Research & Development in 2014.  Thomas King received an M.Sc. degree in Computer Science and Business Administration from the University of Mannheim, Germany, in 2004, and a Ph.D. degree at the chair of Computer Networks from the University of Mannheim in 2008.

Kasia Balakier

Optical & Quantum Communication Technology Manager
 

European Space Agency (ESA)

Dr Kasia Balakier is Optical & Quantum Communication Technology Manager in Directorate of Connectivity and Secure Communications at European Space Agency (ESA). She is responsible for the implementation of ESA Strategic Programme Line in Optical and Quantum Communication - ScyLight. Prior to joining ESA, Kasia was a Lecturer at University College London (UCL). In addition to her academic research career, she worked as Senior System Engineer and Expert in Telecom Payload Photonics at Airbus Defence and Space, where she was involved in development and implementation of optical systems for Communication and Earth Observation satellites. Kasia received her PhD in photonics from UCL, UK. She was awarded a Marie Skłodowska-Curie fellowship and UK Research and Innovation (UKRI) Fellowship to support her research in integrated photonics for space.

Dietmar Moeller

Telecom Engineer Expert

illwerke vkw AG

My name is Dietmar Möller, and I trained as a communications engineer. I have been working in transmission technology at illwerke vkw AG for 35 years. During this time, I have been able to witness the continuous advancements in technology, from analog carrier frequency systems to PDH, SDH, MPLS, and our current OTN project.

Hans Van de Wassenberg

Director Architecture & Technology Strategy

KPN

Hans van de Wassenberg (1974) has more than 25 years of experience in the telecom industry in different positions at KPN. Hans has extensive experience in the field of architecture, strategy, and transformation.
Hans holds a master’s degree in physics from the Technical University of Eindhoven. He started his career in multimedia and VoIP at KPN Research. At KPN, Hans occupied a variety of positions, such as head of network architecture and product market manager. As Strategy Lead, Hans is responsible for the Architecture and Technology Strategy of the Fixed Network. Together with his teams, he is constantly working on the network transformation of KPN by applying technology innovations and further automating processes.

Markus Dormann

Senior Lead, Infrastructure/Cloud Architecture

Kyndryl Switzerland

Markus Dormann is a Senior Lead, Infrastructure/Cloud Architecture at Kyndryl, the world's largest provider of IT infrastructure services serving thousands of enterprise customers in more than 60 countries. He’s been designing and implementing optical networks for enterprise customers in Switzerland and internationally. His passion for finding elegant solutions to customer requirements and the close collaboration with trusted partners are his keys to success. He is inspired by Kant’s categorical imperative: “Act only according to that maxim whereby you can at the same time will that it should become a universal law” (Kant, 1785).

Diogo Nunes

Technology Consultant

MEO

Diogo Nunes, a Technology Consultant at MEO (former Portugal Telecom), has extensive experience in the specification, homologation, and monitoring of advanced optical transport networks. He specializes in DWDM and synchronization technologies. His expertise includes managing both terrestrial and submarine system projects, with a strong focus on laboratory testing and new solutions developments. With over two decades in the industry Diogo has contributed to numerous projects and advancements in optical network infrastructure and synchronization. He holds a Masters in Physics Engineering from NOVA University Lisbon.

Ian Redpath

Research Director, Transport Networks and Components

Omdia

Ian is the Research Director for Omdia’s, optical transport, components, routing, and networked edge services. He is responsible for strategy, client, product, and team development. Managing a team of communications technology professionals, he covers how communications and cloud service providers and enterprises utilize and deploy leading-edge optical networks, components, routing, and edge technologies.

Rossella Tavilla

IP and Optical transport Engineering

TIM

Rossella Tavilla, a Telecommunications Engineer at TIM, has a proven track record in the design, implementation, and management of advanced optical transport networks. She specializes in short and medium-term evolutions, technological developments, and synergies of DWDM and OTN networks. Her expertise ranges from the definition, validation, and operational release of WDM networks, with a strong focus on management and process integration. With over two decades of experience at TIM, she has contributed to the advancement of optical network infrastructure. Rossella graduated Telecommunications Engineering at “La Sapienza” University of Rome.

Riza Bozaci

Expert Core Transport Network Planning Engineer

Turkcell

Rıza BOZACI is a Telecommunication Engineering graduate from İstanbul Technical University. He started his career at Alcatel-Lucent, where he held various roles from 2010 to 2015, eventually serving as a Technical Project Manager. Since 2015, he has been with Turkcell, working as an Optical Core Network Planning Expert. With a solid background in network planning, project management, testing and integration of new technologies, Rıza has contributed to build the future proof optical transport network of Turkcell. 

Sandra Lasbats

Chief Commercial Officer

Ultra Edge

Bio coming soon

Luca Baragiola

Software Product Line Manager, Optical Networks Division

Nokia

Luca, after a Bachelor’s degree in Micro-Electronics engineering from the Politecnico University of Milano in 1997, moved into the telecommunications industry, where he has more than 20 years’ experience. Since January 2022 he takes a new role inside the broader Nokia Optics community, as responsible for managing NFM-T Product Lifecycle Management (PLM) team, a Network Management System platform that is the core of the Optical Network. Till 2021 he had a PLM role in ION Service BU covering the Optical segment, with a focus on Automation, System Integration, Operational Enablement Solutions and Network Transformation area. In this role Luca was responsible for identifying consumer needs, developing and promoting specific Professional Services to improve customer experience on Nokia Optics network performances and indorsing the ION Professional Service portfolio internally and externally. With this position he developed a deep knowledge on the Nokia Optics product catalogue and related Network Management applications.  Previously he was covering for 5 years a Product Management Role inside the Alcatel-Lucent Network Release Strategy Organization, following the homologation of specific Optics Mobile backhauling solutions.

Marco Belotti

Optical Certification Program - Trainer

Nokia

Marco Belotti is a Training and Certification Professional and he deals with the “Optical Networks Certification” Program. Prior to joining the Learning Services, he played as Project Manager and TEC engineer, with focus on Optical products (1830 PSS, 1350 OMS, 1850 TSS, etc.). He handled introduction, management and configuration of optic/electric transmission systems in major customers’ networks, becoming a world traveler by joining more than 60 projects in about 25 countries worldwide during his 10-year experience in Nokia.

Martin Belzner

Product Line Manager

Nokia

Martin Belzner is a Product Line Manager within the Optics Subsystems Product unit. In his role he is managing the development of high-speed coherent Photonic Service Engine based modules, which are used in Nokia’s coherent line systems. Prior to his current role Martin worked for more than 10 years as a Senior Hardware Development Engineer within the Optics Subsystems R&D department. In that role he was responsible for the development, integration and testing of various generations of high-speed coherent electro-optical transmit and receive components. Martin holds a PH.D. degree in Electrical Engineering from the University of Erlangen-Nuremberg.

Geoff Bennett

Director Solutions and Technology

Nokia

Geoff Bennett is currently focused on subsea technology and Artificial Intelligence. He has more than 35 years of experience in the data communications industry, including IP routing with Proteon and Wellfleet; ATM and MPLS experience with FORE Systems; and optical transmission and switching experience with Marconi, where he held the position of Distinguished Engineer in the CTO Office.  Geoff is a frequent conference speaker and is the author of “Designing TCP/IP Internetworks”, published by VNR.

Marco Bertolini

Product Line Manager, Optical Networks Division

Nokia

Marco Bertolini is the Product Manager for the 1830 Network Element. Previous Product Management roles were focused on high speed coherent interfaces, photonic architectures and pluggable optics.  Prior to joining product management, he was part of the R&D team that introduced the first generation of 100G coherent cards. Mr. Bertolini holds a Ph.D. degree in Information Engineering from University of Parma.

Jens Blankenhorn

Product Line Manager, Optical Networks  Division

Nokia

Jens Blankenhorn is a member of the 1830 Network Element Product Management team with a specific focus on the GMPLS control plane software. Prior to joining product management, he was more than 10 years part of the Optics R&D team that is implementing the GMPLS control plane on the entire 1830 PSS family. Jens Blankenhorn holds a Diploma of Information Technology from University of Cooperative Education Stuttgart.

Matthieu Bourguignon

Senior Vice-President and Head of Sales, Europe, Network Infrastructure Division

Nokia

Matthieu Bourguignon is the Senior Vice President and Head of European Sales, for the Network Infrastructure Division, at Nokia. 
In this role, Matthieu leads the European team that is delivering the infrastructure that powers the European Digital Economy, with mission-critical IP core and access, Optical and Fixed Access, for both Communications Service Providers and Enterprise customers, including within Public Sector.   

Previously, Matthieu led Nokia’s European Enterprise Division, where he delivered annual double-digit growth into multiple market segments, including Transport, Energy, Public Safety & Defense, Manufacturing & Logistics.  Prior to joining Nokia, Matthieu was a strategic analyst at Dassault Electronique (Thales) and held senior leadership roles at both Alcatel and Alcatel-Lucent, supporting Communication Service Provider customers in both France and Asia.   During Matthieu’s tenure at Alcatel-Lucent, he also held the role of Deputy CEO of Alcatel-Lucent France between 2013 and 2015.  Matthieu is a graduate of the French ENSEEIHT Engineering School of Toulouse and holds a master’s degree in business strategy and management from HEC (Hautes Etudes Commerciales) in Paris.

Martin Charbonneau

Head Quantum-Safe Networks, Network Infrastructure Business Group

Nokia

Martin Charbonneau is currently the Head of the Emerging Product Unit for the Optical Networking Business Unit of Nokia.  In this role, he is responsible for driving Optical Networking business in new and emerging segments such as Mobile Transport convergence, Cloud/edge and access transport, including new software and practices to address Software Defined Networking, and Open Networking deployments.  Prior to this assignment, Martin was leading portfolio product management activities for the 1830 Photonic Service Switch in Metro network applications (Packet and OTN solutions), and complementary Metro product lines of the portfolio, such as 1830 Versatile WDM Module (Nokia’s Mobile Front Haul solution).  He has been with Nokia for 10 years where he has also worked as a Product Line Manager for the Fixed Access product. Prior to joining Nokia, Martin held various roles of increasing responsibility in Product Line Management, Business and Network Planning and Professional Services for Metro Ethernet & Optical Transport Business units.  Martin received a Bachelor of Science in Space Sciences from the Canadian Royal Military College (RMC, St-Jean) and graduated as a commissioned officer in the Canadian Forces.

Aref Chowdhury

Vice President Strategy and CTO, Network Infrastructure

Nokia

Aref Chowdhury is Vice President Strategy and CTO, Network Infrastructure at Nokia. His previous roles in the company included CTO Optics, Senior Manager of Intellectual Property and Standards, and Member of Technical Staff in Optical Physics Research at Bell Labs. He received his Bachelor of Engineering from the State University of New York at Stony Brook in 1994 in electrical engineering and applied mathematics and statistics, and Ph.D. in electrical engineering from the University of Wisconsin-Madison in 2001. He is a recipient of the MIT TR100 Young Innovator Award, a Bell Labs Fellow and an Optica Fellow. He currently serves the IEEE Photonics Society as Vice President of Professional and Technical Development, as Member of the Industrial Engagement Committee, and on the Board of Governors.

Kevin Drury

Vice President, Strategic Business Development, Optical Networking Division

Nokia

Kevin Drury received his undergraduate degree in Electronical Engineering from Concordia University in Montreal, Canada where he specialized in telecommunications. Further in his academic career, he completed a Master’s in Business Administration. Kevin is the Strategic Initiatives PLM Leader for the Optical Networks business division at Nokia. Previously he has held several leadership roles at Alcatel-Lucent, including the Deployment and Professional Services leader for the Optical Networks business unit and the Optical Products and Solutions Marketing leader in the IP Routing & Transport Division. He has over 25 years’ experience in the Telecommunications industry with particular expertise in the areas of fiber optic transmission, wavelength division multiplexing, OTN switching, narrowband and broadband access, carrier voice and applications, and LAN/WAN networking. He has presented or co-authored papers for numerous industry events including WDM & Next Generation Optical Networking, ITPX/NCUG, ITU Telecom, Supercomm, OFC, NFOEC, Terabit Optical & Transport SDN and the Big Telecom Event.

Pavlo Duma

Product Manager, Datacenter Interconnect Transponders & Optical Transmission Platforms

Nokia

Pavlo has 25 years of professional experience in telecommunications industry. He contributed to development of optical DWDM products and network management software in various R&D and product management roles. As a Product Manager of 1830 PSI Datacenter Interconnect products family, Pavlo is responsible for market strategy, feature content and lifecycle management of both transponder and photonic line DCI platforms. Pavlo has degrees in Applied Physics and Electrical Engineering.

Jose Manuel Estaran Tolosa

Product Line Manager

Nokia

José works for Nokia’s Network Infrastructure business unit where he holds a position as product line manager for high-speed coherent solutions within the 1830 PSS product family. He accumulates 10 years of experience at the cutting edge of telecom innovation and has contributed to engineer communication solutions of recognized excellence – including over 40 international publications, 2 transmission records and 2 patents. José completed the Telecommunications B.Sc. and M.Sc. from Universidad de Zaragoza (Spain), and the Electrical Engineering M.Sc. from the Technical University of Denmark, Kgs. Lyngby (Denmark). In October 2012, he accepted a Ph.D. position in the Photonics Department at the Technical University of Denmark in applied digital signal processing and high-speed communications systems, where he coordinated various research projects in cooperation with industrial partners including Alcatel-Lucent Bell Labs (Now Nokia), Huawei, and Fujitsu. Starting 2015, upon Ph.D. completion, José joined Nokia Bell Labs’ optics laboratory in France where he took on research leadership and management responsibilities along three strategic areas: time-sensitive networking, machine learning for physical layer signal processing in high-speed systems, and free-space coherent optical communications.

Stefano Grieco

Head of Europe Optical Networks Business Center, Head of Commercial Operation, CEO and VP Nokia Italy

Nokia

Within the Optics Division of the Network Infrastructure Business Group (NI BG) he holds the role of Head of Commercial Operations and Head of Europe Optical Networks Business Center.  Stefano developed deep and wide knowledge in the High-tech Telecommunication & ICT market through the full value chain (component/module Vendor, system/network Vendor; system integrator and service Provider). He also developed competences in the Enterprise sector (Railways, Infrastructures and Energy) with Public and Private Customers. Strong international background developed managing Global Organizations and a consolidated experiences in Company’s Transformation & Turnaround, Merge & acquisition.  Stefano holds a Master in Business Administration from Bocconi University in Milan and a degree in Electronics Engineering from Politecnico di Milano University. 
 

Vittorio Iozzolino

Head of Business Development Optical Networks Enterprise Europe

Nokia

Vittorio joined Alcatel in 1998 and he is a business professional with more than 20 years of management expertise in the Optics environment. Within the company he has held several positions, starting from the R&D technical area and moving after a few years to the commercial area. In 2005 he was appointed Sales Manager for Interhouse and Direct Sales of Optics Business. From 2007 to 2012 he has been responsible in Alcatel-Lucent for the Optics Domain Business Center for the cluster Central Europe and CIS, accountable for the Optics business development in the region. From 2012 to 2015 he has led the Optics Regional Competence Center, focusing on Deutsche Telekom. Since the beginning of 2016 he is responsible within Nokia for the business development for all Global Enterprise and Public Sector customers for the Optics business in Europe. He holds a degree in telecommunication engineering from Politecnico of Milan, Italy. Based in Stuttgart, Germany, his interests are focused on everything related to information technology.

Karyn Lennon

Leader, NI Learning Services

Nokia
 

Karyn Lennon leads the Learning Services function for Nokia’s IP/Optical Networks Business Group.  In her role, Karyn is responsible for setting the strategic direction and development of Nokia’s Optical educational services which includes the Nokia Optical Networks Certification Program.  In addition to the Optical program, Karyn directs both Nokia’s flagship IP/MPLS certification program, the Service Routing Certification (SRC) Program which has over 14,000 individuals participating globally and the Nuage Networks Virtuoso Certification Program (NN-VCP). Prior to her role in Learning Services, Karyn held various PLM and Marketing positions at Newbridge Networks and Alcatel-Lucent. Karyn received her Bachelor of Commerce from  McGill University and holds a Masters in Business Administration from the University of Ottawa.

Rob Levesque

Product Line Manager, Optical Networks  Division

Nokia

Robert Levesque is presently Product Line Manager within the IP and Optical Networks Division responsible for the Centralized RAN Transport portfolio.  Robert has been working within Nokia for the past 19 years in several Product Management and R&D Management positions. Robert has knowledge and experience in Optical, IP, Ethernet, and Access technologies.

Matteo Lonardi

Software Product Line Manager, Optical Networks Division

Nokia

Matteo Lonardi received his MSc in Communications Engineering (2016) and PhD in Information Technology (2020) from the University of Parma, focusing on the quality of transmission estimation and monitoring in modern optical transmission systems.
In November 2019, Matteo joined Nokia Bell Labs Smart Optical Fabric and Devices group as a Research Scientist, applying machine learning techniques to estimate and monitor the quality of transmission in optical networks. 
Since January 2022, Matteo has embarked on a job rotational position as a product line manager at Nokia. In this role, he focuses on investigating and developing monitoring and sensing technologies in subsystems, expanding his expertise and exploring the potential of machine learning in optical modules and transponders.

Pasquale Magliacano

Optical Certification Program - Trainer

Nokia

I’m a fresh member of the Nokia Learning Services Optical Network Certification team. As a Subject Matter Expert in Optical Transport and Synchronization technologies, I design and develop full certification ecosystems including training materials, virtualized lab platforms and written or practical exams. In my previous experience I worked as a certified trainer in transport and access technologies. Then I was a technical project manager strongly focused on latest generation networks for many years.

Robert Maher

Product Line Manager, Optical Subsystems

Nokia
 

Robert Maher, Ph.D., has more than 20 years designing and developing advance optical solutions. He has authored over 120 technical publications in the field of optical transmission technologies and holds two patents. He is the recipient of the Marie Curie Research Fellowship from the European Research Council and the University Research Fellowship from the Royal Society (U.K.) for his innovative work. In recognition of his technical contributions to the optical industry, he was awarded Optica’s Paul F. Foreman Team Engineering Excellence Award and the Colin Campbell Mitchell Award from the Royal Academy of Engineering (U.K.). In 2015, he became a Senior Member of IEEE.

Vincenzo Mautone

Head of Optical Professional Services Product Line Manager

Nokia

Vincenzo Mautone leads the Optical Professional Services business for Network Infrastructure in Nokia.  In this role he is globally responsible of the PS portfolio including the Digital Transformation, System Integration and Network Renewal services.  A growing part of the portfolio is linked to the SaaS and Automation of the network.  Previously Vincenzo was the Head of the Multivendor Business Unit as a worldwide supplier of 3rd Party Equipment support used by the largest Global Service Providers.  His responsibilities included Portfolio Strategy, Commercial Management, Delivery Management and Global Technical Competence Centre.  Prior to that, Vincenzo took various positions in Alcatel-Lucent, including the role as Head of Care for Fixed Networks for South Europe.  Vincenzo Mautone holds a bachelor in Telecommunication Engineering and an Executive MBA from Bocconi University in Italy.

Annalisa Morea

Senior Consulting Engineer

Nokia

Annalisa Morea graduated in Telecommunication Engineering both in Italy at Politecnico di Torino and also in France at the ENST in. Terminated the PhD (done at the France Telecom, today Orange France, premises and with the ENST-Paris in Computer Science), she joined Bell Labs in Paris where she stayed for 8 years and had the opportunity to work on WDM optical networks, by proposing routing algorithms and resource allocation strategies for optical networks having resiliency specifications compliant with Alcatel-Lucent, now Nokia, 1830PSS products. She participated in several national and European projects and contributed in publishing many conference and journal technical articles. In 2015 she joined the NI teams in Italy where she worked for 9 years on the optical multilayer tools, both on the physical infrastructure design and on the routing aspects. Since September 2024 she joined the Regional EU Business Center group as Senior Consultant.

Ravi Parmasad

Head of Optical Network Automation, Optical Networks Division

Nokia

Ravi Parmasad is Head of the Network Automation Group in the Optical Networks Division at Nokia. Previously, Ravi held several senior leadership roles at Nokia and its predecessor, Alcatel-Lucent, including was Vice President Global IT Infrastructure, Vice President Global Real Estate, Vice President - IP/Optical Networks, Vice President R&D Strategy, Vice President / General Manager - Fiber to the Home Business Unit, and Vice President R&D Strategy. He enjoys acting as an ambassador for many Nokia programs, including student programs aimed at facilitating entry into the technology workforce, and is a former contributing member of the Telecom Industry Association QuEST Forum. Ravi earned a Bachelor of Applied Science in Computer Science from the University of the West Indies, St. Augustine Campus and a Master of Business Administration from the University of Ottawa, where he has also returned to instruct executive MBA students.

Matias Schneeberger

Professional Services Product Line Manager, Network Infrastructure Services, 

Nokia

Matias Schneeberger earned his BSc degree in Electrical Engineering with a specialization in Telecommunications in 2014 from Universidad de la República in Montevideo, Uruguay. He started working at Alcatel-Lucent (now Nokia) in 2012 and during the last decade has taken over several technical roles in the domains of IP and Optics in three different countries: Uruguay, Poland and Italy (where he is currently based). Most recently he has taken over the role of Professional Services Product Line Manager in Nokia NI Services Unit with focus on areas such as: Automation, Optical Multi-Vendor Solutions (OMVS) and Optical System Integration (OSI). His current interests are working with customers and colleagues in realizing a vision of a: multi-domain, multi-vendor, SDN network.

Archana Shetty

Senior Director Engineering

Nokia

Archana Shetty has been serving as the Senior Director of Engineering for Optical Network Automation at Nokia since July 2023. In this role, she spearheads the development of the groundbreaking WaveSuite platform and applications, which are pivotal to the future of Optical Network Management.  Archana's journey began with a Bachelor's degree in Information Science and Engineering from UVCE, Bangalore, earned in 2005. Her illustrious career commenced at Lucent Technologies, followed by significant contributions at Alcatel-Lucent, and ultimately leading her to Nokia. With each step, Archana has demonstrated unparalleled expertise and creativity, transforming customer requirements into innovative product realities.   Her leadership and foresight have contributed to technological progress and the evolution of optical network management systems. Archana is committed to quality and motivate the team to deliver to their potential.

Rob Shore

Portfolio Marketing

Nokia

Rob has more than 30 years of telecommunications experience leading marketing efforts, providing networking consultation, promoting networking solutions and optical innovations, and directly supporting network operators across the world in more than 65 countries. Rob has held roles in engineering, system testing, technical support, market management, account management, technical sales, and marketing. Rob graduated from the University of Illinois with a bachelor’s degree in computer engineering.

Paolo Somaschini

Software Product Line Manager, Optical Networks Division

Nokia

With over 25 years of extensive experience in the telecommunications industry, Paolo has accrued deep expertise in optical technology, Nokia products, and related network solutions, following the evolution of telecommunications technologies and applications. Throughout his career, Paolo has played roles in Research and Development (R&D) and later in Product Management for Network Management solutions. He has contributed to the design, development, and delivery of various Wavesuite Network Management Systems (NMS) releases, leading to their deployment in hundreds of telecommunications companies worldwide.

James Watt

President and General Manager, Optical Networks Division

Nokia

James Watt is Vice President and General Manager for the Optical Networks Division at Nokia. Prior to this, James was the Vice President and General Manager for the Services Business Unit, IP/Optical Networks, at Nokia and its predecessor in Alcatel-Lucent, President of the Optics Business Line in Alcatel-Lucent and Chief Technology Officer (CTO) of the Alcatel-Lucent Carrier Product Group. Until 2008, James held the position of Chief Operating Officer (COO) of Alcatel-Lucent’s IP Business Division and had previously held the role of Vice President Network Strategy for Alcatel. James joined Alcatel in 2000 as Chief Technology Officer of the Carrier Internetworking Division through the acquisition of Newbridge Networks, where he was Assistant Vice President, Access and Network Management Strategy. During his 15 years with Newbridge, James held a variety of positions within the research & development, product management and marketing organizations. James holds multiple patents, primarily in the areas of traffic management and Internet Protocol. He received a B.SC. in Electrical Engineering from Queens University in Kingston, Ontario in 1986.

Szilard Zsigmond

Senior Director, Optical Subsystems Group

Nokia

Szilard Zsigmond is responsible for overall product/portfolio strategy and component sales. Leading multiple teams covering different aspects of subsystem components from DSP to optical frontend leading the silicon photonics programs through the former Elenion PLM team and related engineering rules. Responsible for the go-to-market strategy, and business development, for subsystems products.  Szilard has extensive knowledge of optical communication systems and expertise in fiber-optics communication, high-level modulation formats, coherent transmission, and digital signal processing.

Marc Degieux

Regional Product Line Manager

Nokia

Marc Degieux is Regional Product Line Manager in the field of network designs, architecture & interworking.  Marc started his career at MARBEN in the field of embedded software development. He stood for MARBEN in the SONET Interworking Forum. In 1999, he joined Alcatel where he held various positions as software leader, tendering manager and DWDM designer. Since 2013, he is in charge of network design tools within EU/MEA Regional Business Centers. Marc holds an Engineering Master Degree from the Institut Catholique D’Arts & Métiers in Lille (France).

Luc Daans

Regional Product Line Manager

Nokia

Luc Daans is regional Product Line Manager for WaveSuite Automation applications in the Optical Networks Business Center for Europe, Middle East and Africa in Nokia. Luc joined Alcatel in 1994, and has held several product management & business development leadership positions in Belgium, Italy, France and South Africa in the field of fixed access & transmission networks, witnessing the evolution from PDH/SDH to IP/OTN. Luc received a Master of Science degree in electromechanical engineering from the catholic university of Leuven, Belgium in 1992, a Master in Business Administration degree from the independent university L.U.I.S.S. of Rome, Italy in 1994, and a Master in Business Development degree for the new energy markets from the independent school of engineering Supélec, Paris region, France in 2010.

James Mondol

Regional Product Line Manager

Nokia

James Mondol is Regional Product Line Manager for Optical  Network Management System products. He received Master in Engineering Telecommunication in 2004. Started his career in Siemens in 2004 as Technical support level 3 for Microwave Management System. Joined Alcatel Lucent in 2011 in Multivendor Project for Vodafone Italy and TIM. In 2015 joined TEC NMS and in 2018 acted as techno lead reference and coordinator for Platform topics in TEC. In 2021 he joined rPLM EMEA team for NFM-T, WsTS application and Interop Blueprint validation.

Andreas Examitzki

Regional Product Line Manager

Nokia

Andreas Examitzki is Regional Product Line Manager for WaveSuite applications. Andreas joined Alcatel-Lucent in 2007 for a cooperative study program, receiving a bachelor’s degree in Applied Computer Science. Starting from 2010 he was working in Customer Engineering for Optical Network Management Systems.2019 he joined the rPLM team for EMEA, responsible for WaveSuite applications for automation in Optical Networks.

Marco Terenziani

EU Optical Networks Strategic Growth Director

Nokia

Marco Terenziani is the director of the Strategic Growth function within the Optics Europe Business Center to develop the business for quantum communication, neutral host and EU funding.  Before taking this position, he was proposal manager and domain architect for optics solutions and he started his carreer as FPGA / ASICS designer for the micro-wave division. He graduated in Electronic engineering at the Politecnico of Milan.
 

Stefano Villa

Photonic Network Specialist

Nokia

Stefano Villa is a Photonic Network Specialist of network designs, architecture & interworking in the central Network Design and Advanced Tendering Team covering Europe, Middle East and Africa.  Stefano started his career at ALCATEL almost 20 years ago. In the first years of his activity, he specially worked for Pan-European Customer as DWDM designer. Since 2010, he is in charge of network design within EU/MEA markets focused on RFQ tender activities in Optics Area.  He graduated in Engineering Telecommunication in 2005.