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Katherine is the CEO of Ericsson UK and Ireland, working alongside major mobile network operators and service providers to create world leading mobile networks and game-changing technology for millions of subscribers and enterprise partners. She is also a member of the leadership team for Ericsson Europe and Latin America.
Katherine joined Ericsson in February 2021 from BT where she held a number of senior executive positions for more than 10 years, including the roles of Managing Director of Ventures in Enterprise and CEO of Tikit, a then wholly owned subsidiary of BT. Her career has also included management and consultant roles with Lloyds TSB and Ernst & Young in transformation and customer experience.
Responsible for a team of more than 2,500 employees across the UK and Ireland, Katherine is leading Ericsson’s vision for 5G technology and deployment in the UK, focusing on supporting the business growth of network operators through continuous technology and product performance, enabling digitisation across new industries and delivering world-class connectivity for consumers.
Originally from Wigan in the North West but now living in South East London, Katherine has studied at the London School of Economics and Political Science (LSE). She has two young daughters and is a passionate supporter of Diversity and Inclusion programmes at Ericsson.
Headline Sponsor Keynote Thursday @ 10:20 AM
Alfonso has worked for Cellnex Telecom for over 20 years and played an active role in the international expansion of the Group, with previous roles as Corporate Director of Telecom Infrastructure Services and Deputy Managing Director in Cellnex Italy. He joined Cellnex UK in 2019, with a clear focus on organic growth and business diversification around telecom infrastructure for mobile operators, big corporations and public bodies.
Alfonso holds a MSc in Telecom Engineering from University of Vigo (Galicia, Spain) and several diplomas from IESE and UNED in Economics and Finance.
Panel: The UK Approach – telecoms policy, innovation, and future networks Thursday @ 10:40 AM
Simon Blagden is Chair of Larkspur International Limited and EB Charging Limited and has 30 years experience in the IT, Telecoms and Digital industry. He was previously non-executive Chairman at Fujitsu UK, a post he held for 14 years. His career began at GEC where he was International Commercial Manager. In 1991, he joined Quante AG as UK Managing Director and then joined the Main Board in 1995 as CEO, managing operations worldwide. In 2000 he joined Spescom in Johannesburg as CEO to head up its international telecoms and IT business.
Simon is also Chair of the UK Government’s Telecoms Supply Chain Diversification Advisory Council, Industry Chair of the Parliamentary Internet, Communications and Technology Group (All Party Parliamentary Group), co-Chair of the Research Institute of Social Mobility and Education and a member of the Trade Advisory Group at the Department of International Trade.
Simon was appointed MBE in 1997 for services to export and was appointed CBE in 2016 for services to the economy.
His previous appointments have been member of the Government's Apprenticeship Delivery Board
and member of the expert panel advising Government on Technical and Professional Education.
Keynote - Simon Blagden, Chair, Telecoms Diversification Advisory Council Thursday @ 2:45 PM
Q&A - Simon Blagden, Chair, Telecoms Diversification Advisory Council Thursday @ 3:00 PM
Dean Bubley is the Founder of Disruptive Analysis, an independent technology industry analyst and consulting firm. An analyst with over 20 years’ experience, he primarily specialises in wireless, mobile, Internet and telecoms fields, with further expertise in certain aspects of the broader technology industry.
He advises clients through published research reports, private advisory workshops & consulting projects, social media, and speaking engagements. He works with operators, vendors, regulators, investors and industry associations.
His present focus is on:
He provides clients with advice and analytical opinion on topics such as business models validation, technology innovation and go-to-market strategies, "addressable market sizing", planning and due diligence.
Panel: The UK Approach – telecoms policy, innovation, and future networks Thursday @ 10:40 AM
Stefano has been spending almost three decades in the Telco industry and brings leadership in technology vision, innovative IP solutions in the mobile and convergent communication and also operational excellence in major technology transformation cycles and introduction in the overall Telecommunication market worldwide.
Stefano as Chief Marketing Officer at Mavenir is responsible for helping Mavenir expand its market share as a partner of choice for its global customer base, and ensuring that Mavenir continues to drive innovation that provides value to customers and agility to their technology.
Most recently, Stefano was driving the Network and IT strategy for O2 UK and defining the Virtualisation Strategy in the Telco Cloud project.
Previously, Stefano was CTO and R&D Vice President of Acision and at Huawei in UK as Vice President of Carrier Networks for UK and Ireland, and at Vodafone, where he was responsible for the network engineering and operations, transforming the infrastructure and launching 3G and internet services together with a lot of innovations to give agility and leadership position.
In addition, Stefano has held senior roles at Bulldog, Vodafone Italy, Ericsson, Siemens Telecomunicazioni, AT&T Network Systems, and Lucent Technologies.
Stefano graduated in Milano at the Politecnico of Milano in 1988 for Electronic engineering.
Panel: What comes next – breakthrough tech for the telecoms sector Thursday @ 11:45 AM
Raja Chandhok is Technologist Evangelist- EMEA Telco at Red Hat, focusing on network functions virtualisation (NFV) and containers going towards 5G. He works with service providers, network equipment providers, system integrators and independent software vendors to progress the NFV agenda in the industry. Special focus on disaggregated RAN (Radio Access Networks).
Previously Raja led software technology solutions in Nokia Siemens Networks, focusing on the transformation (BSS, virtualization, and telco cloud), and also defining new product concepts and GTM strategies. He led the Strategy, Technology & Architecture for APAC and MEA regions before moving to London.
He is also working closely with customer on new business initiatives around drones, smart cities and smart health care to drive commercial use cases.
Mr. Raja holds bachelor’s degree in electronics and communication and has various certifications from London Business School and University of Cambridge around business management and AI/ML.
He is also an active member of techUk, TIP and UK5G communities.
Panel: What comes next – breakthrough tech for the telecoms sector Thursday @ 11:45 AM
Stephen heads Spirent’s market strategy organization developing Spirent’s industry strategy, helping to define technical direction, new innovative solutions and market leading disruptive technologies. Stephen also leads Spirent’s strategic initiatives for 5G and future networks and represents Spirent on a number of Industry and Government advisory boards.
With over 24 years’ experience in telecommunications Stephen has been at the cutting edge of next generation technologies and has worked across the industry with service providers, network equipment manufacturers and start-ups, helping them drive innovation and transformation. Stephen is an ardent believer in connected technology and strives to challenge, blur and break down the silos which prevent innovation and business success.
Panel: What comes next – breakthrough tech for the telecoms sector Thursday @ 11:45 AM
Matthew Evans leads techUK’s Market Programme teams and is a member of the senior leadership team.
The Market Programme teams help techUK members apply innovative technology solutions across a range of sectors, including the Public Sector, Financial Services and Cyber.
Prior to his appointment in early 2019, Matt led techUK’s Smart Infrastructure and IoT work, as well as being CEO of the Broadband Stakeholder Group. During this time he led the telecoms industry’s approach to lowering the cost of network deployment, played a key role in coordinating it’s response to Brexit and was closely involved in the development of the Government’s Future Telecoms Infrastructure Review. He also assisted in the development of the UK’s first secure by design Code of Practice aimed at consumer IoT, oversaw the publication of a paper outlining the tech sector’s view of future mobility services and drove engagement around the use of digital twins.
Matt sits on the Steering Board of the Electric Vehicle Energy Taskforce, Digital Framework Task Group, andthe advisory board for the Prospering from the Energy Revolution industrial challenge fund.
Prior to joining techUK, Matt worked in Arqiva's public policy team, across the broadcast and telecoms markets. Before that he was a researcher for an MP at Westminster.
techUK Welcome Thursday @ 10:00 AM
Panel: Building a global coalition for secure digital infrastructure Thursday @ 1:45 PM
Sophie James is the Programme Manager, Communications Infrastructure and Services, at techUK.
Sophie was promoted to Manager having been Programme Assistant across a variety of areas including the Broadband Stakeholder Group, Central Government, Financial Services and Communications Infrastructure programmes, supporting each team with administrative and event support, research and communications.
Prior to joining techUK, Sophie completed a masters in Film Studies at University College London. She has previously worked as a marketing manager for a design and fabrication company, and has project coordination experience in the graphic design and music industries.
Q&A - Simon Blagden, Chair, Telecoms Diversification Advisory Council Thursday @ 3:00 PM
As Senior Policy Manager in Access Partnership for UK & Europe, Mike supports decision-makers and companies in the telecom, digital and space sectors as they engage in London and Brussels. His key focus areas include telecom policy and regulation, cybersecurity and privacy. Outside of Europe, Mike has also supported engagements in Canada and UN specialised organisations on telecom and space.
Panel: Building a global coalition for secure digital infrastructure Thursday @ 1:45 PM
Julia Lopez was appointed Minister of State at the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport on 16 September 2021.
Julia was previously Parliamentary Secretary at the Cabinet Office from 14 February 2020 to 15 September 2021.
Keynote Address - Julia Lopez, Minister of State, Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport Thursday @ 10:10 AM
Abel has been at the spearhead of cellular technology and innovation for over 20 years.
His initial career started working for major traditional vendors as a technical lead for 3G and 4G around the world.
Six years ago, he took a quantum leap in his career, working at executive level for vRAN vendors and pushing for this new technology.
He is currently SVP of Technology & Marketing at Airspan, working closely with the sales team to capture the innovation required from customers and to implement it within Airspan product portfolio. He leads also the Marketing team, conveying Airspan’s disruptive technology and pushing Open RAN architecture.
Abel holds a MsC in Communication Systems Engineering from University of Kent, UK and a Telecommunication University Degree from Polytechnical University of Barcelona-Spain and Friedrich-Alexander University at Erlangen-Germany.
Panel: What comes next – breakthrough tech for the telecoms sector Thursday @ 11:45 AM
Björn Odenhammar is Chief Technology Officer for Ericsson in the UK and Ireland. He has held multiple leading positions in telecoms covering both Strategic Product Management and Sales roles for Ericsson. His main focus is to find new technologies that can create great business for mobile network operators and enable new applications and innovation for both consumer and enterprise customers. Björn is particularly passionate about unlocking the full potential of 5G and using technology to build a more sustainable society.
Panel: The UK Approach – telecoms policy, innovation, and future networks Thursday @ 10:40 AM
Oriel was Director for UK Trade and Investment (now Department for International Trade) France at the British Embassy in Paris from August 2015 to August 2019.
Prior to this role, she has had a varied career across Whitehall as a British civil servant. Most recently she led advanced manufacturing, financial services and innovation teams in UK Trade and Investment in London working closely with international business leaders to contribute to the increase of UK foreign direct investment.
Among other responsibilities, Oriel organised the Prime Minister’s flagship Global Investment Conference to kick off the 2012 Olympic Games, has advised Ministers on European better regulation, shepherded a highly controversial Bill through Parliament to Royal Consent and worked on public spending at the Treasury. For 3 and a half years she advised the House of Lords European Union Committee on financial services, the internal market and social affairs.
Oriel studied Modern Languages at St. John’s College Oxford and has a Masters in European Politics from the University of Reading. She has lived and worked in the Netherlands, Germany and Belgium and continues to maintain a strong interest in these countries. She is married with a son.
Panel: Building a global coalition for secure digital infrastructure Thursday @ 1:45 PM
Francesca is a telecom professional with over 15 years of experience across portfolio strategy, marketing, and business development roles with deep expertise across LTE, 5G, IoT, SDN/NFV, AI, edge and smart city platform technologies.
She is currently working at Colt Technology Services as Emerging Technology Director with key responsibility in defining the mid-long term vision, innovate the connectivity portfolio and incubate innovative solutions and business models through co-creation with our customers and partner ecosystem.
Prior to joining Colt Technology Services, she has worked shortly for Ofcom as Technology Consultant supporting Ofcom cyber security programme through the delivery of technical expertise on 5G security architecture, security features and security operation.
Before Ofcom, Francesca has worked for ICT vendor NEC for 15 years holding various senior roles across strategy, marketing and portfolio management functions and spanning diverse technologies.
In her latest role in NEC, Francesca has led the business incubation activity of digital transformation solutions. Key responsibilities included developing synergies across business units, technology partners and emerging technologies to enable the realisation of the digital agenda of city authorities and Service providers.
Francesca is driven by passion for technology and innovation and has been a key contributor in the standardisation of LTE technology holding a number of patents on important functionalities including Self Organising Network, Ran Sharing Enhancement, and 4G security.
Panel: What comes next – breakthrough tech for the telecoms sector Thursday @ 11:45 AM
Sarabjit Singh heads Global Business of Keysight for 5G and Operator and Service Provider segment.
A veteran in the industry, Sarabjit brings to the position a successful track record of more than 24 years that includes high-profile leadership positions and recognized achievements in the high-tech and telecommunication industries. He has always been at the forefront of the leading edge of technology to enable the entire communication workflow.
Sarabjit has worked across key ecosystems within the industry i.e. Components, Chipset, Devices, NEMS, Operators and Service Providers, System Integrators and Accreditation labs.
A visionary and driving force behind Keysight’s 5G NES and Service Provider business and growth strategies, Sarabjit is at the forefront of the company’s drive to promote a software-focused approach to innovation.
Sarabjit is a global new-business Rainmaker, who specializes in forming strategic alliances and programs that add value to the customer relationship.
Sarabjit holds a Bachelor of Engineering degree in Computer Science with Distinction from Gulbarga University, India.
Panel: Building a global coalition for secure digital infrastructure Thursday @ 1:45 PM
Matt Warman was first elected as MP for Boston & Skegness in 2015, returning with increased majorities in 2017 and 2019. Prior to entering politics, he worked for the Daily Telegraph from 1999 until 2015, focusing for most of the period on technology, leading coverage of Facebook, Google and Apple, and covering the launch of products including iPhones, the BBC iPlayer and the Apple Watch, as well as interviewing key figures including the founder of Amazon, Jeff Bezos, and Sir Tim Berners-Lee, the inventor of the world wide web. Matt’s former ministerial portfolio covered mobile coverage, telecoms supply chain, cyber security, and the Building Digital UK (BDUK) and Gigabit Delivery programmes. He is continuing to champion these areas and his other interests from the backbenches.
Panel: What comes next – breakthrough tech for the telecoms sector Thursday @ 11:45 AM
Howard Watson is BT Group’s Chief Technology Officer. When Howard joined BT in October 2011 he brought 30 years of telecoms experience with him, including time spent at Virgin Media and Telewest. He possesses a broad knowledge of operational leadership, technology and IT, fortified by his expertise in strategic development, business transformation and post-merger integration. He also has strong experience in innovating and delivering transformational products in the UK cable industry. His areas of expertise include telephony, digital TV, video on demand, high definition TV and ‘ultra’ high speed broadband. Howard is passionate about technology and innovation and bringing transformational products to market.
Panel: The UK Approach – telecoms policy, innovation, and future networks Thursday @ 10:40 AM
All shortlisted nominees will be invited to attend the techUK Annual Dinner on 2 July, and four winners will be celebrated on stage in front of 650+ industry and government guests.
Furthermore, the four winners will be profiled extensively across techUK communications and social channels, with further opportunities for them to take part in techUK events, videos and blogs.
