Meet techUK’s Communications Infrastructure and Services Council 2023

We are pleased to confirm our brand new Communications Infrastructure and Services Council, an elected body that sets the strategic direction of our telecoms policy here at techUK.

The techUK Communications Infrastructure and Services Council supports our programme by representing members as the collective voice of telecoms policy in the UK, holding government and regulator to account, and shaping the major industry decisions for future networks. 

The new members of the techUK CISC are:

  • Airbus: Paul Gidney, Head of Telecoms and Navigation Payloads
  • AT&T: Ghazi Almihdar, Director – Regulatory & External Affairs (MENA & UK)
  • Avanti: Simon Watts, Principal Consultant
  • Cisco: Mark Grayson, Cisco Fellow
  • Cloud Gateway: Tony Capper, Sales and Marketing Director
  • DMSL: Lucie Smith, Director of Corporate Affairs and Marketing
  • Elbit Systems UK: Huw Jenkins, Campaign Manager Communications Capability
  • Ericsson: Evangelia Tzifa, Head of Ericsson networks for UK & Ireland
  • Farrpoint: James Carsley, Senior Consultant, Regional Connectivity
  • Fortinet: Andrew Cattell, Director Major Accounts
  • Freshwave: Nick Wiggin, Head of Partnerships
  • Grid Scientific: Eric Brown, Director
  • Illuminate: Dr Iain Goodfellow, Managing Director
  • JRC: Peter Couch, Chief Executive Officer
  • London Internet Exchange: Kurt Erik Lindqvist, CEO
  • Mavenir: Stefano Cantarelli, EVP, Chief Marketing Officer
  • NEC: Wasim Saddique, Director, Key Accounts (Carrier & Broadcast)
  • OneWeb: Gareth Alston, Director, Government Affairs
  • Openreach: Mark Shurmer, Managing Director, Regulatory Affairs, Openreach
  • Qualcomm: Luigi Ardito, Senior Director, Government Affairs
  • Samsung: Naima Khondkar, Senior Manager, Government Relations
  • Sky CP Ltd: Sami Susiaho, Head of Wi-Fi Architecture
  • Telent: Gerard Donohue, Group Chief Technology Officer
  • Twilio: Annemaree McDonough, Legal Counsel
  • Verizon: Gemma Whiteley, Head of Regulatory and Government Affairs, UK and Ireland
  • Vodafone: Paul Rosbotham, Senior Regulatory Manager

The Communications Infrastructure and Services Council is led by:

  • BAI Communications: Andrew Conway, Director of Solutions, Innovation and Technology - CHAIR
  • BT Group: Chris Cheeseman, Head of Spectrum Policy (VICE-CHAIR)
  • Cellnex UK: Jonathan Freeman, Strategic Growth and Regulatory Director (VICE-CHAIR)
  • CGI: Alan Nunn, Consulting Director (WORKING GROUP LEAD)
  • CGI: Darwin, Director of Penetration Testing (WORKING GROUP LEAD)

Our Chair Andrew Conway commented on today's news:

It’s fantastic to welcome the new members of the Communications Infrastructure and Services Council, who I know will add real value to our telecoms work here at techUK. I look forward to working with them as we ensure the UK maximises the benefits of advanced connectivity across the economy and public services, helping boost productivity, and supercharging our tech and innovation sector.

Andrew Conway

BAI Communications & Chair of CISC

The Council will lead techUK’s regular engagement with key stakeholders and decisionmakers on the challenges, opportunities and developments facing the UK’s telecoms sector and helps the Programme to enable telecoms businesses build relationships with each other, enhancing the industry through innovation that is commercialised and optimised.

If you want to learn more about the Council, techUK's Telecoms Programme, and our plans for the year ahead, please get in touch with the team below. 


Sophie Greaves

Sophie Greaves

Head of Telecoms and Spectrum Policy, techUK

Mia Haffety

Mia Haffety

Programme Manager - Telecoms and Net Zero, techUK

Tales Gaspar

Tales Gaspar

Programme Manager, UK SPF and Satellite, techUK

Matthew Wild

Programme Assistant - Markets, techUK

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