Keynotes & Speakers

Keynotes

Nan Chen, President, MEF Mr. Nan Chen is known in the telecom/networking industry as the founding President of the MEF. His drive to unite standardization and certification with dynamic, global campaigns and strategic initiatives helped make Carrier Ethernet one of the fastest growing areas in telecommunications ($19 billion in 2008). Mr. Chen served as VP of Marketing at Atrica (acquired by Nokia Siemens Networks); Director of Technology at Bay Networks/SynOptics (acquired by Nortel); Founding Board of Director of 10 Gigabit Ethernet Alliance; Director of Product Management and Marketing at Force10. He has received more than 30 industry awards/accolades and 10,000+ citations in worldwide media. Margaret Chiosi, Executive Director, Optics & Ethernet Service Development, AT&T Labs Margaret Chiosi has been involved in data for 30 years. She is currently responsible for the delivery of Ethernet services and infrastructures as well as optical for managed, metro, national, and global markets. She has led organizations from concept through development and deployment of emerging network technologies for new data services, development of data networking equipment, and strategic direction for data services and products. Margaret’s past data experience has ranged from service development of IP/VPNs and FR/ATM supporting revenues, which grew to multibillion-dollar revenue streams, to development of data products on real-time operating systems as well as UNIX-based systems. Kevin Daines, Chief Technologist, Ciena Prior to his current role at Ciena, Kevin Daines was CTO of World Wide Packets, a leading carrier Ethernet equipment vendor. In addition, he held engineering positions at Packet Engines (Alcatel), DiviCom (LSI Logic), and Grand Junction Networks (Cisco). As an active member of IEEE 802.3 Ethernet, he received two Outstanding Contributor Awards for his work on the Gigabit Ethernet and Ethernet in the First Mile (EFM) standards. Wendell Kadunce, Vice President, Americas, Reliance Globalcom Wendell Kadunce is responsible for sales and business development for the service provider sector within the Americas region at Reliance Globalcom. His team provides customer-centric solutions leveraging the world's largest undersea cable system to connect major business centers in India, the Middle East, Asia, Europe, and the United States. Since joining Reliance Globalcom in 2006, Mr. Kadunce’s team has grown the customer base to include the largest carriers, service providers, and content providers in the Americas. Under Mr. Kadunce's leadership, Reliance Globalcom has executed strategic MPLS and Ethernet network-to-network channel partnerships with global carriers, enabling them to seamlessly extend their global footprints to the developing markets of the world. Russell Shriver, VP Product Management, IP & Data Services, Level 3 Communications Mr. Shriver is responsible for product strategy and development across Level 3's VPN, Ethernet, and Managed Services product families. He joined Level 3 in 2003 and has since held leadership roles in Business Development, Product Management, and Delivery. Prior to joining Level 3, Mr. Shriver spent six years at XO Communications culminating in his role as director of Product Management for Internet, Data, and Security Services. He holds a Bachelor’s degree from Baylor University. Michael Joseph Volgende, Corporate Marketing Director, Global Ethernet Services, Verizon Michael Volgende leads the Verizon Corporate Marketing team responsible for all aspects of Verizon's Global Ethernet portfolio, including Ethernet Private Line, Ethernet Virtual Private Line, Ethernet LAN, Ethernet Virtual Private LAN Service, Ethernet Packet Ring, and Ethernet Access. His responsibilities encompass product development, management, and marketing to serve small and medium businesses, large-business customers, carriers, and wireless providers. Mr. Volgende began his career with Verizon in 1983 and has held a variety of positions in Marketing, Customer Service, Network Planning, Science & Technology, and IT. He has been instrumental in the development and launch of numerous products, including IP, Dedicated Internet Access, DSL, Video, Frame Relay, and ATM.

Speakers

Felipe J. Alvarez, President, RCN Metro Optical Networks Felipe J. Alvarez is responsible for all aspects of RCN Metro Optical Networks. He has over 20 years' experience in telecommunications with companies such as NYNEX and Bell Atlantic and has a wide set of experiences ranging from engineering to marketing and sales. Prior to joining RCN, he was Chief Operating Officer of Con Edison Communications, where he led the development and implementation of its network infrastructure, operations, and systems. Mr. Alvarez holds a bachelor of engineering degree from the City College of New York and an MBA from New York University. Jarrett Appleby, CMO, Equinix Jarrett Appleby joined Equinix in 2008 and is a 25-year veteran of the telecommunications industry. Most recently, he served as Chief Strategy and Marketing Officer for Reliance Globalcom, where he led the acquisition and integration of Vanco Group that expanded Globalcom’s capabilities in more than 230 countries, and the acquisition and integration of Yipes Enterprise Services. Prior to Reliance Globalcom, Appleby was founder and CEO of ILV Group, a boutique consultancy for technology companies looking for services partnerships. Before ILV, Appleby was SVP of Strategy and Corporate Development for MCI, where he was the chief architect of MCI’s next-gen global service-delivery platform, and SVP of MCI Solutions, a global enterprise services business unit. Mitchell H. Auster, Senior Director, Product Marketing, Ciena Mitch has been in the telecommunications industry for over 20 years, in product management, marketing, and business development positions serving the data, voice, and video communications markets. He is responsible for infrastructure solutions at Ciena, identifying strategic applications of Ethernet, MPLS, optical switching, multiservice transport, and WDM technologies for maximum value to service providers and their end-users. In the 1990s Mitch drove AT&T’s market development for Frame Relay and ATM products, and he led the product management of platforms for remote access, edge routing, IP telephony, and converged networking. From late 1999 until early 2002, Mitch was VP of Product Management and Marketing for ADC’s IP Cable Business Unit. Stuart Benington, Director of Portfolio Strategy, Tellabs Stuart Benington is responsible for identifying and targeting strategic application opportunities and for optimizing the Tellabs portfolio through product evolution and business development activity. Prior to this role, Benington held a variety of marketing, engineering, and product planning positions across several Tellabs product groups, including Tellabs' Broadband Media Group and Tellabs' Network Solutions Group. Benington has more than 15 years of experience in the telecommunications industry and holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Economics and Computer Science from Purdue University and a Master of Business Administration degree from Northwestern University. Peter Chahal, Director, Business Solutions Marketing, IP Division, Alcatel-Lucent Peter Chahal is responsible for business services targeting the service provider marketplace, with a primary focus on next-generation IP/MPLS Carrier Ethernet and VPN solutions. Peter has more than 17 years of international experience in product marketing, product management, business development, and technical sales in the area of carrier IP/MPLS and Carrier Ethernet solutions and services. He is also Co-Chair of the Market Research Subcommittee for the Metro Ethernet Forum (MEF). Jay Clark, Carrier Product Manager, Cox Business Jay Clark has over eight years of experience in the telecommunications field. He began his career with Sprint, where he held various positions within network and outside-plant engineering, network design, access management, and strategic planning. Currently, Jay is responsible for the evolution and development of Cox Business’s Carrier Product portfolio. In this role, he is focused on developing transport services using both TDM and Ethernet technologies for both wireless and wireline carriers. Jay is involved in the Metro Ethernet Forum and other cross-MSO initiatives. Rajiv Datta, Senior VP & CTO, AboveNet Rajiv Datta oversees all engineering, IT, and product development activities at AboveNet. This includes responsibility for a communications network incorporating over 2 million fiber miles in 15 major metro markets supporting hundreds of private DWDM networks; a long-haul transport network spanning over 11,000 route miles; and a Tier 1 IP backbone across the U.S., Europe, and Japan. Under his leadership, AboveNet has become a premier high-bandwidth service provider, focused on innovative solutions for customers with large connectivity needs. Leveraging AboveNet’s unique fiber-based delivery model, Mr. Datta has created next-generation, business-grade services with a focus on WDM, Ethernet, VPN, and IP offerings that have generated significant revenue streams while positioning AboveNet for the future. Nasser El-Aawar, Principal Network Architect, Level 3 Communications Nasser El-Aawar manages the Level 3 network architecture team, responsible for streamlining Level 3's technology roadmap for infrastructure, transport, IP, voice, and video services, as well integration planning for acquired companies. With Level 3 for 10 years, Mr. El-Aawar has held a number of positions within the company including Principal Architect, Data Services; Director of Data Architecture, Engineering and Test; Principle Architect; Access Engineering Manager; and Senior Engineer. He has over 15 years of experience within the telecommunications industry. Previously, he worked for the Merit Company. He has a BS in Computer Science and Mathematics from Eastern Michigan University. Fred Ellefson, Senior Director Business Planning, ADVA Optical Networking Fred Ellefson works to position ADVA Optical Networking's innovative Optical+Ethernet portfolio of products in the global marketplace. He is responsible for defining and understanding the dynamics of the markets in which ADVA's solutions offer their best advantages, and works closely with internal teams to plan the company's go-to-market strategies. Fred joined ADVA upon its 2005 acquisition of Covaro Networks, where he served as Vice President of Marketing and developed and trademarked that company's "Etherjack" brand. Fred has more than 25 years' experience in marketing and planning next-gen products for converged voice and data networks. Prior to ADVA and Covaro, he served as Vice President of Marketing with Rapid5 Networks and spent 14 years with Alcatel in increasingly responsible roles. Matthew Finnie, CTO, Interoute Matthew drives Interoute's advanced services strategy, including developing the platform that has allowed the company to launch its industry-leading VOIP, Ethernet, and Media products. Trained as an electrical engineer, he helped develop early IP-product innovations, including one of the first commercial applications of VOIP a decade ago. As head of the Enterprise Service Development Group at Vocaltec, he worked with European and U.S. carriers and multinational corporations to launch converged communication services. Matthew was also the co-founder of U.S.-based Internet startup Insitu, which developed real-time IP collaboration tools. Matthew has degrees in electrical and electronic engineering and marketing. Michael Genovese, Principal, Elevate Research & Soleil Securities Michael Genovese is Principal at Elevate Research, an equity research boutique specializing in the telecom equipment industry. Elevate Research publications are distributed and marketed by Soleil Securities, a leading boutique institutional brokerage firm. Mr. Genovese has been a telecom equipment industry and equity analyst for over 10 years. Before starting Elevate Research, he was a VP and Research Analyst at Alliance Growth Equities, a Division of AllianceBernstein. Prior to that, he was an Associate and then Senior Analyst at Citigroup, where he worked in sell-side research for four years. Prior to Citigroup, he was a Senior Industry Analyst in the Market Intelligence Group at Ciena, an optical networking equipment vendor. Steven Glapa, VP Product Management & Marketing, Zhone Technologies Steven Glapa previously served as VP of marketing for ArrayComm, a 3G wireless startup. Prior to ArrayComm, he worked for Booz-Allen and Hamilton, developing strategy for Fortune 100 clients. Earlier, he worked for Lucent Technologies as Vice President and General Manager of IP messaging and applications. Steven holds an MBA from Columbia University, a BS in mechanical engineering and computer science from George Washington University, and a BA in physics from Carleton College. Eve Griliches, Program Director, Telecommunications Equipment, IDC Eve Griliches provides in-depth insight and analysis on service provider routers and switches as well as the optical networking market. She also provides critical business intelligence on emerging technology trends and their impact on the telecom market space. She joined IDC in 2005 after 10 years in product management for a number of network equipment vendors. Most recently she worked at Marconi and at PhotonEx a startup in the 40-Gbit/s optical long-haul market. Prior to that, Ms. Griliches held positions at Wellfleet/Bay Networks/Nortel Networks in the Carrier Routing Division with strong interworking with Nortel's Optical groups. Additionally, she spent four years at Thinking Machines Corp., one of the first parallel processing supercomputer companies. Greg S. Gum, Chief Marketing Officer, ANDA Networks Greg is responsible for managing ANDA Networks' overall marketing efforts including: product marketing strategy, product line management, marketing communications, and business and international development functions for the Metro Ethernet Access company. Greg has held several executive positions in product marketing and venture capital as Managing Director at Tsunami Ventures, VP of Business Development at Ishoni Networks, (acquired by Royal Philips NV); and as an Executive Director at USWest now Qwest Communications. Kaynam Hedayat, CTO, EXFO Service Assurance Kaynam Hedayat is responsible for defining and driving the strategic technology direction of the firm, leading the company's various product management and product marketing initiatives, and representing EXFO on relevant standards bodies. He joined the company in 1999 from PictureTel, where, as a consultant engineer, he led the development of various next-generation, IP-based products. Previously, he held engineering positions at Xerox Imaging Systems, Stonehand, and Digital Equipment. A 20-year industry veteran, Hedayat is an expert in the areas of voice and video over IP. He is the author of several standards, including Two Way Active Measurement Protocol (TWAMP) and, RTP Control Protocol Extended Reports (RTCP-XR). James Heney, Director of Marketing, Canoga Perkins Jim has been involved in the communication industry for over 30 years and has a strong background in private-line central office operations, network design, system engineering, consulting, and technical marketing. Working for carriers, value-added networks, and equipment manufacturers, he has specialized in network architectures and protocols and has been involved with a variety of leading-edge communications technologies ranging from satellite to undersea cable and telephone to high-speed LAN and optical networking. As Head of Marketing, Jim is now focused on expanding the Canoga Perkins presence in the service provider market with the introduction of new products and technologies to meet the needs of its customers. Doug Junkins, VP IP Development, Global IP Network, NTT America Doug Junkins is responsible for network architecture, tool development, and peering relations for NTT Communications' Global IP Network. Previously, Mr. Junkins was the Vice President of IP Engineering for Verio in Englewood, Colo., where he was responsible for building Verio's U.S. backbone network and integrating the engineering and operations of 54 individual ISPs acquired by Verio. Prior to Verio, Mr. Junkins was a Senior Network Engineer for NorthWestNet in Seattle, responsible for the network engineering of their regional IP network. Charles R. Kenmore, President & CEO, ANDA Networks As President and CEO of ANDA, Charles is a telecom industry veteran with 30+ years in senior executive and general management roles. Previously his responsibilities included President of ADC International; VP/GM of the international division at Motorola; founding head of Sprint International; and VP/GM of the international systems integration division at Comsat. Mr. Kenmore also serves on the board of directors and is the Technical Chair for the Telecommunications Industry Association (TIA), and on the board of TechNet. Grant Kirkwood, Founder & CTO, Mzima Networks Mr. Kirkwood oversees all aspects of Mzima's technology vision and execution, driving towards the successful execution of the company's business objectives and customer commitment. He has 10 years of senior management experience in Internet infrastructure companies for mission-critical online applications. Prior to founding Mzima, he was CTO at Netixs, operating its managed services and hosting operation. Mr. Kirkwood was also responsible for the operation and management of Vision Imaging's Web application hosting business, where he built the company's network backbone and geographically dispersed server farms. He is a member of the World Affairs Council and the British American Business Council and a patron of Global Impact. Kannan Kothandaraman, Senior Product Line Manager, Juniper Networks Kannan is Product Line Manager for the Edge and Aggregation Business Unit at Juniper, responsible for MX and QoS. He has over 11 years experience in the networking industry. Kannan served as a software engineer at Cisco for three years, where he worked on Layer 2 hardware and protocols. As software engineer at Juniper for six years, he was the software lead for several projects, including the M120. Sam Lisle, Market Development Director, Fujitsu Network Communications Sam Lisle focuses on connection-oriented Ethernet and packet-optical networking technologies and applications. He holds U.S. patents in packet-aware optical networking and was instrumental in the definition of the Fujitsu Flashwave® 4000 series of MSPP platforms. Prior to Fujitsu, Sam worked for Bellcore (now Telcordia), specializing in the reliability analysis of Sonet transport systems and fiber optic media. He holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Electrical Engineering from the University of Iowa and a Master of Science degree in Electrical Engineering from Georgia Tech. Malcolm Loro, Director, Portfolio Management, Ciena Malcolm has responsibility for assessing Ethernet business service market requirements, identifying and developing compelling new market opportunities, and driving awareness of Ciena's Ethernet solutions. He has over 20 years of experience in the telecommunications industry, holding a number of previous engineering, product management, and marketing positions at Catena Networks and Nortel Networks. Malcolm holds an Honors Bachelor of Science degree from the University of Waterloo in Ontario. Randy Nicklas, CTO, XO Communications Randy Nicklas is responsible for the overall network technology vision for XO's voice, data, and transport networks. He also advises on the overall design of commercial and wholesale voice, data, and IP-based services. Previously, he was VP of Engineering, responsible for the design, implementation, and sustaining engineering of XO's transport, voice, and data networks. Before joining XO, Randy held engineering and technical management positions at Intelsat, Cisco, and MCI. He has also worked in the areas of software development and systems engineering on a variety of aerospace programs for NASA, Los Alamos National Laboratory, and Computer Sciences Corp. Sten Nordell, CTO, Transmode Systems Sten Nordell has more than 20 years' experience including routers, network operating systems, network protocols, switches, broadband networks, mobile networks, convergent services design, and IT/IS development. Sten has also been participating in the development of standards such as IEEE Ethernet, Ethernet over DWDM, IP-MPLS, IP-Interconnect, SIP, etc. He has a special interest in business development, network design, and convergence. With a long international experience and personal network, and a burning heart for the entrepreneurial business, Sten Nordell has been in leading management positions throughout the career and is a well-known and frequent speaker at conferences. Patrick Ostiguy, President & CEO, Accedian Networks Patrick Ostiguy co-founded Avantas Networks in 1999 and launched the industry's first portable Ethernet and Sonet field-services test-set. In 2001, Avantas was acquired by EXFO Electro-Optical Engineering, where he continued his role in product management and participated in several M&A activities. In 1995, he was part of the initial Positron Fiber Systems team that commercialized the industry’s first Ethernet-over-Sonet MSPP. With over a decade of industry experience, Patrick has filed several patent applications and published dozens of technology articles. He brings to Accedian Networks a solid background in product management and marketing, a proven track-record managing product development programs, and a strong understanding of service provider needs. Brandon Pemberton, CTO, Optical Networks, MRV Communications Brandon Pemberton is responsible for shaping MRV's product portfolio and go-to-market strategy to insure MRV Communications continues to lead the market in innovation of optical transport and Carrier Ethernet solutions. Joining the company in 2005 as a Systems Engineer, he is an expert in the telecommunications industry, with experience in WDM, Sonet, fiber optics, transport, and Ethernet. He has held other positions within the company, including Senior Director of Market Development, Regional Director of Sales, and Director of Business Development. Prior to joining MRV, Brandon served in several senior engineering positions at AboveNet, TelCove, and MCI/Worldcom. He also served in the U.S. Marine Corps in the communications and intelligence sector. Shai Perach, Director of Product Marketing, ECI Telecom Shai Perach is responsible for the marketing strategy and delivery of ECI Telecom's Carrier Ethernet solutions. Prior to joining ECI, he held several senior product management positions in leading high-technology companies, including Hewlett-Packard (HP) and Alvarion. He received his Bachelor of Sciences in Mathematics and Computer Science Summa Cum Laude at Tel-Aviv University and holds a joint MBA from Tel Aviv University and Columbia Business School. Jim Poore, VP Product Management, Global Transport & Infrastructure Services, Global Crossing Jim Poore is responsible for Global Transport & Infrastructure Product Management at Global Crossing, focusing on the development of customer-centric solutions leveraging Ethernet, wavelengths, private line, dark fiber, and metro access services. He has been with Global Crossing for 10 years and managed a number of global product initiatives including multi-region data center expansion, metro and long-haul Ethernet transport, IP-based unified communications, core DWDM and Sonet/SDH network expansion, and globalization of wavelength services. Prior to joining Global Crossing, Jim held regional product marketing positions with Silicon Graphics/Cray Research and has over 17 years experience in advanced communication services development and management. Christopher Rabii, Senior VP Technical Operations, Optimum Lightpath Christopher Rabii is responsible for all activities related to network engineering and operations, including the network design, fiber plant construction, engineering, field operations, maintenance, and monitoring of Optimum Lightpath’s network services, as well as the overall strategic vision for the evolution of the network architecture. Prior to joining Optimum Lightpath, he held various management positions over the course of nearly 10 years at AboveNet Communications, most recently, as VP of Engineering with overall engineering responsibility for all metro, long haul, and IP networks. Earlier in his career, he was an R&D Project Manager in the area of fiber optic laser delivery methods at Premier Laser Systems, a medical device manufacturer. Jeff Reedy, CEO, Overture Networks Jeff co-founded Overture Networks and has led it to a leadership position in the Carrier Ethernet market. He began his career in 1980 at Bell Labs designing packet switching hardware and in 1984 joined FiberLAN, rising to Director of Engineering. In 1988 he co-founded T3 Technologies, a successful startup later acquired by Larscom, a leader in network access equipment. He was VP of Engineering of Larscom for eight years. Products for the carrier market conceived and developed under his direction fueled Larscom's growth and positioned it for an IPO in 1996. In 2008, Jeff was named a Finalist for Ernst & Young's Entrepreneur of the Year in North Carolina. He holds two patents. Michael A. Rouleau, Senior VP Business Development & Strategy, tw telecom Mr. Rouleau has been with tw telecom since November 1999. His extensive experience in the telecom and data communications industries has resulted in the successful implementation and delivery of many advanced and innovative products, including Metro Ethernet and voice-over-IP solutions. In his current position, he is responsible for developing tw telecom‘s strategic direction and integrating new services and technologies over the next several years. Prior to joining tw telecom, Mr. Rouleau spent 15 years with US WEST, now Qwest, where he was responsible for the development, deployment, and management of its data, Internet, and DSL businesses. Hossam Salib, VP Product Management of Marketing, Positron Access Solutions Hossam Salib has over 20 years of experience in product management, marketing, and development of complex systems and silicon products. Throughout the years, Salib headed a product management organization at ADC; worked with key carriers including AT&T, Qwest, and France Telecom; was the Senior Director of Engineering at PairGain; and worked at Rockwell designing electronic modules and ASICs. Salib received his BS degree in electrical engineering from Polytechnic University of New York. Miguel Angel Fernandez Sanchez, Chief Engineering and Infrastructure Officer, MetroNet Mr. Fernández, with Mr. Joao Tello, launched MetroNet in December 1995, overseeing the early design and keeping the SCT concession process up to date as Engineering and Operations Director. Today, he is in charge of connectivity engineering, network deployment and operations, and data center electromechanical infrastructure. He was a professor and researcher in the telecom department of Cinvestav IPN from 1983 to 1986; Technical Support Manager for Pentamex from 1986 to 1990; Telecom Manager at Industrias Peñoles from 1990 to 1992; Telecom Director of Banco Mexicano Somex from 1992 to 1994. He moved to Banco BCH in 1994 and conducted the merger of its network with Banca Cremi’s through late 1995. Ralph Santitoro, Director of Carrier Ethernet Market Development, Fujitsu Network Communications Ralph Santitoro is responsible for strategic marketing and application development for Fujitsu’s connection-oriented Ethernet solutions for packet optical networks. He is a founding member and director of the Metro Ethernet Forum, where he co-authored three MEF specifications and co-chairs the Security Working Group. He wrote the MEF’s primer on Ethernet services and frequently speaks at industry events on Ethernet services, wholesale interconnect/E-NNI, Ethernet access, Ethernet OAM, Carrier Ethernet security, and Ethernet for wireless backhaul. For over 25 years he has developed innovative telecom, computing, and information security products and services at Fujitsu, IBM, Nortel, Turin, and three technology startups addressing enterprises, SMBs, service providers, and consumer markets. Dr. Hans-Juergen Schmidtke, Head of Fixed Network Operator Business, North America, Nokia Siemens Networks Dr. Schmidtke leads technical sales, product management, and logistics teams, serving more than 250 operator customers. Over the past years at Nokia Siemens Networks, and prior to that, Siemens Communications, he has held product management positions in Germany and the United States. Schmidtke has more than 17 years of experience in the optical industry. He worked on various aspects of optical physics from advanced research, to product development, to real-world, large-scale deployments. He studied physics at the University of Dusseldorf and at the Max-Planck Institute of Quantum Optics, and received his PhD from the University of Wurzburg. He is a member of the German Physical Society, IEEE, and OSA. Eitan Schwartz, VP Pseudowire & Ethernet Access, RAD Data Communications Eitan Schwartz has been with RAD Data Communications since 1991, serving in such capacities as Director of Technical Services and Vice President of Engineering. Prior to joining RAD, he was an officer in the Test and Telecommunications Division of the Israeli Army. He holds a Bachelor’s degree in Electrical Engineering from the University of Tel Aviv. He also holds diplomas from the University of South Africa and the Witwatersrand Technikon in Computer Science and Electronics Technology, respectively. Kevin Sheehan, CEO, Hatteras Networks Kevin Sheehan has primary responsibility for overall management and strategy for Hatteras. Before joining Hatteras, he was VP of Marketing and Business Development at Alcatel, where he led marketing, product management, business development, and business planning for the company’s DSL business in North America. During his tenure, Alcatel expanded its market leadership position in data networking, securing over 58 percent of the worldwide market share for DSL. Kevin joined Alcatel via the acquisition of Packet Engines in 1999. At Packet Engines, he served as Director of Product Management where he was responsible for product planning and development of the company ‘s innovative line of gigabit routing products. Mark Showalter, Director, Service Provider Marketing, Extreme Networks Mr. Showalter has over 20 years of experience in the data communications industry focusing on carrier networks. Prior to joining Extreme, he held positions at Infonetics Research directing analyst broadband networks; Matisse Networks as director of product marketing; Procket Networks as VP of marketing; CoSine Communications as VP of marketing and product management; and Ascend Communications as director of carrier market development. The foundation of his experience came during his five years at North American RBOC Pacific Bell (now part of AT&T) where Showalter held management positions in sales, network technology, and marketing. He holds a BS in Computer Engineering from the University of the Pacific and an MBA from the University of Washington. Dr. Kamran Sistanizadeh, CTO, Reliance Globalcom Dr. Kamran Sistanizadeh is a world-class communications network architect with over 20 years of thought leadership within the telecom industry. Holder of 18 U.S. patents, he has led product design and development in emerging technologies and network deployment and operations in companies such as Bell Atlantic and IBM. He was CTO of Bell Atlantic Global Networks, responsible for the development of integrated voice and data networks for long-distance services over an ATM/FR/IP packet-based platform. Prior, as Director of Network Systems Engineering in Bell Atlantic, Dr. Sistanizadeh was responsible for wireline and wireless broadband services platform architecture. He developed Bellcore's generic requirements for HDSL and ADSL, and holds the patent on rate-adaptive ADSL service architecture. Bjarni K. Thorvardarson, CEO, Hibernia Atlantic Mr. Thorvardarson is also CEO of CVC Iceland Holding Ltd. Before joining CVC/Hibernia Atlantic, he was CEO of the investment fund Talenta, Senior Account Manager for the Icelandic Investment Bank, and VP of Software Development for Tecnival, Iceland. Mr. Thorvardarson has an MSc degree in Finance from London Business School, an MBA from Institut Supérieur de Gestion in Paris, and an MSc in Engineering from the University of Wisconsin-Madison. Rachel Weiss, Ethernet Technologies Strategist, JDSU Rachel Weiss received her BS in Electrical Engineering from the University of Maryland College Park. She has held positions in hardware engineering and product marketing in the JDSU field portables test-and-measurement division and has managed several product lines focused on testing global Ethernet/IP and Sonet/SDH networks. Darren Wolner, Director, Product Management, Data Services, Time Warner Cable Business Services Mr. Wolner is responsible for strategic planning, product management, and product development activities for Data and Internet product lines. He is currently leading initiatives focused on facilitating market development and deployment of ubiquitous and standardized Ethernet services across fiber and HFC infrastructures, wideband Internet planning and launch, as well as midmarket strategic planning. Mr. Wolner is actively involved in the Metro Ethernet Forum, CTAM, and many other industry forums. Prior to joining Time Warner Cable in late 2005, he spent eight years with Mitsubishi Electric and UUNET/MCI/Verizon Business, holding positions in international product management, marketing, operations, and business strategy. Asim Zakria, Director Technology Management & Architecture, Covad Asim brings to Covad more than 16 years of experience in the telecom industry – all in technology selection, network planning, network engineering, and related telecom domains. Most recently, he was a Director at Telus Communications, where he led the systems transformation and capacity solutions in the areas of national (voice and data) traffic engineering and network forecasting for 11.2 million Telus customers bringing in $9 billion annual revenue. Prior to Telus, Asim had a variety of roles contributing to the corporate technology and architecture efforts at Time Warner Telecom.