Speaker Biographies

Sanford (Sandy) Brown. Product Management Vice President, AT&T Business
Sandy Brown leads AT&T’s business in the strategic application of alternate access technologies including WiMAX and other wireless and wireline solutions.

Mr. Brown specializes in transforming concepts and emerging technologies into successful businesses – from market strategies through products and solutions. AT&T has utilized his expertise in roles ranging from strategic planning to channel and alliance development to general management of high growth businesses. He was a principal of AT&T’s entry into business IP services, he served as Vice President & General Manager for Hosting Services, where he led the business from a boutique, niche service to a large scale, fast growing business, capable of supporting the needs of global MNCs, and he led AT&T’s initial entry into business VoIP services.

Mr. Brown came to AT&T from what is now Avaya and Lucent, where he had a variety of roles in growing the Facsimile, Computer-Telephony Integration and Communications Software businesses.

With a BSEE from Vanderbilt University and a MSEE from the University of Illinois, Mr. Brown’s career began at Bell Laboratories where he established his reputation for innovation in communication systems design as a principal engineer for the Definity PBX, leading international key system design, and other technical assignments. He holds six patents in the areas of PBX design, computer design, and Internet services.


Chari Amalavoyal, Chief Architect, Tropos Networks
Chari Amalavoyal is responsible for developing Tropos Networks' core intellectual property, including the design and development of the company's wireless networking and routing protocols. He focuses on system and product architecture, product planning and leads the company's advanced development efforts. Prior to founding Tropos, Chari was a research scientist at Harvard University where he was recognized as a top lecturer and received the White Prize for excellence in teaching. Chari holds a BS in Mathematics and Economics from the California Institute of Technology and an AM in Physics from Harvard University. He is a member of the IEEE Communications SCociety, IEEE Computer Society, IEEE Standards Association and the Association for Computing Machinery.

Donna Carlson, Principal Analyst and GM Broadband Wireless Research, Sky Light Research
Donna Carlson joined Sky Light Research in January 2006 as a principal analyst and general manager of wireless broadband research. She has more than 15 years experience in market communications consulting, 11 of which specializing in the telecom and semiconductor markets. A range of clients include semiconductor manufacturers, wireless equipment providers and resellers. A former journalist, Carlson covered the wireless industry at the time when cell phones first became ubiquitous and cellular air interface protocols were battling for domination. Donna has published more than 150 articles, including a range of wireless topics. She earned a BJ degree from The University of Texas in 1989.

Daniel Coombes, Senior Vice President Wireless Broadband & CTO, Networks, Motorola
Daniel J. Coombes is Senior Vice President of Wireless Broadband Networks and Chief Technology Officer for Motorola Networks. In his position he is responsible for the business and development teams associated with MOTOwi4, Canopy and 802.16 systems and Seamless Mobility networks. As CTO, he is responsible for the architecture and technology direction of the Networks. With 31 years experience at Motorola, Dan has held numerous business management and system development positions in iDEN®, CDMA and GSM, as well as positions in SMARTNET TM and ASTRO for Motorola's Government business and Privacy Plus® in the Enterprise business. Dan holds bachelor's of science and master's of science degrees in electrical engineering, both from the University of Illinois.

Ashish Dayama, Chief Solution Architect, Lucent Technologies
Ashish Dayama brings more than ten years of architecture, software design, and network deployment experience to his position as Solution Architect for Lucent Worldwide Services (LWS). In this role, Mr. Dayama is responsible for supporting business development, services growth, and planning efforts specific to mobile network solutions.  In addition, he also serves Chief WiMAX Solution Architect for the LWS Wireless Practice Team. Mr. Dayama holds a BS in electronic engineering from Dharwad University; a master’s degree in computer sciences from Western Illinois University; and is pursuing an MBA from the University of Chicago. Previous speaking engagements include VoiceCON

Josh Garrett, President and CEO, Futura Technologies, LLC
The visionary and founder of Futura Technologies, Mr. Garrett's corporate and technical leadership drives the focus of the company. His ability to leverage technologies of the future to provide next-generation broadband services pushes the company forward through innovation. The company concept was discovered by Mr. Garrett in late 2002, with a passion for offering a cost-effective alternative to conventional broadband services such as cable and DSL. Previous to Futura, Mr. Garrett co-founded and operated several ecommerce startup companies, focusing on the abilities to gain a competitive advantage in niche markets through the application of technology. Mr. Garrett holds a degree in microprocessor technology and telecommunications. 

Michel Guay, CEO, Wavesat
Engineer and MBA, Michel Guay is the President and CEO of Wavesat, a leading player in the WiMAX space. Michel draws upon more than 20 years of experience in senior management positions for telecommunication businesses, including Harris.  Michel has a clear understanding of the broadband wireless industry, a track record for developing winning strategies, and a deep knowledge of the Asian market.  He has been on the conference circuit for more than 15 years and has chaired numerous events.

Tara Howard, Analyst, Yankee Group
As an analyst with the Broadband Access Technologies Decision Service, Howard’s heavy focus is on the cable industry, wireless broadband access technologies and municipal broadband. In the cable space, Howard examines topics ranging from CMTS to VoIP and industry standardization.  Her wireless broadband research focuses on wireless mesh as an access technology as well as WiMAX as an emerging technology. Howard also leads research on municipal broadband, keeping track of initiatives as they emerge and the regulatory battles that typically ensue. She examines business cases for different types of municipal deployments, including fiber and wireless. Howard holds a B.S. degree in business administration from Boston University’s School of Management.

Steve Hratko, Manager of New Product Development, Cisco Systems
Mr. Hratko has been responsible for Cisco’s strategy for WiMAX and related next generation packet radio technologies.  As the world transitions to packet radio technology, IP will become much more central to the design of mobile networks. WiMAX should take the lead in this transition.  Prior to joining the Mobile Wireless Group, Mr. Hratko served in a number of capacities at Cisco Systems in the service provider segment of the business.  Steve received his BSEE from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute (RPI) in Troy, NY and an MBA from the University of San Francisco.

Jim Hueser, Business Unit Executive, IBM Global Goverment
Jim and his team are focused on the Public Sector in the Americas.  His team is responsible for the sales and support of Digital Communities, Wireless Internet and Wireless LAN including applications, infrastructure software and hardware.  Jim joined IBM in 1977 as a Territory Sales Representative.  He has more than 20 years experience in marketing, sales, product development, management, consulting, business development and finance.  He has held multiple management positions with numerous IBM business units with strong operational experience and expertise in the telecommunications, finance and public sector industries.

Lars Johnsson, Vice President of Business Development, Beceem Communications
Lars was co-founder of Flarion Technologies.  In his 5 years at Flarion, Lars was responsible for technology marketing, product roadmap and business model. Lars was also an instrumental part of the sales process, positioning Flarion’s technology and products with operators and ecosystem partners, and he worked extensively with the engineering team to align the product development with market needs. Previously Lars worked in Lucent Technologies’ New Ventures Group where he was involved in wireless startup activities and worked closely with Lucent’s wireless business unit and Bell Labs Research. Lars received his MBA from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute (RPI) in Troy, NY and received his MSChE from the University of Karlsruhe, Germany.

Rich Kingston, President, BOB Broadband
Mr. Kingston is a 22 year telecommunications industry veteran. Prior to BOB Mr. Kingston was President, COO of Sparkplug Broadband. Prior to Sparkplug Mr. Kingston was President, COO of Monet Mobile. Monet was the first company in the world to deploy 1xEVDO in the 1.9 GHz spectrum. Monet was successful in taking the technology from the lab to the marketplace and pioneered the products eventually launched by Verizon. Prior to Monet Mr. Kingston was President of XO communications for the Midwest Division. Mr. Kingston started the division and grew it to over $100 million in revenue in 3 years

Chris Knudsen, CTO of WiMAX Solutions Division, Intel
Mr. Knudsen joined Intel in July 2004 in his current role. He is responsible for the development of WiMAX and IEEE standards, WiMAX technical direction, systems engineering, simulations, network architecture, and technical business analysis for WiMAX technology. He has more than 18 years of wireless communications, technology development, networking, and management experience.

Jonathan Lai, Project Manager, Mobile Taiwan Applications Promotion Program Office
Jonathan Laijoined the Committee of Communication and Industry Development at Taiwan’s Ministry of Economic Affairs in June 2005 as the project manager of International Cooperation. His main duty includes assisting commutation related companies in Taiwan and the Western world to create cooperation opportunities using government incentive tools.  Jonathan successfully connects major WiMAX equipment companies with Taiwanese companies to participate in the Mobile Taiwan Application Promotion Program. Prior to his return to Taiwan, Jonathan was co-founder of 1800artmart.com, an online sales forum for art craft and oil painting.  He also has experience in network management and e-commerce marketing. Jonathan earned his ME degree in Project Management form Northwestern University in 1998 and MS degree in Computer Science from De Paul University, Chicago in 2002.

Peter Macaulay, CTO, ZDSL.COM
Peter Macaulay is the CTO of ZDSL.COM, a consultancy focused on designing, implementing and supporting converged data, voice and video networks.  Peter is a member of the DSL Forum focused on ADSL2+/VDSL2 testing and deployment of IPTV and VoIP services. Peter is a member of the Open Mobile Alliance (OMA) with a focus on presence and high performance Push-to-Talk over GSM, CDMA and mobile WiMAX networks.  Peter Macaulay provides standards review, standards update services on recent changes, compliance/conformity product review and expert witness testimony.

Carlton O’Neal, VP of Marketing, Alvarion
Mr. O’Neal is a broadband wireless access pioneer. Before joining Alvarion, he was VP of Marketing & Sales for Ensemble Communications, where he helped build the company from its inception to the debut of its LMDS products, and was one of the early entrants in the BWA market in 1995 working with Texas Instruments and Bosch Telecom.  With over 20 years experience in telecom marketing and operations, O’Neal began his career with Southwestern Bell and Octel. O’Neal holds a JD and MBA (Summa Cum Laude) from SMU and a BSEE from Rose-Hulman IT.

John Overley, Vice President, Camvera Networks
Since 2001, Overley has been consulting and deploying fixed wireless broadband in rural towns and cities throughout the Southeastern U.S and is considered an industry expert in the space. Formerly with IBM and high technology companies in a range of sales and management positions, he now helps plan and formulate strategy for the rollout of wireless systems, as well as day to day sales and management of the company. Overley has an MBA from Houston Baptist University, Houston, Texas in addition to a B.S. from Ashland University in Ashland, Ohio. 

Stephen Rayment, CTO, BelAir Networks
Stephen brings over 20 years of experience in the telecommunications industry, including 13 years in wireless, to BelAir. At Nortel Networks and Bell-Northern Research, he led the development of broadband wireless products for the MMDS band, the development of broadband multimedia satcom equipment and the design of the industry's first wireless PBX.  In addition to Stephen’s work with wireless mesh networking leader BelAir Networks, he is also an accomplished speaker and currently sits as secretary of the IEEE’s 802.11s ESS Mesh Task Group.

Mike Seymour, Vice President of Broadband Wireless Division, North America, Alcatel
As Vice President of Alcatel’s Broadband Wireless Division in North America, Mike Seymour is responsible for business development, marketing, strategy and go-to-market plans for all market segments in NA. He joined Alcatel as a result of Alcatel’s acquisition of PacketVideo Network Solutions (pvNS) in 2003 where he held various positions during his tenure, most recently as the Vice President of Engineering and Program Management. In this role, he was responsible for gaining customer acceptance of pvNS products and solutions with top-tier customers. Mr. Seymour began his career at Motorola as a Systems Engineer supporting Motorola’s CDMA Radio Access Network products where he was part of the team that deployed the first CDMA systems in the world. He received his Bachelor of Science Degree in Electrical Engineering from the University of Iowa.

Dr. Mohammad S. Shakouri, VP of Strategy, Alvarion
Dr. Shakouri has 20 years of experience in wireless system, microwave and fiber optic networks. Previously, Shakouri spent three years at Lucent and was responsible for managing, building and developing network solutions for European and South American broadband wireless markets. Shakouri also spent 14 years in technical and management positions with Hewlett Packard developing microwave and fiber optic communication components and systems. He co-founded the wireless systems division, where he was responsible for engineering team developing low cost residential digital wireless systems for US and Asian markets. Shakouri earned his doctorate in electrical engineering from Stanford University on Subpicosecond GaAS Wafer Probe Systems. He is a WCAi and WiMAX Board member/VP Marketing Working Group and IEEE MTT-SVC Chair

Philip Solis, Senior Analyst, Mobile Wireless Research, ABI Research
As part of ABI Research’s wireless connectivity practice, Philip’s focus is on Wi-Fi, WiMAX, Bluetooth and other wireless technologies.  Phil has been cited in numerous publications, including The Wall Street Journal, The New York Times, and Wireless Week.  Prior to joining ABI Research, Phil worked as a Sales Engineer in the Enterprise Solutions Group of Verizon Communications, where he provided technical sales support for ISP partners and also designed and implemented telecommunications network solutions. Phil holds a Bachelor of Engineering in Electrical Engineering from the State University of New York at Stony Brook, and has an M.B.A. in Information Systems and Marketing from Pace University’s Lubin School of Business.

Sai Subramanian, VP of Product Management & Strategic Marketing, Navini Networks
Mr. Subramanian currently serves as the Vice President of Product Management and Strategic Marketing for Navini.  He previously worked at Nortel Networks in areas including technology development and marketing, business strategy, network evolution and customer planning. Sai currently serves on the Board of Directors of the WCA (Wireless Communications Association). He holds a Ph.D. in Computer Science from Brown University and an MBA from the University of Chicago.

Jeff Thompson, President, CEO and Founder, Towerstream
Mr. Thompson is the co-founder and the technology/operations leader of TowerStream. Thompson has created a new model for delivering reliable bandwidth to the commercial market. By leveraging second-generation multipoint fixed wireless technology, TowerStream has built an expandable network that is 99.99% reliable. Thompson represents TowerStream in the WiMAX Forum. He is frequently quoted in media because of his expertise in WiMAX, Fixed Wireless, and 802.16.  Prior to founding TowerStream, Thompson was founder and Vice President of Operations of eFortress, a privately held ISP. Under Thompson's leadership, eFortress became one of New England's largest ISPs. Thompson was responsible for eFortress' growth to 20 markets across the country and he oversaw technical integration during nine ISP acquisitions.  He holds a BS in Electrical Engineering from UMASS.

Elvis Tucker, Director of Solutions and Alliances, Aperto Networks
Mr Tucker has 17 years experience in the telecommunications industry including a variety of sales and marketing positions with small and large systems vendors focused on carrier markets.  As Director of Solutions and Alliances Mr Tucker is responsible for marketing Aperto’s WiMAX products and managing a broad ecosystem of technology and solution partners.  Prior to joining Aperto, Elvis was Director of Technical Sales at 3G focused startup, Megisto Systems.  Elvis’ solution focus has included GGPRS/UMTS, VoIP, VPNs and and IP solutions at Alcatel, Newbridge Networks and other system vendors.  Elvis holds a BS degree in Electronic Engineering and several industry certifications.

J. R. Frans Versluis, Sr. Manager, Corporate Marketing, ADC Telecommunications
During his tenure with ADC, Frans Versluis has been responsible for research and market intelligence on a global basis.  Currently he provides analysis and in-depth information about market trends and developments in U.S. and international markets. This comprehensive information is used in developing strategic initiatives for ADC such as Wi-Fi and WiMAX technology solutions. Before joining ADC in 2001, Versluis held a number of management positions with the Netherlands Foreign Trade Office (NCC USA, Inc.). Versluis received a Bachelor of Science degree in Marketing from the Amsterdam School of Business and a Masters in Business Administration degree from The University of St. Thomas Graduate School of Business.

Eliot Weinman, President, Trendsmedia and Founder and Chairman, WiMAX World Conference & Expo
For over 17 years, Mr. Weinman has been an influential thought leader in high tech.  He has founded and sold three highly successful integrated media companies focused on emerging technologies. Trendsmedia is his fourth start-up. In less than 3 years, Trendsmedia has become one of the leading media firms in the mobile and wireless broadband marketplace. Mr. Weinman has created over 150 tradeshows, dozens of trade publications and has consulted to many of the world's leading technology companies. His writings have appeared in the New York Times, Washington Post, Information Week, and other business and trade journals. He earned his M.S. and B.S. in Computer Engineering from Boston University where he was awarded a Research Fellowship in AI. He has a B.S. in Accounting from the State University at NY Albany.

Clint Wheelock, VP of Research, ABI Research
Clint Wheelock leads the analyst teams covering the wireless, networking, electronics, transportation, and energy industries.  Clint’s primary responsibility is the management of industry research content.  He is a well-recognized industry expert and is frequently quoted in national publications such as The Wall Street Journal, The New York Times, and Wired in addition to many telecommunications trade publications. Clint’s past experience also includes broadband product management and new product development roles at Qwest Communications and marketing strategy development and analysis at Verizon Communications (then GTE).  He earned a B.A. in History at Washington and Lee University and an M.B.A. in Telecommunications Management from the University of Dallas.

Charles Wu, Operating Manager, CWLab
Wu is a serial entrepreneur focusing on the technology space. CWLab has been profitably and organically grown from an initial $25,000 investment in a studio apartment into a $15 million organization with over 50 employees based across the United States.  Charles is regularly profiled by the national news media, including a cover story article in Red Herring Magazine (August 1999) and a live nationally broadcast interview by WGN Channel 9 (April 2003).  In addition to winning numerous Industry Awards, Charles is a frequent speaker at tradeshows and conventions all across the world.