Agenda

Head of Wire and Cable,  CRU

Michael is Head of CRU’s Wire and Cable team and works across the full portfolio of products analyzing key trends and developments in both the metallic wire and cable, and optical fibre industries. Michael is the editor of CRU’s Optical Fibre and Cable Monitor and Telecom Cables Market Outlook.

Before joining CRU, Mike gained experience as an exploration geologist focusing on precious and base metal mineralization in North Africa. Michael completed his undergraduate studies at Cardiff University where he attained a First Class degree with Honours in Geology. He also holds an MSc in Mining Geology (Distinction) from Camborne School of Mines, University of Exeter.

Executive Vice President,  Corning Incorporated
Clark Kinlin was appointed executive vice president, Corning Incorporated in August 2012. Mr Kinlin leads Corning Optical Communications and is responsible for worldwide production, development, and sales of optical fiber, cable, and connectivity solutions used in Carrier and Enterprise Networks. As leader of the business group, Mr Kinlin is focused on pursuing growth opportunities that drive optical conversion to every ‘edge’ of the communications network.

Mr Kinlin joined Corning in 1981 and has held a variety of leadership roles within Corning’s divisions including Consumer Products and Corning International.

Mr Kinlin received his undergraduate degree from Kenyon College and his M.B.A. from Harvard University.

Assistant Secretary, Industry & Analysis,  United States Department of Commerce, International Trade Administration
Ms. Nikakhtar was nominated by President Trump to become the Assistant Secretary for Industry and Analysis at the Department of Commerce’s International Trade Administration (ITA) and was confirmed by the U.S. Senate on March 19, 2018.  As Assistant Secretary, Ms. Nikakhtar serves as the Department’s primary liaison with U.S. industry and trade associations to help address industry concerns and support American competitiveness.  She advises the Secretary on trade and investment policy and issues impacting the global competitiveness of U.S. businesses.  She also heads the division that conducts research and analysis on manufacturing, services, travel and tourism, textiles and apparel, global trade, investment, and economic trends that impact the ITA’s mission. 

Nazak Nikakhtar was also nominated by President Donald J. Trump on April 12, 2019 to become the Under Secretary for Industry and Security at the U.S. Department of Commerce’s Bureau of Industry and Security (BIS).  Ms. Nikakhtar performed the non-exclusive functions and duties of the Under Secretary for BIS until August 23, 2019.  In that role, she advanced U.S. national security, foreign policy, and economic objectives by ensuring a strong and effective export control system and a reliable treaty compliance system.  Also key to her mission was the promotion of continued U.S. strategic technology leadership.  She further served as the Department’s lead on matters pertaining to the Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States (CFIUS), and oversaw the Department’s implementation on the 2018 Foreign Investment Risk Review Modernization Act (FIRRMA) and the Export Control Reform Act (ECRA). 

Ms. Nikakhtar joined the Department of Commerce from the international trade law firm of Cassidy Levy Kent LLP, where she was a partner.  In private practice, Ms. Nikakhtar specialized in antidumping and countervailing duty proceedings, export control investigations and compliance, international and bilateral trade agreements, customs matters, trade policy, and World Trade Organization (WTO) dispute settlement.  Ms. Nikakhtar also served as an adjunct professor at Georgetown University Law Center.   She has been repeatedly ranked as one of the top international trade lawyers in the country.

During her previous tenure at the Department of Commerce, Ms. Nikakhtar worked in what is now called ITA’s Enforcement and Compliance Unit in the China/Non-Market Economy Office.  In that position, Ms. Nikakhtar led numerous complex antidumping cases, advised on legal and regulatory matters related to the enforcement of U.S. trade laws, and participated in bilateral negotiations on trade issues between the United States and China.  Ms. Nikakhtar also previously served at BIS as an industry analyst, where she performed key statistical analyses for the U.S. Governments’ assessment of the defense industrial base.  She received several award medals from the Department for her work on behalf of U.S. industries.

Ms. Nikakhtar earned her Juris Doctor and Master of Economics degrees from Syracuse University and her Bachelor of Arts degree from the University of California, Los Angeles.  She worked for the Honorable Ronald S.W. Lew in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of California.  

Head of Wire and Cable,  CRU

Michael is Head of CRU’s Wire and Cable team and works across the full portfolio of products analyzing key trends and developments in both the metallic wire and cable, and optical fibre industries. Michael is the editor of CRU’s Optical Fibre and Cable Monitor and Telecom Cables Market Outlook.

Before joining CRU, Mike gained experience as an exploration geologist focusing on precious and base metal mineralization in North Africa. Michael completed his undergraduate studies at Cardiff University where he attained a First Class degree with Honours in Geology. He also holds an MSc in Mining Geology (Distinction) from Camborne School of Mines, University of Exeter.

President,  Fiber Broadband Association (FBA)

Lisa R. Youngers is the President and CEO of the Fiber Broadband Association (FBA) - the only all-fiber trade association in the Americas. Ms. Youngers oversees all aspects of the association including operations, finance, advocacy and ensuring member value. Before the FBA, Ms. Youngers served as Chief Executive Officer of Nextlink Wireless, LLC, a spectrum management firm and wireless network which operates primarily in the Upper Microwave bands in both the fixed and mobile space. Ms. Youngers oversaw all aspects of the business including financial, operational and technical objectives, engineering planning and implementation, legal/compliance, M&A activity, as well as the development of policy positions and the strategic direction of the company with a particular focus on the roll-out of 5G. 

Prior to Nextlink, Ms. Youngers was Vice President and Assistant General Counsel - Federal Affairs/Strategy at XO Communications one of the nation’s largest competitive carriers serving business and government end users as well as carrier and wholesale service providers.  Ms. Youngers was responsible for all federal policy, regulatory, and legislative matters affecting XO’s interests before the FCC, Congress, and all levels of executive administration including regulatory and legislative strategy. She also oversaw the company’s corporate PR and internal and external messaging. Prior to joining XO, Ms. Youngers was Federal Regulatory Counsel for General Communication, Inc. (“GCI”), in Washington D.C., a telecommunications and cable television provider operating primarily in the state of Alaska, whom she represented before the FCC on wireline, wireless, universal service, telehealth, and school access issues. Ms. Youngers also served as Federal Regulatory Counsel for MCI appearing before the FCC on competition policy, enforcement matters, and consumer issues. 

Ms. Youngers is a former Assistant Attorney General for the state of Minnesota where she served as legal counsel to the Minnesota Public Utilities Commission.  A former television news producer, Ms. Youngers is a frequent presenter at industry events and has been quoted in several publications regarding regulatory and public policy matters.

Ms. Youngers earned her B.A. from the University of Wisconsin and received her J.D. magna cum laude from William Mitchell College of Law.  She is a member of the Minnesota and District of Columbia Bars and currently resides in suburban Washington, DC.

Vice President and General Manager, Optical Fiber and Cable,  Corning

Dr. Bernhard Deutsch was appointed vice president and general manager, Optical Fiber and Cable in February 2018. Deutsch joined Corning Cable Systems (Siemens Communication Cables) in 1995 as manager, application and systems engineering in Munich, Germany. Since then he has held various roles with growing leadership responsibilities in technology; marketing and market development; program and product line management. Prior to joining Corning, Dr. Deutsch was research director at Grohmann Engineering GmbH (now Tesla Grohmann Automation) in Prüm, Germany and served in the German Air Force. Dr. Deutsch holds more than 15 patents and is the co-author of four books and numerous national and international publications. He is a council member of the International Cable Makers Federation (ICF) and has served on advisory boards of Paxio Inc. and Optical Solutions Inc., the Sector Board Telecommunications of the International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC), as chairman of the FTTH Council’s Technology Committee, and on the board of directors of the Catawba Science Center and Canine Companions for Independence. He holds a master’s degree and a Ph.D. in electrical engineering from the University of Kaiserslautern, Germany.

Vice President Telecom Solutions Business Unit,  Prysmian Group

Antoni Bosch is currently Vice President Telecom Solutions Business Unit in Prysmian Group since 2013. He also is Board member of the FTTH Council Europe since 2016.
With more than 25 years’ experience in the telecom industry has a proven track record of business achievements and experience mainly in sales, marketing and business management in an international environment. In his current position hold a unique view of the worldwide telecom market, dealing with the major telecom operators worldwide and managing a business over 800mln€, although being mainly Europe centric it is spread within EMEA, Americas and APAC regions.
Antoni Bosch holds a MSc degree in Telecommunications Engineering by Polytechnic University of Catalonia (Barcelona) with a MBA from Esade Business School (Barcelona)and an Executive PDG from Iese Business School (Barcelona) and SDA Bocconi (Milan). He joined Prysmian in 1998 and since then he has developed his professional career within the telecom business holding several positions as Business Manager and Sales & Marketing Director. Before joining Prysmian he worked in the telecom sector as a Consultant and Head of Systems of the Air Traffic Control Center of Barcelona Airport.

President,  YOFC
Dr. Zhuang Dan obtained his Ph.D. in Accounting from Zhongnan University of Economics and Law in June 1998 and obtained the postdoctoral certificate in Business Administration from Shanghai University of Finance and Economics in April 2001. He is now the Executive Director and President of Yangtze Optical Fibre and Cable Joint Stock Limited Company and a member of People’s Congress of Hubei Province.

Lead Technologist, Chief Technology Office, Fixed Networks Division,  Nokia

In the 1990s Ed Harstead led standardization and implementation of first gen TDM PON technologies and managed first gen WDM PON research. Ed spent most of the 2000s in DWDM transport product management. In the current decade he has been supporting the Nokia CTO for fixed networks, with a recent focus on the standardization of high speed PON.

Senior Optics Hardware Engineer,  Microsoft Azure

Rich Baca is a Senior Optics Hardware Engineer at Microsoft.  He has over 30 years of experience working with electromagnetics/laser simulation, microwave photonics & MMIC design, high-speed digital optical design working at various companies such as Texas Instruments, Raytheon, Finisar, Tellabs, CommScope and other startups along the way. His interests are in optics for the data center including novel server optics solutions.  He has a PhD from the University of Illinois Champaign-Urbana.

Vice President of Implementation, Next Generation Access Networks,  Comcast Cable

Anish Patel currently serves as Vice President of Implementation in Comcast Headquarter’s Technogloy Product & Experience (TPX) organziation where he is focused on the construction of Next Generation Access Networks.   He and his team are responsible for coordinating with the Company’s Division Engineering and Construction leaders to build new outside plant networks and upgrade existing infrastructure to support the continued evolution of high tech products for its residential and business customers. Additionally, Anish leads fiber resiliency efforts which include assessments on the health of the fiber networks, the ability to repair the networks from damage in a time sensitive manner, and guidance on maintenance and operational standards.

CEO - Connectivity Solutions,  STL
Ankit Agarwal heads the Optical Fibre, Optical Fibre cable, Fibre connectivity and Copper cable products business. Mr Agarwal is also managing Sterlite Ventures – Sterlite Tech’s strategic investments in high bandwidth applications in Healthcare, Education and IOT. He has been instrumental in expanding the global footprint of the Telecom business by successfully executing and managing Joint Ventures in China and Brazil. In addition to Joint Ventures, Mr Agarwal is also responsible for executing strategic opportunities such as Mergers & Acquisitions and Greenfield projects globally for Sterlite Tech. Prior to Sterlite Tech, he led the Corporate Strategy of Vedanta Resources and played a key role in Vedanta’s strategic transactions, Mr Agarwal holds a Bachelor’s degree from the University of Southern California and an MBA degree from London Business School.

Board Member, FTTH Council Middle East and Global Market Intelligence Manager, Telecom Solutions,  Prysmian Group
 Jan Schindler is Global Market Intelligence Manager at Prysmian Group – the world’s leading cable manufacturing company in the energy and telecom cable systems industry. With over 20 years of professional experience in telecommunications, market research, and business consulting, Mr Schindler has a proven track record of developing successful strategic and competitive positioning campaigns for leading technology companies. These include Draka Communications, SSA Global Technologies, and the Baan Company. Mr. Schindler contributed to FTTH Council Europe activity as Chairman of its Market Intelligence Committee from 2008- April 2018 and was elected Board Member of the FTTH Council MENA in 2015 and contributes as Chairman of its Market Intelligence/Development Committee. Jan holds a MS degree in Business Engineering from the University of Applied Sciences Zittau, Germany, and a Bachelor degree in International Business from Oslo University College, Norway.

Principal Consultant,  CRU Group
Richard Mack has been involved in fibre optics since 1981 and currently is a contributor to CRU’s Optical Fibre and Cable Monitor and its Telecom Cables Market Outlook.  Richard joined KMI in 1988; he became a CRU analyst when CRU acquired KMI in 2006.  He has a BA from the University of Delaware and an MS from Boston University.

Vice President of New Products,  EPB

Katie Espeseth, Vice President of New Products, joined EPB, Chattanooga Tennessee’s electric power distributor and fiber optics communications provider, in November of 2004, bringing with her over 30 years of marketing and telecommunications experience with a national telecommunications carrier.  

As Vice President of New Products, Katie guides the company’s effort to maximize the value of its 100% fiber optic network with new and enhanced products for both business and residential customers.  

In 2019, Katie and her team began offering support to other municipals and Co-Ops who are interested in deploying a fiber optic network for their communities through EPB Broadband Solutions. Currently, Katie serves on the boards of Fiber Broadband Association and NCTC (National Cable Television Co-op) and chairs the Fiber Deployment Advisory Group for TVPPA (Tennessee Valley Public Power Association).

Network & Security Solutions - Executive Vice President,  Anixter
Bill became executive vice president of the Network & Security Solutions segment for Anixter in July 2017. Bill first joined Anixter in January 2017 as senior vice president of global markets with oversight of the EMEA, APAC and CALA regions for the Network & Security Solutions segment.

Before moving to Anixter, Bill served as president of the U.S.-based communications distributor, Accu-Tech. A 22-year veteran of Accu-Tech, Bill held a variety of other senior management roles at the company, including vice president of sales and regional vice president.

Bill holds a Bachelor of Science in Business Management and Marketing from Georgia Southern University.

President and CEO,  Fiber Optic Center, Inc.

Mr. Ben Waite began his career at Fiber Optic Center (FOC) in 1995. Ben brings his extensive experience in technical field work, business strategy and engineering management to his position of President and CEO.  Additionally, Ben brings manufacturing knowledge and experience into FOC customers’ worldwide operations.

 In addition to his responsibilities at FOC, Ben has been an active member of the New England Fiberoptic Council for many years, including NEFC board positions as Secretary, Treasurer, and President.  He is also currently a board member of the International Cable and Connectivity Symposium.

 Ben graduated from Colby College with a BA in Physics, Math, and Science and Technology Studies.

 He and his wife reside outside New Bedford, with their three children, where they are deeply involved in their community and extended families. Outside of FOC, he can be found coaching youth Baseball and Soccer.

Senior Commercial Manager,  Umicore

Mr. Koch leads Umicore Optical Materials USA’s commercial germanium recycling, refining and sales efforts in the United States. Germanium is a critical component of optical fiber manufacturing and increases the refractive index throughout the connection.  He began his career with Umicore in 2003 and had responsibilities in procurement, business development and recycling.  With a focus on Sustainable Development he has presented to the Office of Science and Technology Policy’s Senior Policy Advisor; the SPIE Defense, Sensing and Security Conference,  and the US International Trade Commission related to sustainability. Jeff holds a Bachelor of Science degree from the University of Central Missouri and a Master of Business Administration from Missouri State University.

Sr. Vice President, Technology,  Corning Optical Communications
Dr. Claudio Mazzali was appointed Senior Vice President, Technology, Corning Optical Communications and Optical Connectivity Solutions in January 2015. In this role, Mazzali expanded his previous responsibility, acting now as the chief technology officer for the COC sector while still responsible for the technology development for the OCS division.

Previously, Mazzali was the business technology director for the Telecom Sector, leading its early stage development by leveraging a close connection with the Research organization and focusing on integrated solutions that require collaboration between fiber, cables, and connectivity.

Mazzali joined Corning in 1999 at the Brazilian regional office as an optical communications specialist, and later became technical manager for Corning Optical Fiber in Latin America. In 2001, Mazzali was transferred to Corning, New York, and has held multiple positions in Corning Optical Fiber, including strategic alliances manager, product line manager for high-data-rate and submarine products, and new business development manager.

Mazzali holds a Ph.D. in physics from the Gleb Wataghin Physics Institute at Unicamp, Brazil. He is a member of the Optical Society of America, and the current Chairman of the OSA Industry Development Associates Council.

General Manager, Optical Cable Systems Division,  Fujikura Ltd
Naoki Okada joined Fujikura in 1986 after graduation from Chiba University in Japan. He mainly engaged in R&D for optical cables in Fujikura, and he is an inventor of innovative optical cable technologies which are Spider Web Ribbon (SWR) and Wrapping Tube Cable (WTC). Today, he is a General Manager of Optical Cable Systems Division, responsibility for optical cables and optical passive components.

General Manager, Optical Cable Product Management,  Sumitomo Electric Industries, Ltd
Tsuguo Tommy Amano received his BS degree from Keio University and MS degree from Boston University. He joined Sumitomo Electric Industries, Ltd in 1987. Since then, he has worked for optical fiber and cable related business and now a manager of cable product management.

Application Development Leader, Wire & Cable R&D,  Dow

Dr. Paul Brigandi is Application Development Leader for the telecommunication segment in the Dow Wire & Cable TS&D group based in Collegeville, PA.  Paul earned a Ph.D. in Polymer Science and Engineering from Lehigh University and a B.S. in Chemical Engineering from the University of Delaware.  Prior to this role, Paul defined the global strategy for other W&C platforms and led technology developments for the power cable industry.  Paul is a member of the IEEE Comm Society and Society of Plastics Engineers Lehigh Valley Section on the Board of Directors serving as Councilor.

Chief Optical Fibre Scientist,  YOFC

Research & Development/Head of Analysis,  SIKORA AG

Dr. Hilmar Bolte is working in R&D at SIKORA as head of the analysis department which is in charge of developing new approaches to non-contact online measuring systems for the wire and cable, optical fiber, plastics, hose and tube as well as metals industries. He received his Ph.D. degree in electrical engineering from the University of Bremen in 2003. After that, he worked as R&D engineer in the automotive industry before joining SIKORA in 2006. The online measurement of optical fibers has been one of his major topics since SIKORA’s first introduction of the FIBER LASER gauge to the market in 2011. In this respect, he accompanied the market launch of several further measuring gauges for the online measurement of relevant fiber parameters and defect detection.

Director of R&D,  Heraeus Noblelight America, LLC

Dr. Darrin Leonhardt received his PhD degree in Chemical Physics from the University of Maryland studying collision dynamics then spent 12 years at the US Naval Research Laboratory in Washington DC as a plasma physicist, investigating plasmas and applications of plasmas in the processing of various materials. In 2007, Dr. Leonhardt joined Fusion UV Systems (now Heraeus Noblelight America) as Senior Scientist to work on UV light generation from solid state and plasma-based technologies. Dr. Leonhardt is a co-author of hundreds if technical presentations and papers. Presently, he works with multi-disciplinary teams to evaluate new technologies and develop global innovation teams.