By Clifford Agugoesi, Editor-in-Chief
Before you run away with the impression, the Executive Vice Chairman and Chief Executive Officer(EVC/CEO) of the Nigerian Communications Commission(NCC) Dr. Aminu Maida, is quitting his current job, let’s assure you that is not the case. The NCC boss is going no where, but a positive assessment of his performance, sitting atop Africa’s foremost regulatory authority, has earned him a most deserved place on the Board of Directors of TMT advocacy body, the International Institute of Communications(IIC), Cyber Era NG learns exclusively.
Currently serving as the EVC/CEO at NCC, Dr Maida plays a pivotal role in shaping Nigeria’s telecommunications landscape. Under his leadership, the NCC continues to advance connectivity, foster innovation, and promote a competitive and inclusive telecommunications industry.
Dr Maida’s career includes significant contributions to leading global organizations such as British Telecom, Cisco Systems, and EE Ltd. He was also a pioneering engineering team member at UbiquiSys Ltd, a groundbreaking small-cell technology startup acquired by Cisco Systems in 2013.
Prior to his current role, Dr Maida was the Executive Director of Technology and Operations at the Nigeria Inter-Bank Settlement Systems PLC (NIBSS). There, he spearheaded the modernization of Nigeria’s central digital payments infrastructure, reinforcing its role as a critical enabler of the country’s financial ecosystem.
Dr Maida holds a Ph.D. in Electrical and Electronic Engineering from the University of Bath, an MEng in Information Systems Engineering from Imperial College London, and a Postgraduate Diploma in Entrepreneurship from the Cambridge Judge Business School.
Others joining the IIC Board with Maida are:
- President, Hellenic Telecommunications & Post Commission (EETT); Vice-Chair BEREC 2024 Konstantinos Masselos and
- Senior Vice President & Deputy General Counsel, Federal Regulatory & International Public Policy, Verizon Communications, Will Johnson
Information on Other Directors Board Members
Isolde Goggin
President, International Institute of Communications; Former Chairperson, Competition and Consumer Protection Commission of Ireland (CCPC)
Isolde Goggin has over twenty years experience working at the highest level in telecommunications regulation, competition policy and consumer protection. She was chairperson of Ireland’s Competition and Consumer Protection Commission from 2014 to 2021 and, prior to that, chaired one of its predecessor bodies, the Competition Authority, from 2011 to 2014. She was a commissioner of ComReg, the Irish Commission for Communications Regulation, from 2002 to 2006, and chairperson from 2004 to 2006. From 1996 to 2002 she was a member of the Competition Authority.
Isolde’s involvement in the telecommunications sector dates back to 1980 when, after qualifying with an engineering degree from Trinity College, Dublin, she joined the incumbent telecommunications operator. She completed a masters in business administration at University College, Dublin, in 1988, and subsequently moved to an advisory role in the European Commission, working on satellite policy. She also worked for the Swedish telecommunications manufacturer Ericsson for several years.
Isolde has represented Ireland in many international fora, including the European and International Competition Networks, the Body of European Regulators for Electronic Communications, the EU’s Radio Spectrum Policy Group, the European Consumer Protection Co-operation Network and the International Consumer Protection and Enforcement Network. She has provided advice to government on spectrum policy, next generation networks, data protection and online safety.
Isolde is an honorary life member and fellow of Engineers Ireland, a chartered engineer and member of the IET. She is also a member of the board of Trinity College, Dublin, and of the Central Bank of Ireland’s consumer advisory group. Reflecting a lifelong interest in the classics, she gained a BA in the subject from the Open University in 2021, and a masters from Trinity College Dublin in 2023. She is also a keen open water swimmer and last summer combined the two interests by participating in the 6.5 km Bosphorus Cross-Continental Race in Istanbul.
Chris Woolford
Director of International Spectrum Policy, Ofcom, UK; Treasurer, International Institute of Communications
Chris Woolford is Ofcom’s Director of International Spectrum Policy where his responsibilities cover the UK’s international spectrum interests, especially in relation to the ITU, CEPT and EU. He has closely engaged for the UK on a number of key European regulatory initiatives in the field of electronic communications and participates in many European spectrum groups. He leads UK engagement with the ITU and led the UK delegations to WRCs in 2019, 2015 and 2012. He is currently preparing to lead the UK delegation to WRC-23.
In 2019 Mr Woolford took on the role of Chairman of the Electronic Communications Committee (ECC) of CEPT and was re-elected for a second term in 2022. He has also been a Director of the International Institute of Communications since 2018.
Mr Woolford has 25 years’ experience of working on spectrum and communications regulation, both at Ofcom and its predecessor (Oftel). He has a degree in mathematics and statistics from Manchester University.
Adriana Labardini
LAC Policy Coordinator- Locnet Initiative, Rhizomatica; Board Director, International Institute of Communications
Adriana Labardini Inzunza is currently an independent public interest lawyer and consumer rights expert, she has always acted afar from political, partisan and corporate interests and has fought to deter anticompetitive practices and eliminate barriers to competition. She has promoted initiatives to bridge the digital divide, promote rural and indigenous connectivity and media, at the same time as she has insisted to embed innovation in the agency, build consumer empowerment tools, work permanently towards gender equality and effective implementation and enforcement of regulation.
Ms Labardini served as Secretary of the Board of COFETEL, the former, telecommunications agency (1999-2003); practiced law in a major law firm, specialising in the areas of corporate, administrative and telecommunications law (1986- 1998). Upon her return to Mexico after completing the H. Humphrey Fellowship in North Carolina, UNC and Duke (2003-2004), she co-founded Alconsumidor, a nonprofit watchdog, pioneer in advocating for consumer rights and consumer class actions, a project that ended in a constitutional and legal reform.
Ms Labardini is a Fulbright scholar and a Hubert Humphrey and Ashoka Fellow. She is a professor at the Escuela Libre de Derecho LLM program in Mexico City and has lectured at CIDE, UNAM, ITAM, ITESM, UP as visiting professor.
She obtained her law degree cum laude from Escuela Libre de Derecho in Mexico City in 1987 and her Masters degree (LLM) from Columbia University in New York, on a Fulbright scholar in 1991. For four and a half years she has served as Commissioner at the Federal Institute of Telecommunications (IFT), the Mexican independent regulatory body and competition authority for telecommunications and broadcasting industries. She also chaired the IFT for an interim term in the fall of 2017. Her tenure ended on February 28th, 2018.
In such capacity she has successfully led efforts to create a research center within IFT, strengthen regional and international relations among regulators, such as FCC, CRTC, and through Regulatel, BEREC and IIC; she has fought for pluralism in media, truly independent public media as well as initiatives for inclusion & accessibility and innovating the regulator. During the first two years of her tenure, she was the Commissioner in charge of transparency and access to public information at IFT and a member of the Ethics Committee.
Angela Flannery
Partner, Quay Law Partners; President of the IIC Australian Chapter; Board Director, International Institute of Communications
Angela is a partner of Australian law firm Quay Law Partners. Angela has over 20 years’ experience as a partner in private practice and in senior Australian Commonwealth Government roles. She has broad commercial law expertise in transactional and regulatory matters, with a focus on telecommunications, media and technology, as well as data and cybersecurity.
Ms Flannery’s areas of expertise include assisting clients in making submissions to Government consultation processes on regulatory reform (particularly in the areas of digital markets, content regulation and privacy), providing advice to clients in investigations and interactions with government agencies and assisting clients in obtaining licences and regulatory approvals, as well as advising corporates regarding compliance with the Competition and Consumer Act, the Telecommunications Act, the Broadcasting Services Act and other Australian law and regulation, including consumer protection and privacy issues relating to telecommunications, technology and ad tech.
As well as being President of the International Institute of Communications, Australian Chapter, Ms Flannery is a member of the auDA Licence Review Panel (auDA is Australia’s domain name administrator).
Allyson Leacock OR (Dr. The Hon.)
Chairman, Barbados Broadcasting Authority; Director, National Transformation Initiative, Government of Barbados; Board Director, International Institute of Communications
Dr Allyson Leacock, Chairman of the Barbados Broadcasting Authority and Director of National Transformation Initiative, Government of Barbados, is also an independent media and human development consultant. She led a coalition of 112 Media Houses in 24 Caribbean countries for 12 years and trained over 2000 Caribbean broadcasters. She served on the Executive Board of the Global Media AIDS Initiative (GMAI) and was elected for 2 terms as Chairman of the Global Steering Committee for the World AIDS Campaign. She was also Cultural Affairs Specialist at the US Embassy covering the Caribbean and Officer-In-Charge and Student Coordinator at the University of the West Indies Distance Education Centre (UWIDEC), now the Open Campus.
Dr Allyson Leacock was conferred with the Order of the Republic (OR) in Barbados National Honours on 30 November 2023. The award was given by the President of Barbados – In ‘recognition of sterling contribution to broadcasting, media relations, corporate communications, training, human resource development and educational technology, as well as distinguished service to Barbados as Head of National Transformation Initiative’.
Dr Leacock has a wide-ranging professional background including in executive management in corporate communications, media, needs assessment, training, human resource development and leadership, as well broadcast media including production and presentation as TV News Anchor, and as General Manager of the Caribbean Broadcasting Corporation.
She holds Masters and Ph.D. degrees in Educational Technology, Concordia University, Canada and BA (Double First Class Honours) in English and Education and the Diploma in Education (Dip.Ed with distinction) from Stirling University, UK. Her training also includes Diplomas in Human Resource Management, Facility Management, Arts Management and Alternative Dispute Resolution.
A former national athlete, gymnast, dancer and actress, Dr Leacock is trained in sign language, is a volunteer with Special Olympics and Barbados Council for the Disabled.
Emily Davidson
There is not much information in the public domain
However, on her verified LinkedIn handle, Ms. Davidson wrote: “Thanks IIC for this opportunity to join your Board. I’m looking forward to working with and learning from the talented Directors (new and existing) and to meeting many others at IIC events and engagement.”
Grant Buchanan
Counsel, McCarthy Tetrault LLP; Board Director, International Institute of Communications
Grant Buchanan is an experienced Canadian communications lawyer who has focused his practice on broadcast and telecom regulation and Copyright Board work. He leads McCarthy Tétrault LLP’s Communications Law Group and has a broad understanding of the communications industry, related agreements, and the framework for broadcast and telecom regulation and financing.
Mr Buchanan is the Visiting Executive at Ryerson University’s Faculty of Law and has been the President of copyright collective, Canadian Broadcasters Rights Agency, for 30 years. He is currently ranked Band 1 in Chambers Global – Telecoms Media & Broadcasting and is top-ranked in every other ranking service of note, including being named Communications Law “Lawyer of the Year” for 2020 by Best Lawyers in Canada.
Mr Buchanan is also co-author of the 2017 editions of the following McCarthy Tétrault books: ‘Canadian Broadcasting Regulatory Handbook’, ‘Canadian Telecommunications Regulatory Handbook’; the 2016 editions of the ‘Canadian Spam, Telemarketing and Privacy Handbook’, ‘Regulatory Guide to Canadian Radio’, and ‘Users Guide to Canadian Copyright Tariffs’. He was a major contributor to The World Bank’s infoDev program’s ‘Telecommunications Regulation Handbook’.
Mr Buchanan became the President of the IIC’s Canadian Chapter in May 2019.
Jacquelynn Ruff
Consulting Counsel, Wiley Rein LLP, USA; Board Director, International Institute of Communications
Jacquelynn (Jackie) Ruff has more than 25 years of experience in global law and public policy around policy frameworks for digital services, Internet governance, digital trade, expansion of broadband connectivity, and women and technology. Since February 2019 she has been a consulting counsel at the law firm of Wiley Rein where she provides legal, regulatory and public policy guidance on international issues impacting telecom, media, and technology industries.
Previously, Ms Ruff was Vice President of International Government Relations and Policy at Verizon Communications. Her responsibilities included leading work in international organisations such as the UN International Telecommunication Union, the OECD, ICANN, and the Internet Governance Forum, and regional organisations CITEL and APEC. She also represented Verizon on federal advisory committees to the US Department of State, the US Trade Representative, and the US Department of Commerce. Ms Ruff was a board member of the US Telecom Training Institute and co-chair of the Digital Trade group of the US Council for International Business, and she participated in the Policy and Spectrum Groups of the GSM Association. She is currently a Director of the International Institute of Communications. She is also a professorial lecturer at the George Washington University Elliott School of International Affairs.
Ms Ruff joined Verizon in 2004 from the International Bureau of the Federal Communications Commission (FCC), where she was Associate Chief and Chief of Staff for the Bureau. Previously she practiced with the communications and Latin America groups of an international law firm and served as staff for a US Senate Committee.
She has a BA from Radcliffe College/Harvard University, MA from Harvard University, and JD from the Georgetown University Law Center.
Konstantinos Masselos (Prof)
President, Hellenic Telecommunications & Post Commission (EETT); Vice-Chair BEREC 2024; Board Director, International Institute of Communications
Professor Konstantinos Masselos has been appointed as the President of the Hellenic Telecommunications & Post Commission (EETT) in February 2018 and his mandate has been renewed in February 2022.
Professor Masselos has been elected as Chair of the Body of European Regulators for Electronic Communications (BEREC) for 2023 and also Vice-Chair for 2022 and 2024. Moreover, he served as Vice-Chair of BEREC in 2019.
He is a Professor in the Department of Informatics and Telecommunications of the University of Peloponnese where is also served as Rector during the period 2012-2017. From 2005 to 2008 he was a Lecturer in the Department of Electrical and Electronic Engineering at Imperial College London. Also during the period 2010-2016 he was an Honorary Lecturer in the same Department. From 2001-2004 he worked in the telecommunications industry.
Since 2005 he has been collaborating as an expert with various units of the European Commission. Also, he was member of the Scientific Committee of the European Cooperation in Science and Technology (COST) from 2015 to 2017.
Nina Cummins
Director and Global Head of Connectivity Policy Strategy, Meta; Board Director, International Institute of Communications
Nina Cummins is an EU antitrust and telecoms regulatory lawyer, with over 20 yrs’ multi-jurisdictional legal experience. She graduated from the University of Nottingham, England and Ruhr University Bochum (RUB) Germany, where she specialized in EU law. She has a Masters of Law degree in EU antitrust from RUB. She is admitted as a lawyer in England & Wales, Republic of Ireland, N. Ireland and Germany. She was a partner in international law firm Osborne Clarke, leading UK & EU telecoms regulatory issues. And also worked as senior legal and policy adviser at the Telecoms Regulatory Authority in Bahrain, dealing with complex strategic projects, legal separation of the incumbent fixed telecoms provider, as well as proposals to revise the prevailing communications sector regulatory framework.
Ms Cummins re-joined Facebook (now Meta) in Oct 2019 where she leads Meta’s Connectivity Policy in EMEA, covering a broad range of regulatory issues regarding OTT regulation and regulation of emerging technology, net neutrality rules, infrastructure and subsea cable projects, spectrum frameworks and accessibility.
Philip Marnick
General Director, Telecommunications Regulatory Authority (TRA), Bahrain; Board Director, International Institute of Communications
Philip Marnick is the General Director of the Telecommunications Regulatory Authority (TRA). He was appointed early January 2022 by the Members of the Board, to assume the position, paving the way for a more effective regulatory framework by continuing the evolution of the telecom sector liberalization.
Mr. Marnick leads the TRA, including the development of consumer protection initiatives and resolving disputes. The TRA develops regulatory rules that promote competition, innovation, and investment in broadband services and facilities, as well as developing a more comprehensive and competitive framework that aligns with international best practices. Ensuring that Bahrain remains a center of innovation and that its telecommunications sector serves everyone while supporting Bahrain’s strategic objectives.
Before assuming his role at the TRA, Marnick managed and directed at Ofcom in the UK, where he was the Group Director of Spectrum responsible for all aspects of UK national and international spectrum management – from strategy to delivery including awards, clearance and enforcement. Marnick has worked in the telecommunications sector for over 30 years. He has served as a senior executive in technology, operations, and strategy. Marnick has worked in both start-ups (from inception to sale) and major corporations, in firms such as UK Broadband, O2, Orange, BT, J-Phone in Japan (now Softbank Mobile), Extreme Mobile, and SpinVox (now Nuance).
From analogue to 5G, he has engaged across every mobile generation. Throughout his carrier he has been at the forefront of industry developments – in both fixed and mobile. He has collaborated on the first deployments of mobile networks utilizing new technologies and standards, this has also included innovative products such as the first camera phone and photo messaging service, as well as mobile internet and hosted voice services.
Will Johnson
Senior Vice President & Deputy General Counsel, Federal Regulatory & International Public Policy, Verizon Communications; Board Director, International Institute of Communications
Tebogo Mmoshe
Director Licensing, Botswana Communications Regulatory Authority (BOCRA); Board Director, International Institute of Communications
Tebogo Mmoshe is the Director, Licensing at Botswana Communications Regulatory Authority (BOCRA), the position she assumed in 2021. Her main role is to facilitate the licensing of all sectors regulated by BOCRA being Postal, Broadcasting, Internet and ICT.
Ms Moshe’s experience spans 12 years in communications regulation as a member of BOCRA family. She has 18 years of experience in the Accounting and Auditing in various sectors of Botswana.
Ms Moshe was admitted as a Chartered Accountant in 2006 and was awarded an MBA by University of Derby in 2013. She is a Fellow Member of the Botswana Institute of Chartered Accountants (BICA). At National level, she was appointed as one of the founding Board Members of Botswana Geoscience Institute since 2016.
