Arash Ashouriha

SVP GROUP TECHNOLOGY INNOVATION & CHAIRMAN OF THE NGMN BOARD, DEUTSCHE TELEKOM

In his role at Deutsche Telekom Arash Ashouriha is in charge of the strategic development and architectural evolution of the technology domains including OSS alongside technology Innovation management, patent management and standardisation. In addition, he oversees strategic technology innovation projects.

Prior to joining Deutsche Telekom, Arash was with Vodafone Group for 15 years, where he held multiple Senior Management international roles both in Technology and IT, most recently Chief Network Officer for Germany & Central Europe (2011-2016) and Head of Global Applications (2009-2011).

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Takki Yu

VICE PRESIDENT, Ph.D., HEAD OF INFRA TECH OFFICE, SK TELECOM

Dr. Takki Yu is a Vice President of Infra Tech Office at SK Telecom, while leading the R&D on E2E mobile communication infra technologies including Radio Access, Core, Transport, Device, Location, and Network AI. His primary interests are focused on advanced mobile communications including 5G and Beyond 5G(6G) systems, network virtualization & cloud, location, quantum security, and network AI. In particular, he has been leading the 5G technology development with a successful world’s first 5G commercialization in Korea, along with Beyond 5G and 6G technology evolution. And, he has served as a board director of NGMN Alliance and TSC member of O-RAN Alliance since 2019.

Prior to joining SK Telecom, Dr. Yu had extensive experience as a senior engineer in Samsung Electronics and a research scholar in Stanford University, working on development of LTE/IMT-Advanced systems.

He holds a Ph.D. degree in electrical and electronic engineering from Yonsei University in Korea, and he is the author or a coauthor of more than 100 patent filings and more than 20 research papers.

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Suzana Grujev

VP MOBILE ACCESS STRATEGY, LIBERTY GLOBAL

Suzana has more than 20 years experience in the telecommunication/cable industry. Her career includes nearly a decade at Liberty Global,currently responsible for the Group Mobile access technology strategy, driving collaboration and co-creation across Liberty Global markets and the Group on topics such as O-RAN, 5G SA and Mobile Private Network. Prior to joining Liberty, Suzana worked as independent consultant within Finance/Insurance sector as well as covered different positions within KPN, from Mobile, Strategy and M&A to IT. She holds a Master’s degree in Telecommunication from the Delft University of Technology.

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Nik Willetts

CEO, TM Forum

As CEO of TM Forum, Nik is passionate about driving change and the positive impact connectivity can have on business, people, and our planet. Leading the Forum’s value delivery for our members and industry, Nik works closely with the world’s leading executives, experts, and leadership teams across our 800+ member companies to help transform their businesses, accelerate the pace of industry change and enable growth. An industry Power 100 and 40 under 40 alumni, Nik is a frequent writer, speaker and moderator at industry conferences and events.

Appointed CEO in 2017, Nik has led the transformation and growth of the Forum in its ambition to be the industry collaboration platform. Nik previously served as the Deputy CEO and other executive roles, leading the Forum’s first moves in the digital era. Prior to joining TM Forum, Nik ran a successful IT consulting business working with multi-national companies spanning financial services, education, and connectivity sectors.

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Nicolai Schättgen

CEO, MATCH-MAKER VENTURES

Nicolai is the founder and CEO of Match-Maker Ventures. MMV is dedicated to scaling innovation by helping high-growth tech companies and corporates to collaborate successfully. MMV specializes in the telecoms, financial services, and insurance industries and is in >40 locations globally.

Before founding MMV, Nicolai was part of the global telecom leadership team of Arthur D. Little. In this position, Nicolai advised multi-billion dollar companies and financial investors gaining strong experience in board-level interaction.

Today, Nicolai also serves as an Advisory Board member to several tech companies, teaches at the Vienna Business University, and acts as a keynote speaker and startup writer. Nicolai is a German citizen in Austria with work experience in 22 countries.

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