Martin Whitehead is the Director of GSMA Europe, the European arm of the global mobile trade body. Based in Brussels, Martin oversees all the activities of GSMA Europe, which represents European mobile operators on a broad range of public policy matters covering everything from spectrum to EU regulation to making mobile services safer for children.
Martin is charged with implementing in Europe the GSMA’s global strategy of working with governments and international institutions to create a regulatory environment that maximises the mobile industry’s ability to invest in infrastructure and drive economic growth.
Born in the UK., Martin has been based in Brussels for fifteen year, most recently running his own business advising companies on how to shape EU policy and regulation. Prior to that he spent five years at the United States Department of Commerce in Brussels, advising American ICT and aerospace businesses on EU policies and legislation. His role included working closely with Washington-based government officials, other U.S. government representatives and Department of Commerce offices throughout Europe to engage EU policy makers and regulators to improve the operating environment for U.S. companies in Europe.
Martin’s Brussels career has also involved spells in the European institutions, in particular four years with the European Commission’s Single Currency Communication Task Force. He is a graduate in Economics and Sociology from Bristol University and speaks French and Spanish in addition to his native English.
Kiki Walravens
Manager, GSMA Europe
Kiki joined the GSMA in 2003 and is responsible for representing the GSMA and European mobile operators at EU level. She regularly organises seminars, gatherings and workshops for key EU stakeholders and members.
Before joining the GSMA, Kiki worked in Marketing Communication functions for Sonera Belgium and UB Networks. Kiki holds a Masters Degree in Translation, specializing in French and Russian, and a Degree in Marketing and Advertising from the VUB/Business School Solvay.
Regulatory Working Group (REG)
Phillip Malloch
Chair Regulatory Working Group
European Affairs Manager, TeliaSonera AB
Phillip joined TeliaSonera in 2007 as European Affairs Manager in the Brussels office and is responsible for day to day relations with the European institutions as well as developing and communicating regulatory positioning and strategy. His work has focused on a broad range of issues spanning both mobile and fixed telecoms including Roaming, Spectrum, NGA/NGN, Termination rates and content issues, amongst others. Phillip holds a BSc in Politics and Economics from the University of Bath, UK.
Irina Michalowitz
Vice Chair Regulatory Working Group
EU representative, Mobilkom Austria Group
Dr. Irina Michalowitz is the EU Representative of the Austria-based mobile network operator “mobilkom austria group”. Prior to joining mobilkom austria group, she worked as the Research Policy Project Manager of the European Platform of Women Scientists (EPWS), Brussels, responsible for policy analysis and interest representation, and she was Assistant Professor in the Department of Political Science at the Institute for Advanced Studies in Vienna, Austria. Before that, she worked in the Public Affairs Division of Preussag AG in Bonn and Brussels.
Frequency Working Group (FREQ)
Simon Wilson
Chair Frequency Working Group Spectrum Policy Manager, Telefónica O2 Europe
Simon Wilson has been an active member of the GSMA Europe Frequencies Working Group since 2001, and is Vice-Chairman of the GSMA’s global Spectrum Management Group. In his role as Spectrum Policy Manager for the Telefónica Group he maintains an active interest in all spectrum related topics in Europe, including the European Commission’s spectrum work, and regularly attends CEPT project team meetings. He has chaired the Frequencies Working Group since the start of 2007.
Ciara Farren
Vice Chair Frequency Working Group
Regulatory Affairs Manager, Meteor Mobile Communications
Ciara Farren joined Meteor Mobile Communications in July 2006 as Regulatory Affairs Manager, focusing on European affairs and spectrum management.
Before joining Meteor, Ciara worked with the Irish telecommunications regulator, ComReg, as International Affairs Executive.
A Politics graduate from The Queen's University Belfast, Ciara also holds a Masters in Economics and Public Policy from Trinity College Dublin, and a Masters in European Integration from the University of Limerick.
Robert Cooper
Vice Chair Frequency Working Group
Technology Strategy Team, T-Mobile (UK)
Robert Cooper works in the Planning and Engineering department of T-Mobile concentrating on Technical/Regulatory issues affecting the Cellular Industry. Before joining T-Mobile, Robert worked for the UK Regulator Ofcom (formerly Radiocommunications Agency) where he had the responsibility for leading the UK delegations to ECC PT1 and ITU-R WP8F.
M-Commerce Working Group (MCOM)
Jaymeen Patel
Chair M-Commerce Working Group
Telefónica Europe plc,European Regulatory Manager
Jaymeen Patel has worked as European Regulatory Manager for Telefonica since October 2006 covering mobile issues, with a focus on content, child protection, spectrum and payments. He worked previously for the British employers’ federation, the CBI, and as an assistant in the European Parliament. He holds a degree from Oxford University.
Melina Violari
Vice Chair M-Commerce Working Group
Regulatory Affairs Manager, 3 Group - Hutchison Europe
Melina Violari joined the regulatory team of Hutchison Europe in 2006 and holds the position of Regulatory Affairs Manager. She has been working extensively, among a wide array of telecom issues, on content regulation and IPR. Before joining Hutchison, Melina worked as a political advisor to a Member of the European Parliament. Prior to that she worked in the Bertelsmann Brussels office on European government affairs.
Melina holds a law degree from the University of Southampton and a Masters from King’s College London in European Law.
Health & Environment Working Group
Lars Kindervater
Chair Health & Environment Working Group Senior Manager Public Affairs, Deutsche Telekom AG, Group Headquarters
Lars Kindervater joined in August 2008 Deutsche Telekom Group Headquarters' Public & Regulatory Affairs department where he works on public and regulatory issues in a national and international context. He coordinates Deutsche Telekom's consumer-related topics such as universal service, health & EMF, consumer rights and child safety.
Before joining this position Lars Kindervater worked five years for Deutsche Telekom’s international mobile unit T-Mobile on similar subjects and two years for T-Mobile Germany.Previously Lars Kindervater was in charge of the parliamentary office of a German Member of Parliament for nearly five years on a part-time basis.
Lars Kindervater has been deeply involved in his company’s child safety activities in Germany but also internationally. Among other, he led on behalf of Deutsche Telekom the negotiations on the European Safer Mobile Framework (2007), the global Mobile Alliance against Child Sexual Abuse (2008) and TeachToday.eu (2008).
Lars graduated (Master of Arts) in Political Science, International Law and Modern History at the University of Bonn. Furthermore he holds a Master of European Studies of the Centre for European Integration Studies (ZEI). He is fluent in English and German.
Lars-Eric Larsson
Vice Chair Health & Environment Working Group
Lars-Eric Larsson is working at TeliaSonera as EMF Manager dealing with EMF (electromagnetic fields) issues in Sweden and other Nordic and Baltic countries. Lars-Eric has been involved in mobile communications for more than 15 years within Telia, mostly in different EMF, Quality, Environmental and Health and Safety positions. Earlier he worked in the military defence department in Sweden.
He is Vice Chair of GSM A Europe Health & Environment Working Group (H&E), Vice Chair of the GSM A EMF Expert Panel (EEP) and a member of GSM A Health WG. Lars-Eric is a member of the Bioelectromagnetics Society.
He is an industrial health and safety engineer with a degree from University in Umeå, Sweden.
Inigo Wilson
Vice Chair Health & Environment Working Group
Inigo Wilson joined the Orange France Telecom Regulatory Team in 2007 and has helped devise company positions on topics including child internet safety, consumer privacy and data retention. Prior to this he managed Orange UK’s network public liaison team and devised the company’s public literature and website on EMF matters. At the same time, he introduced the company’s first dedicated child internet and handset safety communication materials. He worked previously for the UK Environment Agency.
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