Omar AlSharad
Omar AlSharad is a network engineer at Zain responsible for the performance optimization of Zain’s core network. Before joining Zain, Omar worked as a Radio Access Network engineer at Qualcomm in San Diego, California. Omar holds a Bachelor’s degree in computer engineering and a Master’s degree in electrical engineering from San Diego State University. Omar’s main focus is network programmability and automation, and he holds a CCDevE certificate.
Rishad Karkala
Rishad Karkala has 18 years of extensive multi-vendor experience in the ICT field of engineering. A versatile and passionate Senior Technical Consultant with demonstrated success in wireless, fixed and customer experience management (CEM) domains along with in-depth expertise in radio network planning and optimization. Track record for diagnosing complex problems and consistently delivering effective solutions.
Amreesh Phokeer
Dr. Amreesh Phokeer works as an Internet Measurement and Data Expert at the Internet Society. He is focused on efforts around Internet measurement, Internet shutdowns, and understanding market trends that impact the growth of the Internet across the globe. Prior to joining ISOC, Amreesh was a Research Manager at the African Network Information Center – AFRINIC, where he spearheaded the organisation’s research activities in the areas of Internet security and Internet measurements – with a focus on African networks. Amreesh holds a PhD in Computer Science from the University of Cape Town, South Africa.
Bernd Spiess
Bernd Spiess works as a Senior Peering Manager & Consultant for DE-CIX as part of the Consultancy Team and does help/consult network operators with their peering doing and network strategy in general. He is currently working with peering managers of all DE-CIX IXPs, UAE-IX, as well as being part of the international consultancy team of DE-CIX. Bernd was former the CTO of an ISP/Carrier for more than 20 years and has experience with operating large IP networks and the doing with peering/transit in that area.
Hanna Kreitem
Hanna joined with the Internet community in the Middle East and North Africa following a long journey of active promotion of the Internet and digital rights at the regional and international levels.
An experienced trainer designing and delivering training for over 15 years in regions from Asia to North America, with a special focus on the Middle East. Hanna is driven by a belief in the need of a usable, meaningful, and open Internet as a tool for social change towards a universe of people with equal opportunities to all. This belief led him to years of working and participating in multiple Internet forums and to take part in projects to enhance Internet access, including establishing Palestine Internet Exchange Point.
Massimiliano Stucchi
Massimiliano “Max” Stucchi runs Glevia GmbH, an organisation providing training and consulting related to networking. In his spare time, he also runs AS58280 as a hobby ASN, and participates in both the CH-IX and IXP.ge NOCs.
In the past, he founded an ISP and WISP in Italy, worked at the RIPE NCC as a trainer, subsequently as the IPv6 Programme Manager and then at the Internet Society. He is involved in a number of programme committees including RIPE, Euro-IX and a handful of NOGs. He is based in Zurich, Switzerland.
Clarence Filsfils
Clarence is Cisco Systems Fellow, has a 30-year expertise leading innovation, productisation, marketing and deployment for Cisco Systems.Trusted and respected by key decision makers across major WEB/OTT, SP’s and large Enterprises, Clarence enjoys working with these operators to listen to their needs and requirements, and then get things done from product design to deployment.
He invented the Segment Routing Technology (over 60 patents and 25 RFC’s) and is leading its productisation, marketing and deployment at record execution speed. For this contribution, he and his team received the Pioneer Award – Cisco’s most prestigious award honoring innovative engineering. The award celebrates engineering contribution that brings growth in new markets, redefines current markets, and provides game-changing improvements to engineering productivity.
Previously, Clarence invented and led the Fast-Routing Convergence Technology (over 30 patents) and was the lead designer for Cisco System’s QoS (20 patents) and large-scale IP/MPLS deployments.
Clarence is a regular speaker at leading industry conferences. He holds 250 patents and is a prolific writer, either in academic circle (Sigcomm 2015), or standard (40 RFC’s) or books (Segment Routing).
Clarence holds a PhD in Engineering Science, a Masters of Management from Solvay Business School and a Masters of Engineering in Computer Science from the University of Liege.
Ahmed Abdelsalam
Ahmed Abdelsalam is Engineering Technical Leader at Cisco. He is part of the Segment Routing architecture team.
He holds several patents and co-authored several IETF drafts and research articles.
Ahmed has a Ph.D. degree in computer science from Gran Sasso Science Institute (GSSI) in Italy.
Doug Madory
Doug Madory is the Director of Internet Analysis for Kentik where he works on Internet infrastructure analysis. The Washington Post dubbed him “The Man who can see the Internet” for his reputation in identifying significant developments in the structure of the Internet. Doug is regularly quoted by major news outlets about developments ranging from national blackouts to BGP hijacks to the activation of submarine cables. Prior to Kentik, he was the lead analyst for Oracle’s Internet Intelligence team (formerly Dyn Research and Renesys).
Kevin Meynell
Kevin Meynell is the Community Engagement Manager at the SCION Association where he supports the SCION technical community and standardisation efforts. He previously led the MANRS programme that promoted the implementation of better routing security practices on the Internet, led the Deploy360 programme to encourage IPv6 and DNS security deployment, and worked on South-East Europe and Central Asia IXP development.
Prior to that he was the Training Manager at APNIC, Manager of the Shibboleth Consortium, and spent 16 years as a Project Development Officer at TERENA (now the GÉANT Association). This included working on IPv6 deployment, eduroam, the Global Lambda Interconnect Facility, the European R&E PKI Service and TF-CSIRT, as well as NREN Development Support in Eastern and Southern Europe, Central Asia, and the Middle East.
Kevin is also a member of the APRICOT Programme Committee, and previously served on the CAPIF, ENOG, TNC and APAN Programme Committees.
Jan Žorž
Jan Žorž is a VP of 6connect Labs, working on the development of various protocols and network solutions to accelerate the global deployment of IPv6.
Active in the RIPE community as a RIPE PC member, Jan is also SEE RIPE regional meeting chairman and a founder and a chair of SINOG, the Slovenian Network Operators Group. Author of several IETF RFCs and one of the founders and members of the board of GNA (Global NOG Alliance). Jan is also active in its “Keep Ukraine Connected” initiative.
Previously worked with the Internet Society and served as a CEO of Go6 Institute Slovenia. Jan is based in Slovenia, EU.
Yazid AKANHO
Yazid AKANHO is a Technical Engagement Manager at ICANN. His main role is to support ICANN org’s technical engagement efforts (training, promoting standards and best practices, and research) in Africa and Middle East.
Yazid holds a Master degree in Telecommunication and previously worked at Benin Telecoms and MTN at several roles and responsibilities. As a previous ICANN community member, Yazid has been an active Internet evangelist within the Internet community in his country and Africa where he has contributed to various initiatives to promote ICT and Internet such as: Barcamp Benin, Benin DNS Forum, AFRINIC research fellow, contributor to draft the ICANN Africa Regional Plan 2021-2025, Universal Acceptance ambassador, NCUC/NCSG, and few others. Yazid is also a member of the Root Server System Advisory Committee (RSSAC) Caucus.
Marco Brandstaetter
Marco Brandstaetter works as Regional Director for DE-CIX and is responsible for Middle East and South Asia. His current focus is on developing UAE-IX as the first 100 percent neutral IXP in the Middle East and help to develop DE-CIX in India.
Coming from a software development background, Marco founded HAPPYsoft, a software development company, in 1992, and HAPPYnet, one of the first ISPs in Austria, in 1995. In 2003, Marco founded i3b and from that time on he focused on the field of telecom wholesale. After driving forward i3b’s internationalisation as wholesale partner for last mile and MPLS connections and finally selling IP transit, the company was sold to its biggest wholesale customer (2010) and ever since Marco worked as independent consultant in the telecom industry.
Khalid Samara
Khalid Samara, a seasoned telecommunications and internet technology visionary, currently chairs the Middle East Network Operators Group PC (MENOG). This international forum is dedicated to advancing knowledge and promoting best practices within the internet community.
With nearly two decades of hands-on experience, Khalid possesses a deep understanding of operational, internet, mobile, engineering, and security technologies. His practical expertise encompasses network planning, network operations management, security, and telecommunications policy development.
Since 2005, Khalid has served as a renowned Consulting Telecommunications IP and Security Consultant, collaborating extensively with numerous telecommunications and ISP operators across the region. His extensive experience, coupled with several relevant certifications, makes him a valuable asset to the industry. Currently, he is leveraging his expertise to contribute to Arbor Networks’ mission of protecting critical infrastructure and ensuring network resilience.
Nishal Goburdhan
Nishal is an Internet Analyst at Packet Clearing House (PCH), a non-profit that exists primarily to build and support IXPs, and which has done so more than two hundred times over the past twenty years.
Nishal is also ISPA’s country manager for the Internet Exchange Points (INXes) for South Africa. Both from a technical and policy background, Nishal has been involved in developing interconnections and Internet Exchange Points in many countries, and now adds those many years of experience to Africa’s largest peering points.
He’s been CTO, and Senior Project Manager: Global Infrastructure, for AfriNIC, the Regional Internet Registry for Africa, and has worked in several roles at Internet Solutions, South Africa’s largest corporate ISP, growing their infrastructure to a multinational service provider, operating across 4 continents during his 12 year stint there.
Nishal is passionate about transferring knowledge to developing countries. He is a volunteer instructor for the African Network Operators Group (AfNOG), and a IEEE member.