Diana Gibson was appointed Minister of Citizens’ Services in July 2025. First elected as MLA in Oak Bay in 2024, Diana has also served as minister of jobs, economic development and innovation.

Diana spent years working with communities to help them develop and access the services they need. As Executive Director of the Greater Victoria Community Social Planning Council, she founded multiple regional services and programs.   She is also a successful entrepreneur and CEO who co-founded multiple businesses. Prior to that, she directed a university research institute focusing on social policy where she wrote a best-selling book on health care and built green-jobs strategies.

               Key Note Speaker

Nirmala Naidoo is an veteran award-winning television anchor, journalist and communications expert. She has worked for CTV’s W5, NBC London, Christian Science Monitor Television (London), Visnews London, Middle East Broadcasting (London) and was the evening news anchor for Global Calgary and CBC Calgary. She is an outspoken advocate and keynote speaker for human rights issues, fighting for the rights of minorities, immigrants, victims of bullying, and those who are marginalized or powerless.

Nirmala is also a champion of environmental sustainability and worked as a senior manager for the Alberta Climate Change Office and Executive Director for Green Calgary. She is also a former Keynote Speaker for Enbridge’s Famous Five, made Calgary’s Top 40 Under 40 list twice, is named one of the 150 Women Who Shaped Alberta, and was on the cover of TIME Magazine.

                 Network BC Update

Dillon works across provincial ministries, Crown corporations, and third‑party infrastructure owners to remove permitting and policy barriers, helping service providers navigate regulatory and First Nations consultation requirements. Beyond individual projects, his work focuses on building durable tools, processes, and policy frameworks that reduce cost and timelines for future connectivity builds, creating lasting benefits for rural and Indigenous communities across British Columbia.

Michael is a seasoned technology leader with over 25 years of experience in IT, large technology infrastructure programs, and telecommunications in both private and public sector organizations, including a province wide public safety communications network and the Alberta SuperNet.

After holding several senior roles with Group Telecom, Bell and with Calgary olice, Mike joined the BC Public Services as Senior Director of onnectivity Initiatives in August of 2023. He has been a member of several provincial and national level committees and boards relating to telecommunications for first responders and mission critical services.

                TELUS

Osman Naeem is the Director of Technology Strategy at TELUS, where he plays a pivotal role in shaping the future of Canadian connectivity. With extensive leadership experience in telecommunications, Osman oversees the strategic evolution and deployment of 5G Radio Access Networks (RAN) and the integration of next-generation wireless solutions. His work is central to TELUS’s mission of delivering world-class connectivity, focusing on the complex engineering and strategic planning required to maintain a robust, high-performing network that supports millions of users and businesses across the country. 
 
A forward-thinking technologist, Osman is a strong proponent of leveraging Artificial Intelligence to drive network automation and enhance rollout efficiencies. By integrating AI-driven insights into operational workflows, he has pioneered methods to optimize performance and streamline the deployment of complex wireless services. Beyond his professional achievements, Osman is deeply committed to community service and the philosophy of giving back. He is currently the Chair of the board at SHARE Society, where he contributes his energy to supporting essential family and community services, reflecting his belief that true leadership extends far beyond the corporate boardroom.   

              Tacit Law

Drawing on over 41 years of technical, business and legal experience, Chris is the founder of
Tacit Law, a boutique law firm that provides a broad range of legal and consulting services to
clients in the information technology, communications, regulated industries, and broader
commercial and not-for profit sectors.

In addition to providing traditional legal services, Chris assists clients with strategic planning,
governance, risk management, business reviews, commercial transactions, as well as corporate
and regulatory compliance. He is also very involved in Internet governance through various
volunteer activities.

                Minto Communications Society 

Robert (Bob) Calbick, is a Commerce graduate of the University of British Columbia and a CPA, CA, with over 30 years financial management experience in the telecom industry. He is currently a Director of Minto Communications Society, a small non-profit ISP serving the Upper Bridge River valley of British Columbia and has recently guided Minto through an extensive modernization and upgrade of it fixed wireless network.

As a Director of the sole terrestrial broadband provider servicing the Upper Bridge River valley, Bob, along with the other Minto Communications Society Directors, is actively engaged in ensuring Minto’s ongoing sustainability in continuing to provide broadband services to the community in the future. He is actively involved in setting the society’s future technology direction and investments, and managing the issues of transitioning through current business, regulatory, and funding issues arising from the regulatory radio spectrum environment.

              Lyttonnet  

Daniel Mundall is a Professional Engineer and rural connectivity advocate serving as the Executive Director of Lyttonnet, a non-profit community internet service provider based in Lytton, British Columbia.He is best known for his leadership in maintaining and rebuilding critical telecommunications infrastructure in the Fraser Canyon. Following the catastrophic 2021 Lytton wildfire, Mundall spearheaded the recovery of Lyttonnet’s fibre-optic network, working to ensure the community remained connected during its most difficult period and positioning the village for a future as a "smart" rural hub.

                 Arcadis

Keith is an experienced Director and Practice Lead with a demonstrated history of working on the development of Smart Cities, municipal telecommunications network development to underserved areas, and open-access network models. He is a strong information communication technology executive leader, skilled in Professional Services, Data Center, Product Development, Contact Centers, Management, and Telecommunications infrastructure. 

Keith has successfully led multidisciplinary teams through the end-to-end delivery of complex projects, consistently driving innovation and operational excellence. He is recognized for his strategic vision and ability to build collaborative partnerships with public and private sector stakeholders, ensuring alignment with clients’ long-term digital transformation goals.

              Plenary Americas

Scott Jamieson is a telecommunications executive with over 25 years of experience in fiber engineering and operations. As Vice President, Fiber Broadband Projects at Plenary Americas and General Manager of PBI Fiber, he leads the development of major middle-mile networks, including projects for the Pennsylvania Turnpike and North Carolina DOT.

In addition to his leadership at Plenary, Scott has served as Board Chair of VANIX since 2015 and heads Jamieson Design, a strategic infrastructure consultancy. His career includes senior roles at FOCUS Communications and Quanta Telecom, with deep expertise in commercializing fiber assets for hyperscalers and national carriers.

               Lite Access Technologies

Scott has been in the telecom business for over 20 years. In his role, Scott promotes the benefits of alternate fibre deployment techniques to government, carriers and ISPs around the world. 

Having done business in over 25 countries, Scott is actively involved with MISA and other organizations helping Canadian municipalities build their fibre networks faster, more economically and with minimal disruption to the community.

             BCIT

Rick Davidson is an instructor in Wireless Technologies at BCIT, where he teaches the design and deployment of modern wireless communication systems. With extensive industry experience, he brings practical, hands-on knowledge to preparing the next generation of telecom professionals

             Solimedia

Nader Ghafari Kashani graduated from university of Birmingham (UK) in electronic engineering. He then went on to receive his Master of Science degree in computing system design from Cranfield university (UK). During his MSc project he was part of the team implementing Cambridge ring local area network (1st of it’s kind) at Cambridge University. 
He worked with Ericsson Business communication in Middle East after which he moved to South East Asia & was a consultant with Northern Telecom for implementation of GSM1900 cellular network in Singapore.  

He then founded Soliton Networks Technology in Asia designing & implementing fiber networks for service providers with equipment from Photonic Bridges until the company was sold to Siemens Nokia.  The other companies he founded have been distributors for Mikrotik since year 2000.  

Since his move back to Canada in 2011 he has designed & implemented numerous fiber as well as wireless networks across Canada; delivering Internet services to underserved & hard to reach communities & organisations. 

            FibreOne

Martin Stimpson is a telecommunications professional based in the Greater Vancouver Area, serving as Partner and Regional Sales Manager for Western Canada at Sales Outsource Solutions, representing F1breONE. He specializes in supporting the development and deployment of fibre optic networks, with a focus on FTTH expansion and rural broadband initiatives. 

Martin became a minority stakeholder in the company in 2021 and holds certifications from the Canadian Professional Sales Association in Sales Management and Negotiating Strategies, as well as a Lean Yellow Belt. He is a graduate of the University of British Columbia and has been actively involved in his community as a volunteer youth soccer coach. 

                 Arista

John is a seasoned 30 year veteran of the Communications Networking Industry having worked in roles of Telecom Services, Customer Support, Sales Engineering, and Technical Leadership.

 He brings a diverse set of knowledge based in Telco, Optical, Routing, Data Centre, Cloud, and NetDevOps Automation and has spent time at vendor IT startups, as well as former Juniper Networks.  John is presently an SE and SE Manager with Arista Networks in Western Canada.     

           Telesat

Serge Mushinzimana is a Senior Account Executive at Telesat, where he leads strategic engagements with telcos, carriers and enterprise clients across Canada, advising on the integration of satellite connectivity into terrestrial networks. Focusing on the Telesat Lightspeed Low Earth Orbit (LEO) constellation, he works with telcos and carriers to develop use cases, enable hybrid network architectures, and unlock new revenue opportunities in rural, remote, and enterprise environments.

His work includes advising on backhaul modernization, network resiliency, and the enablement of services such as private LTE/5G, positioning satellite as a complement to existing infrastructure. Prior to joining Telesat, Serge served as Senior Advisor,

Partnerships at the University of Ottawa, where he led the development of strategic collaborations with various institutions. Serge brings over a decade of experience working with stakeholders across telecommunications sectors. He holds an Executive MBA and a Master’s degree in Communications Management.

               Preseem

As Senior Product Manager, Jeremy is responsible for product direction in analytics with an emphasis on Fixed Wireless at Preseem.  
 
Based in Alaska, Jeremy brings over 20 years of product development and ISP/telecom/WISP network design and engineering experience to the position, including a recent role at Alaska Communications as Senior IP Network Systems Engineer. 

              Industry Science and Economic Development                      

Chantal Davis is the Senior Director of Regulatory Policy at Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada (ISED), where she oversees spectrum use and auction policies. With over 20 years at the department, her expertise spans domestic and international spectrum planning, engineering standards, and mobile communications. She holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Electrical Engineering from the University of Ottawa.

              ABC Internet

Bob Allen is the President of ABC Internet and the current President of the BC Broadband Association. Bob began his career in the telecom industry with the opening of the office telecom equipment monopoly in 1986. In 1989 he founded ABC Communications which grew to be one of the largest providers of rural broadband service in British Columbia.

His new corporate venture, ABC Internet, operates as a rural wireless Internet provider as well as providing LTE Packet Core Services and related design and consulting for regional ISPs.

               Tivo Canada

Stéphan Côté leads TiVo’s operations and commercial strategy in Canada, focusing on the expansion of next-generation IPTV solutions for service providers across the country. With more than 16 years at TiVo and its parent company, Xperi, he has held a range of roles spanning IP and metadata licensing, the reseller program, and global account management.  

Four years ago, Stéphan assumed responsibility for Pay TV sales in Canada during a pivotal period as TiVo transitioned operators from legacy iGuide and Passport TV platforms to modern IPTV deployments. Following Xperi’s acquisition of MobiTV—now operating as TiVo Managed IPTV Service—he led initiatives to build the partner ecosystem required to deploy the platform with independent ISPs and small-to-mid-sized Canadian BDUs. 

Working closely with operators, device manufacturers, and key partners including Mitchell Seaforth Cable TV, Stéphan helped drive the commercial launch of TiVo Managed IPTV Service in 2025. That initial deployment established the foundation for multiple subsequent launches, accelerating the adoption of TiVo’s IPTV platform among independent broadband providers across Canada. 

               Trispec Communications

Ken Trudel is a veteran of the communications industry with over 30 years of experience in customer service, sales management, and technical advisory roles. Currently serving as an Account Executive for Trispec Communications in Western Canada, he leverages a deep technical background to provide clients with strategic solutions in broadband, wireless, and wired technologies— including LTE, Fiber-to-the-Home, and microwave backhaul.

               Oldcastle Infrastructure 

Peter Kocsis is a seasoned telecommunications leader with over 30 years of experience driving growth, building strategic partnerships, and delivering broadband solutions across Canada’s telecom landscape.His extensive field background includes serving as a national trainer for air‑blown fiber jetting and providing consultative sales support, consistently delivering high‑quality solutions with a focus on operational excellence. 

As Canadian Commercial Director at Oldcastle Infrastructure, Peter leads a national sales team responsible for both OSP infrastructure solutions and In‑Premise connectivity offerings. He supports Tier 1 and Tier 2 carriers across the country and manages key strategic relationships with major distribution partners.  With deep expertise in broadband fiber networks and a long track record of trusted collaboration, Peter is recognized as a valued advisor to Canada’s top carriers. 

               Tacit Law

Brenda is a professional engineer with 26 years' experience in the telecommunications industry. Brenda has designed fixed and mobile networks across Canada and internationally, for large carriers and small operators. She has extensive knowledge of telecommunications network design and the business challenges facing network operators. She is also well-versed in economics and its application to the telecommunications industry.

Brenda authors submissions to ISED consultations and CRTC proceedings related totelecommunications policy, spectrum policy, spectrum auctions, wholesale access, funding programs, and digital connectivity, and works with clients to develop and refine positions, and present their position effectively to regulators.

She also helps clients prepare funding applications for broadband, wireless and other telecommunications infrastructure expansions, and also assists them in developing strategies and tactics related to the acquisition of spectrum, including by way of spectrum auctions.Brenda holds an undergraduate Electrical Engineering degree and a Master of Arts in Economics.