Board
Michael Stocks – Chief Executive Officer
Michael has enjoyed executive, non-executive and advisory roles in a diverse range of organizations, from start-ups to large international groups.
Michael is a former Chairman of the GSM Association, the global trade and standards group for the wireless industry. Here he introduced a strong commercial vision, driving significant organizational and industry change. As an industry leader and spokesperson he worked to safeguard and expand the development of mobile standards and services at a global level.
Michael’s international activities were underpinned by a career at mobile carrier MTN. This began in 1993 with participation in the start-up team that won the license and launched the South African operation, and continued through the expansion into the African continent. His roles included Head Legal Counsel, with five years on the Group’s executive board.
Erich Paulini – Chief Operating Officer
Erich built a strong reputation in network engineering with a focus on planning, optimization and network performance with Alcatel and later with Nokia Networks. To this end Erich managed network engineering projects in Malaysia, Philippines and Sri Lanka.
Subsequently, Erich built his experience in marketing and sales by taking on roles in Asia Pacific Radio Access System Marketing, Value Based Marketing and finally Senior Account Management with Nokia Networks.
Erich then became co-founder of Intex Systems Pte Ltd, a Singapore based distributor of telecommunications network equipment. Here, Erich distributed IP based GSM solutions to operators in the Asia Pacific region.
Ross Macdonald - Non-executive Director
Ross has enjoyed an exceptional career as a CEO and international business developer, and benefits also from a breadth of functional experience including finance and product marketing.
Ross is CEO of United Kingdom based software security company, Palmtree Technology and director of Convergenet Limited in South Africa.
Ross formed part of the start-up team that launched MTN in South Africa in 1994. As a member of the Group’s executive board, he assumed responsibility for international business development, leading the formation and management of numerous consortia to successfully acquire mobile licenses in new geographies.
Julian Keeley - Non-executive Director
Julian has more than twenty-five years experience in telecommunications, including both fixed and mobile networks.
With a background in products and services, Julian has held a number of senior commercial roles in multinational organisations at VP level, most recently at O2 in the United Kingdom. There the scope of his activities encompassed a broad portfolio including international traffic, call termination, roaming, regulation and new services.
Julian has played a pivotal role in a number of international initiatives, including the introduction of inter-standard roaming between Europe and North America. His international experience includes his elected leadership of the European mobile operators in the GSM Association.
Bo Ilsoe – Non-executive Director
Bo is currently Managing Partner at Nokia Growth Partners. He has more than two decades of experience in sales and marketing, venture capital, investment management, fundraising as well as organizational and strategic development. Having lived and worked in six countries he has a global view of business.
Prior to Nokia Growth Partners, Bo was an Investment Director with Vertex Management (UK) based in London. During this period he served on the boards of numerous portfolio companies. He also negotiated a management deal and ran a portfolio of 13 companies for a large German bank as well as serving as CEO for a joint venture management company.
Before joining Vertex Management, Bo spent 12 years with Nokia. During this time he was instrumental in negotiating and closing numerous GSM system supply contracts in Asia. He also worked with the board of Nokia and Nokia Networks on a variety of strategic plans and initiatives.