Humans of Telecom

"I don't believe in the term 'work-life balance', for me it is all LIFE... No matter what you do, if you do it with passion, you ultimately achieve success!" Lilia Yeghiazaryan, Co-Founder & CEO at Dexatel in conversation with Anurag Aggarwal, Chief Revenue Officer (Enterprise) at GMS.

In this episode, Lilia walks us through her journey which started with a job in finance domain in Armenia all the way to becoming a flourishing CPaaS leader based in Estonia now. We also witness her never-say-die attitude that has earned her a position amongst the most influential women in business in Europe, winning her the Gold Globee Award for being the Female Executive of the Year as well as the Stevie Women in Business Award in 2021. And finally, Lilia walks us through other facets of her life which include her professional musical education in playing the piano (that was a serious career option for her!) as well as her love for skiing, yoga and meditation which help her focus on the positives of life!

"One of my biggest learnings in life... Take care of your people and let the people take care of the business!" Budi Purba, Chief Executive Officer at TELIN in conversation with Anurag Aggarwal, Chief Revenue Officer (Enterprise) at GMS.

In this episode, we feature one of the most respected and loved CEOs within our telecom fraternity! Pak Budi shares about his humble beginnings of growing up in a small village in North Sumatra, walking 5 km every day to get to school and, finally, receiving a scholarship from the Telkom group for higher studies in Australia. A truly versatile personality, Pak Budi is the quintessential 'lifelong learner' who lives his passions of being a singer, guitarist, dancer and even a soccer player! While he claims to be an introvert and sometimes gets nervous about speaking in public, Pak Budi's never-say-die attitude has made him an extremely inspirational leader for his team and all those who get an opportunity to cross paths with him!

"I call telecom the 'Club of Lost Souls' because we have such fabulous people in this industry who come from different walks of life and have such varied interests!" Gagun Gahir, Head of Enterprise Sales (Europe) at Telstra in conversation with Anurag Aggarwal, Chief Revenue Officer (Enterprise) at GMS.

In this episode, Gagun walks us through her rich African-Indian heritage, her early ambitions of becoming a journalist or a lawyer, and how her journey in the world of telecom has now spanned three continents! She gives us an inside preview into the passions that drive her life, why her friends call her a 'jukebox', her undying love for Shakespeare's works and her fondness for all forms of food, wine and champagne! She also throws light on her work in the area of encephalitis after a personal incident with a close family member and, finally, shares a story about her near-miss incident of winning a multi-million lottery!

"My childhood entailed growing in a post civil-war era in Lebanon with no cellular network... That enticed me into the world of telecom!" Tony Jamous, Co-Founder and CEO at Oyster in conversation with Anurag Aggarwal, Chief Growth Officer at Globe Teleservices.

In this episode, Tony walks us through his journey which started in Lebanon all the way upto Cyprus now, creating ripples in the telecom and CPaaS industry with Nexmo and now shifting focus towards creating a global talent pool via Oyster, which he strongly believes is the future competitive edge for every organization! He also shares glimpses of his tryst with playing the guitar, raising three amazing children and celebrating two birthdays every year with an open invitation to all listeners to join the celebrations in Cyprus!

"I’m passionate about marketing and building brave brands - more than a 9-5 job, it’s also an avenue to express my creativity and create business impact!" Gwen Lafage, Vice President Marketing, Global Brand and Content at Sinch in conversation with Anurag Aggarwal, Chief Growth Officer at Globe Teleservices.

In this episode, Gwen walks us through her journey and experience of entering the world of CPaaS. A die-hard marketing aficionado, Gwen is originally from Paris, but worked all over the world, even owned an art gallery in San Francisco and is now settled in Atlanta. Beyond her profession, Gwen talks about her love for her plants, playing board games with her son and eating half a bar of dark chocolate every day!

"I never thought this could happen with me... But I now live my second life to the fullest!" In observance of Breast Cancer Awareness Month, Humans of Telecom presents the story of Pinder Takhar, Director Product Marketing at Kaleyra in conversation with Anurag Aggarwal, Chief Growth Officer at Globe Teleservices.

In this episode, Pinder acts as a beacon of positivity as she walks us through the highs and lows of her life and her recent victory over breast cancer, the drama that entails in growing up in UK with a family having roots in India, her passion for new experiences such as community choir singing and Tai Chi Gong and, finally, her reflections on two decades in the telecom industry which has included witnessing multiple rounds of acquisitions and change of guards by industry heavyweights such as Sinch, Kaleyra and Tata Communications!

"Life is all about passion... Whether it is in sports or education, what matters to me is the legacy I leave behind for future generations!" Pablo Mlikota, Senior Vice President International Mobility at Etisalat UAE in conversation with Anurag Aggarwal, Chief Growth Officer at Globe Teleservices.

In this episode, we uncover the various facets of Pablo (way too many to uncover in a single episode)! He is a professional martial artist who nearly made it to the Olympics, a professional goalkeeper in his youth, a motorcycle enthusiast, a private pilot (with a dream to fly his family around the US country-side) and even a radio show host! While he was born in a small town in Argentina with a family background in the agriculture industry, he chose to pave his own path by entering in the telecom space in the coveted AT&T Young Professional Leadership Programme and has now become a global citizen!

"It has been nearly two decades at Telenor Linx for me and this telecom community is now more than a family!" Maria Öbrink, Head of Sales at Telenor Linx in conversation with Anurag Aggarwal, Chief Growth Officer at Globe Teleservices. In this episode, Maria joins us from the Nordic lands of Stockholm and walks us through her journey of transitioning from a drab job of selling Yellow Pages to entering our industry through IDT. Destiny had telecom written in her fate when she branched into a mundane life of renting storage space after being laid off Carrier1 but unexpectedly got invited to join Deutsche Telekom within an hour after quitting her job! Maria reveals how her personal life revolves around constantly maintaining the right 'tone of voice' and body language after her mother suffered a stroke and her daughter deals with an intellectual functional disorder. And finally, she talks about blowing off steam through her passion for fitness, listening to podcasts and being the undefeated arm wrestler ever since elementary school!

"I take immense pride in my rich heritage of descending from the Maasai warriors and Kikuyu people of Kenya!" Wangeci Kanjama, Director Partnerships at M-PESA Africa in conversation with Anurag Aggarwal, Chief Growth Officer at Globe Teleservices. In this episode, Wangeci shares her interests in finance which led to her entry in Safaricom, how she has seen the company, country and continent grow through various events including taking Safaricom public in 2008, helping proliferate accessible internet in Africa through subsea cable connectivity, running the wholesale business unit at Safaricom and driving towards double-digit growth and now creating a One-M-PESA ecosystem across 8 countries in Africa! She also introduces us to her nickname 'Speedy Gonzales', how she gains life lessons while attending funerals and, finally, her experience of ranking as #1 in ROCCO's 2020 report of the most influential persons in the telecom space!

"In my youth, I studied law and dreamt of becoming a judge... but life had other plans!" Uku Tomikas, CEO & Managing Partner at Messente Communications, in conversation with Anurag Aggarwal, Chief Growth Officer at Globe Teleservices. In this episode, Uku walks us through his diverse and multi-faceted journey entailing starting as a waiter and performer, moving onto becoming a platoon commander in the army, shifting gears into running a seafood business, further becoming a high school gym instructor, and finally entering the world of CPaaS and telecom where he has climbed the ladder to the top through his dedication and hard work! He also shares his stories about his acting stint at the Estonian National Opera as well as his two near-death experiences of drowning and getting hit by a bus!

"At a point in my life, my daily work routine entailed crossing an enclosure of monkeys and working with elephants at a zoo!" Cheryl Ruck, Associate Director at Expand Group, in conversation with Anurag Aggarwal, Chief Growth Officer at Globe Teleservices. In this episode, Cheryl walks us through her experiences of touching lives as a leading telecom recruiter, her marriage to a national sports champion, her telco veteran mother's decade-long journey of teaching children in China and, finally, her mantra of living life with lightness and joy, uplifting others through the infectious smile on her face!

"I'm the son of a psychoanalyst and a psychology teacher... I thrive on every opportunity to interact with people and that's what I love about this industry!" Patrick George, Group Chief Strategy Officer at iBASIS, in conversation with Anurag Aggarwal, Chief Growth Officer at Globe Teleservices. In this episode, Patrick talks about his experience of working with his first boss - a Belgian astronaut who went to space in the space shuttle 'Atlantis', his passion for music and his performance as part of the professional orchestra in a touring opera , how he met his wife during his time at BICS and, finally, about his turning point in life when he joined hands with Alexandre Pébereau to acquire iBASIS from KPN and Altice International Wholesale from Altice Group (all in a matter of four days in 2017!) leading to a journey of 7 acquisitions till date, including the recent addition of DIMOCO Messaging!

"I might appear very strong, independent and business-like in conferences, however, beneath that lies my human side of being a very delicate and sensitive individual!" Sarah Barakat, Deputy Director Operator Partnerships at Monty Mobile, in conversation with Anurag Aggarwal, Chief Growth Officer at Globe Teleservices. In this episode, Sarah walks us through her journey of growing up in a controlled yet pampered environment with four brothers, how life got impacted for her family when the Beirut blast of 2020 took place, her experience of signing her first deal in 2017 and, finally, how she chanced into Monty Mobile through an unexpected encounter and hasn't looked back since!

“Throughout my career journey, I have focused on creating lasting bonds and meaningful connections with friends and colleagues" says Anthony Bartolo, Chief Operating Officer at Bandwidth, in conversation with Anurag Aggarwal, Chief Growth Officer at Globe Teleservices. In this episode, Anthony gives us a glimpse of how his life took many unexpected turns... Whether it was growing up in Australia wondering if he would ever leave his homeland but eventually living the world over, or when he thought he was in his “perfect retirement company” but ended up changing careers and conquering his fear of leaving the 'good for the better'. He also shares his secret for recharging so both his family and work lives stay energized. And finally, Anthony shares his unexpected and jaw-dropping experience of being the “attending physician” at the birth of his daughter – on April Fool's Day no less!

"I believe the essence of humanity lies in spirituality, being grounded and living in the moment!" Sinziana Dulama, Marketing Manager at ZARIOT, in conversation with Anurag Aggarwal, Chief Growth Officer at Globe Teleservices. In this episode, Sinzy walks us through her journey across Romania, UK and Spain, her multi-faceted background of being a Radio Host, an Assistant Producer in a TV Show, an events manager and even a wedding planner! She talks passionately about the experience of releasing the Cellusys Cookbook along with Dawood Ghalaieny, her fear of bicycles as well as her skills in taking off a 2-seater airplane (albeit with limited knowledge of how to make it land)!

"When I'm not around anymore, I'd like the world to remember me for my energy and the inspiration I created through my work... even my failures!" Waheed Adam, Executive Chairperson at iTouch and Global Board Member at Mobile Ecosystem Forum, in conversation with Anurag Aggarwal, Chief Growth Officer at Globe Teleservices. In this episode, Waheed walks us through his multi-cultural ethnic mix, his accidental entrepreneurial journey into telecom, his zest for dancing and living life to the fullest and, finally, how his daughter keeps him wrapped around her little finger!

"I have once convinced a mugger to return my purse... THAT is the power of words!" Annabel Helm, Managing Director at ITW Global Leaders' Forum and BroadGroup, in conversation with Anurag Aggarwal, Chief Growth Officer at Globe Teleservices. In this episode, Annabel walks us through her diverse origins and personal events that have 'matured' her over the years, her professional journey and a tryst with the Imposter Syndrome, her tireless love for literature, her experience of hobnobbing with the who's who of the telecom world and, finally, even about her illegal trespass into Brazil! (PS: Statute of Limitations applies! 😉)

"While I've made my impact and contribution in the telecom space, I now aspire to continue the legacy of my parents to bring a smile on the faces of special people around me!" Obaid Rahman, Head of Wholesale at Axiata Group, in conversation with Anurag Aggarwal, Chief Growth Officer at Globe Teleservices. In this episode, Obaid opens up about his journey spanning across four continents, the challenges he faced throughout, interesting experiences including an incident of being mistakenly held at gunpoint by cops in San Francisco and - most importantly - his passion for racing and cigars!

PS: He also reveals the existence of a 'Clandestine Cigar Club' within the telecom industry, and how other aficionados can join the group!

"Having battled and successfully won over a life-threatening cancer, I now dedicate my professional journey to enriching the lives of all others around me!" Reuma Halal Shibi, Founder and CEO at Pair Recruitment, in conversation with Anurag Aggarwal, Chief Growth Officer at Globe Teleservices. In this episode, Reuma talks about her second life and how she lives it to the fullest... Whether it is being "the queen of the snappers", sharpening her golf skills or simply being the mom to a Formula 2 driver, Reuma does it all!

"This is yet another new beginning for Kaleyra in a constantly evolving world!" Dario Calogero, Founder and CEO at Kaleyra, in conversation with Anurag Aggarwal, Chief Growth Officer at Globe Teleservices. In this episode, Dario shares his emotions after the recently announced acquisition of Kaleyra by Tata Communications, his passion for sailing, his love for cycling and his zest for entrepreneurship!

"When I sold my first entrepreneurial venture, it was a life-changing experience at many levels... Amongst other things, my wife Bruna publicly congratulated me on LinkedIn for the first time! While the world has changed a lot in the last two decades, and it's easier now to be from the LGBTQIA+ community, there are still many challenges to conquer and mindsets to evolve!" As the world witnesses yet another successful and amazing Pride month across the globe, Stephanie Fleury, Entrepreneur and Diversity Advocate and Bruna Infurna, Head of Global Strategic Accounts Latin America at LinkedIn get into conversation with Anurag Aggarwal, Chief Growth Officer at Globe Teleservices. In this episode, Stephanie and Bruna delve into their journey of self-discovery, the trials they faced, and the triumphs they have celebrated together! They highlight a few of the many initiatives they're undertaking in their respective fields to further the inclusiveness movement and also talk about their other first-love... Italy!"

"Embarking on an entrepreneurial journey with my dear friend Giovanni Benini has helped me achieve a sense of satisfaction and immense freedom!" José García, CEO at Global Telco Consult (GTC), in conversation with Anurag Aggarwal, Chief Growth Officer at Globe Teleservices. In this episode, José talks about how he started his messaging career with Tyntec and kickstarted his own venture when he saw a clear unserviced demand in the CPaaS market, his experience of sharing beers with an Oscar winner, and also his childhood escapades of lizard hunting!

"I have been held at gunpoint whilst in a taxi in London!" Sarah Keller, Chief Global Enterprise Officer at Global Message Services, in conversation with Anurag Aggarwal, Chief Growth Officer at Globe Teleservices. In this episode, Sarah gets into her fun element and walks us through her journey of difficult bosses, the art of fencing, dealing with the Imposter Syndrome, and even her experience of getting bitten by a poisonous spider in Australia! If her stories leave you wanting for more, and if you're in London this week, you can catch this amazing human at Capacity Media's Messaging & SMS World 2023!

"At one stage in my career, I have seen more of my industry friends around the globe, than my own family...!" Sergio Rodrigues, Commercial Director at Annecto Telecom, in conversation with Anurag Aggarwal, Chief Growth Officer at Globe Teleservices. In this episode, Sergio shares how he was introduced to the world of CPaaS by Kuba Rusztowicz at JT Group Limited, how it's like having a South African mom, Portuguese dad, Swiss grandfather and German tutelage, and how boxing is now helping him tide over his frustrations!

"I have once been detained in Gabon for 15 hours... An Army Officer had to intervene to have me released...!" Nikki Popoola, Sales Director West Africa at WIOCC, in conversation with Anurag Aggarwal, Chief Growth Officer at Globe Teleservices. In this episode, Nikki recounts some of her roller-coaster tales from the African continent, how it feels to emerge victorious in a battle against breast cancer and what it is like being a truly outspoken Nigerian!

"For me, career implies 'LEGACY'... As I leave TELIN and move ahead, I hope that I have left my mark on the business and am remembered for it!" Nicholas Soo, ex-Senior Vice President at TELIN, in conversation with Anurag Aggarwal, Chief Growth Officer at Globe Teleservices. As Nich exits out of TELIN after a stellar stint in the company, he gives us a glimpse of what has been his secret sauce for achieving breakthroughs in his career, how he keeps himself in shape through Pilates and also how he narrowly escaped a bomb blast during one of his official visits abroad!

"Cersei Lannister from Game of Thrones is a powerful character I aspire to emulate!" Luanna Luna, Senior Sales Executive at China Mobile International (UK), in conversation with Anurag Aggarwal, Chief Growth Officer at Globe Teleservices. In this episode Luanna gives us a glimpse of growing up in the exotic and sunny country Brazil, what she finds most exciting about the world of CPaaS and how she creates her meditative space by solving jigsaw puzzles!

"A single hour at an Expo changed my entire life and career trajectory!" Kevin Nethercott, Managing Partner at CPaaS Acceleration Alliance, in conversation with Anurag Aggarwal, Chief Growth Officer at Globe Teleservices. In this episode Kevin walks us through his times in the land of the rising sun Japan, living the life of a COWBOY with his Grandpa at the cattle ranches in Jackson Hole, Wyoming and his philosophy behind creating the CPaaS Acceleration Alliance.

"My childhood ambition was to become a ballerina! I came close enough by becoming a high caliber figure skater!" Isabelle Paradis, Founder and President at HOT TELECOM, in conversation with Anurag Aggarwal, Chief Growth Officer at Globe Teleservices. In this episode Isabelle talks about how she has been a disruptor all her life and pushed boundaries, how she stumbled into telecom via Teleglobe (now Tata Communications) and how life compares between growing up in Montreal and now handling British humor in UK!

"I literally cried when my first potential customer withdrew his order! With creditors on my back, parents unable to understand my career choices and no clear revenue streams in my business, things didn't seem too promising..." Sam Chiwanda, Founder and CEO at Click Mobile, in conversation with Anurag Aggarwal, Chief Growth Officer at Globe Teleservices. In this episode Sam talks about the numerous obstacles he faced to keep his (now ever-growing!) business alive, how David Vigar threw a lifeline by placing an unbelievable massive first-order and how it felt to be amongst the Top 10 ROCCO IOO most influential telecom executives worldwide!"

"Hailing from a small town in India, it is my dream to support underprivileged girls in their quest for education and sustainable careers and (Godwilling!) some day feature in the Forbes 40-under-40 list as well!" Pallavi Kudtarkar, Executive Director at Globe Teleservices, in conversation with Anurag Aggarwal, Chief Growth Officer at Globe Teleservices. This episode brings us the story of an individual who has truly shattered the glass ceiling in every way possible and forged a journey that has left many around her inspired. A tough-yet-emotional Pallavi shares with us how she stumbled into the telecom space through a chance encounter with Ashutosh Agrawal, what does the word 'family' mean to her and how her first-ever flight experience took her directly to the African safari lands of Kenya!

"It's a great feeling when you work on projects that create real human impact, and I've been fortunate to be a part of many such opportunities! I'd love to be remembered as someone who changed something meaningful for people!" David Vigar, VP & GM at TruSense, a Route Mobile Company, in conversation with Anurag Aggarwal, Chief Growth Officer at Globe Teleservices. In this milestone episode, David discusses about how his three key mentors - Ken Bodiley, Phil Holcombe and Richard Woolhouse - have had a significant impact on his life, how his journey of working with flagship brands Tele2, iBasis, Vonage, Google, Twilio and TruSense has panned out over the last two decades and, finally, how's the experience of raising an upcoming professional footballer!

"Beyond being a telecom professional, I am also a successful entrepreneur running a fashion label! My attire in every conference has been completely styled by myself!" During the holy month of Ramadan, Humans of Telecom catches up with Mariam Shaer, Chief Business Officer at Sama Telecom, in conversation with Anurag Aggarwal, Chief Growth Officer at Globe Teleservices. Mariam talks about how life has been as a working mother in the Middle East, how she still manages to see her parents every day and what are her aspirations for Lebanon!

"One of the most touching moments as a family is seeing the human spirit of life come through! At the age of 82, my father fought COVID as well as successfully made a veteran's comeback into cricket!" Simon Nainkin, VP Wholesale Messaging at Clickatell in conversation with Anurag Aggarwal, Chief Growth Officer at Globe Teleservices. Simon talks about how life took him from South Africa to USA, but soon brought him back to home ground, how his wife and daughter have changed his perspective towards life, and how he would liked to be always remembered as Champion Competitor!

"A random guy at a disco in Barcelona mentioned about an engineer requirement in the sole telecom company in my hometown Lleida, and from that point, there's been no looking back for me!" Beatriz García Torre, Chief Interconnection Officer at Lleida.net in conversation with Anurag Aggarwal, Chief Growth Officer at Globe Teleservices. Beatriz talks about the personal challenges that held her back from attending MIT, the crucial role of her husband in her professional success and also provides a sneak-peak into a secret language she speaks!

"I was a trained magician performing for Cellusys in Thailand, when the CEO Dawood Ghalaieny asked me to join the team, and it's been a whirlwind ride since!" Craig Allen, Customer Relationship Manager at Cellusys in conversation with Anurag Aggarwal, Chief Growth Officer at Globe Teleservices. Craig talks about the high-points and low-points of his life, about how he has learnt to embrace his past and also an interesting story about a dare from Fabio Bottan in Valencia!

"Women representation in leadership positions internationally is still abysmally low, there is a need for society to remove their biases and stereotypes towards the female gender and allow women to voice their ideas and opinions without any fear of retribution!" This International Women's Day, Humans of Telecom presents the story of Atim Akeh-Osu, Associate Director, Roaming & Mobility Commercials at Ooredoo Group in conversation with Anurag Aggarwal, Chief Growth Officer at Globe Teleservices. Atim talks about her unexpected entry into the telecom space, her apex moment of being recognized in the ROCCO 100 and how life is shaping up for her after moving from Africa to Middle East.

"I am a proud parent of a child facing Autism Spectrum Disorder and I know there are many such folks out there who could deal with this situation better if we just spoke about it more openly!" Fabio Bottan, Senior Messaging Specialist at Arelion in conversation with Anurag Aggarwal, Chief Growth Officer at Globe Teleservices. Fabio opens up about his beautiful family,  how life took some unexpected turns and the challenges that they have dealt with together, and also about his passion for football, beer and Star Wars!

"The next airstrike from the enemy is expected in half hour after this conversation!" These are the opening words of Alex Lykhochas, Founder and CEO at Adeo Telecom, in conversation with Anurag Aggarwal, Chief Growth Officer at Globe Teleservices. This podcast has been a rather hair-raising experience, as Alex narrates how the history of Ukraine has forever been altered due to an unexpected development just a year ago, how - as a civilian - he never imagined he would be using a gun and how the undeterred spirit of all the men and women of his country is keeping the nation united into a single force of hope and strength!

"I'd love to play Holly Golightly in 'Breakfast at Tiffany's' someday!" Joanna Kuligowska, Head of Global Market Intelligence at HAUD in conversation with Anurag Aggarwal. Joanna talks about the high points and low points in her career, how life took her unexpectedly to Netherlands where she stumbled onto the CPaaS industry, her horrific experience at MWC Shanghai and how there has been no looking back since!

Introducing 'Humans of Telecom... The Unplugged Podcast'. A podcast that goes beyond our work lives to bring us closer to some of the brightest and most influential members of the telecom community!