CNOC Elects New Leader of Board of Directors

TORONTO, June 19, 2018 /CNW/ - Canadian Network Operators Consortium Inc. (CNOC) welcomed Matt Stein as the new Chairman and President at their 2018 Annual Members' Meeting. "It is an honour to be elected as the Chair of CNOC and I greatly look forward to working with my fellow Board members and our membership to address the many significant challenges that we face collectively as competitive telecommunication service providers," said Mr. Stein. Matt Stein is the former Vice-Chair and Treasurer of CNOC and is the CEO of Distributel Communications, one of the largest competitive telecommunication service providers in Canada offering a full suite of services for Canadian residential, small business, enterprise and wholesale customers.

Peter Rocca, President and CEO of Start.ca will become Vice-Chairman of the Board, after serving on CNOC's Board for several years. Ian Stevens, President and CEO of Execulink, will become Treasurer of CNOC, after serving for a year as head of CNOC's Audit Committee. "Peter, and Ian, as well as all other members of the Board, bring invaluable expertise and experience that will serve CNOC well as we continue our mission to be a strong voice for competitive telecommunication service providers in Canada," said Stein. 

Michael Garbe, a founding CNOC member and the past Chair, will be continuing with the organization as a Board member. "CNOC is grateful for the commitment and leadership that Michael has brought to the organization since CNOC's beginning and during his time as Chair. I look forward to his continued contributions to the Board and the organization as a whole" said Stein.

About CNOC

The Canadian Networks Operators Consortium (CNOC) is composed of 35 innovative, competitive telecommunications services providers that own or operate wireline and/or wireless networks operating in many regions of Canada. The objectives of CNOC are to promote innovation and increase the level of competitive communications services business in the Canadian economy.

CNOC 2018 BOARD OF DIRECTORS

MATT STEIN, CHAIRMAN OF THE BOARD AND PRESIDENT, CNOC

Matt is the Chief Executive Officer of Distributel Communications, one of the largest competitive telecommunication service providers in Canada.  Distributel offers residential Internet, home phone, IPTV service and advanced business services through its ThinkTel division.

Matt has a wealth of experience in telecommunications, information technology and business management and a passion for developing innovative service offerings. In addition to his leadership and business development skills, Matt has frequently appeared before the CRTC and the Canadian Parliament, as well as the US Senate, on industry matters.

Before joining Distributel in 2014, Matt was the Chief Technology Officer of Primus Telecommunications Group Inc. Matthew's prior roles include Vice-President at CallNet, and Principal Consultant at ArQana Technologies.

PETER ROCCA, VICE-CHAIRMAN OF THE BOARD AND VICE-PRESIDENT, CNOC

Peter is the President and CEO of Start Communications, a competitive telecommunications service provider based out of London, Ontario. As one of the founding partners of Start Communications, Peter has been involved in most aspects of the company's growth and development since 1995.

Peter has a technical background and has significant expertise in network architecture, server deployments, internet protocols, and technical operations. Peter's guidance and leadership have assisted Start Communications in its growth, launch of a fibre network in London and offering of high-speed Internet services across Ontario.

JILL C. SCHATZ, BOARD MEMBER AND SECRETARY, CNOC

Jill has extensive in-house experience in various public and private corporations and has held senior executive, legal and regulatory roles in the IT and Telecommunications sectors since 2000. Jill most recently served over eight years as Vice President Legal and Regulatory for Primus Management and General Counsel and VP Law for Primus Telecommunications. She has held prior VP, General Counsel and Corporate Secretarial roles with OnX Enterprise Solutions and Cybersurf Corp. Jill is a former Director of the Commissioner for Complaints for Telecommunications Services ("CCTS") Board of Directors, representing non-incumbent service providers.

Prior to 2000, she held in-house positions with ICI Canada Inc. (formerly C-I-L Inc.) and TransCanada Pipelines Limited. Jill is active in the corporate counsel community and is a past President of the Canadian Corporate Counsel Association ("CCCA").

Jill has a Juris Doctorate and an MBA both from the University of Toronto as well as a Masters in Law (International Trade & Competition Law) from Osgoode Hall Law School.

IAN STEVENS, BOARD MEMBER AND TREASURER, CNOC

Execulink Telecom Inc. is a privately held, multi-generational family business and a local provider of Internet, Television, Home Phone and Mobile services in Southwestern Ontario.  With a goal of connecting people to everything that matters, Ian has been a leader in the transformation of Execulink from a traditional telephone company to an IP-based full service provider. Although Ian has a graduate degree in Telecommunications Engineering, he has been deeply involved in all facets of the business, including customer facing roles, various management positions, memberships in industry trade associations, and of course, the current CEO.

PAUL ANDERSEN, BOARD MEMBER, CNOC

Paul is the President of eGATE Networks Inc., a premier business connectivity, hosting and technological solutions provider that he founded in 1996. Paul has a unique combination of technical expertise, an entrepreneurial spirit and an open and collaborative leadership style that has made him a valuable member of the global Internet community.

Paul has been involved with the American Registry for Internet Numbers since 2003, and currently serves as the organization's Board Chair. In 2000, Paul joined the board of directors for the Canadian Internet Registration Authority, a role he would retain for 10 years, the last five as chair. From 2007 to 2010, he was a director at TorIX, Canada's largest Internet Exchange Point.

Paul is a licensed member of Professional Engineers Ontario and holds a Bachelor of Applied Science in Computer Engineering from the University of Toronto.

ALAIN BERGERON, BOARD MEMBER, CNOC

Alain is the General Manager and Chairman of the board of Oricom Internet, an ISP based in Quebec City that offers Internet access, voice, data services, colocation and Web hosting to residential and businesses in Quebec and Ontario.

Alain is one of the founders of Oricom, an ISP that was established in 1995. Since that date, Alain has led many projects to implement new services, complete strategic acquisitions and, as the general manager, implemented processes to increase the efficiency of operations.

Alain started his career as a specialist in hydroelectricity and electric network operations. He managed a motorsport team and organized international events in rally sports, before starting in business with a medical clinic. He founded Oricom Internet with partners who are passionate about technology and he now specializes in regulatory and business law.

MICHAEL GARBE, BOARD MEMBER, CNOC

Michael is the founder of Accelerated Communication Incorporated (ACI), a company that specializes in serving enterprises across Canada and helping them connect their distributed locations together into one network.

Michael assumes a hands-on approach at CNOC, where in addition to his former role as board member he had primary responsibility for the annual CNOC Canadian ISP Summit.

Michael is an original member of AceTech Ontario and served on the Board for several years. Prior to ACI, Michael was the president of Northgrove Technologies, Inc., a manufacturer's representative company that worked with US-based technology companies.

MARC GAUDRAULT, BOARD MEMBER, CNOC

Marc is the Chief Executive Officer of TekSavvy Solutions Inc., one of Canada's leading independent providers of telecommunications services.

After co-founding TekSavvy in 1998, Marc served as Chief Technology and Chief Operating Officer. Since assuming his current role as Chief Executive Officer in 2011, Marc has led TekSavvy to become a disruptive force in the market place while simultaneously achieving growth targets of more than doubling its customer base and tripling annual revenues.

In addition to his years of hands-on network management and leadership experience, Marc has a Bachelor of Science degree in Mechanical Engineering from the University of Ottawa.

SOURCE Canadian Network Operators Consortium Inc.

Please contact Matt Stein, CNOC Chair & Spokesperson at 416-613-2662 or [email protected], 1105-20 Eglinton Ave. W., PO Box 2066, Toronto, ON, M4R 1K8, www.cnoc.ca