Verizon and PayPal to spearhead opening keynote of first annual MWC Americas expo

Atlanta: The GSMA announced the first confirmed speakers for the Mobile World Congress Americas debuting September 12-14, 2017 at San Francisco’s Moscone Center. The GSMA also released additional details for the inaugural Americas event today, including new programs, exhibition elements, exhibitors and sponsors.

“Mobile World Congress Americas will reflect an experience truly representative of North, Central and South America, capturing many of its region- and culture-specific nuances,” said Michael O’Hara, Chief Marketing Officer, GSMA. “Mobile is an essential part of how we interact, communicate, work and play, and the event will highlight key areas intersecting with mobile, from media, content and entertainment to enterprises and brands. We are looking forward to showcasing an industry that impacts literally billions of people around the world.”

Keynotes from Global Leaders in Mobile Technology
The GSMA announced global leaders across the mobile communications industry as the first keynote speakers for Mobile World Congress Americas, including:
• Carlos Slim Domit, CEO and Chairman, América Móvil
• Sunil Bharti Mittal, Founder and Chairman, Bharti Enterprises and Chairman, GSMA
• Meredith Atwell Baker, President and CEO, CTIA
• Mats Granryd, Director General, GSMA
• George Kliavkoff, CEO and President, Jaunt
• Rajeev Suri, CEO, Nokia
• Dan Schulman, President and CEO, PayPal
• Marcelo Claure, President and CEO, Sprint and Chairman, CTIA
• Juan Perez, Chief Information and Engineering Officer, UPS
• Ronan Dunne, Executive Vice President and Group President, Verizon Wireless

Beyond the keynote program, Mobile World Congress Americas will offer focused track sessions that address how the future of the industry is taking shape. The “Content and Media” track will explore augmented reality (AR) and virtual reality (VR) in entertainment and entertainment in the 5G world. Sessions examining artificial intelligence (AI), digital enterprise infrastructure, autonomous vehicles, and Internet of Things (IoT) platforms, services and security will be offered under the “Fourth Industrial Revolution” track. The “Consumer IoT” track will delve into cybersecurity, AI and its impact on virtual assistants and chatbots, and the retail experience. The “Network” track will address IoT connectivity and the 5G ecosystem. The conference will also highlight the mobile industry’s commitment to the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), with a keynote and track sessions focusing on different aspects of the 17 SDGs, such as digital inclusion, education, and the fight against climate change, on Tuesday, September 12.

The conference will also include the “Everything Policy” track, which will consist of panel discussions with leading policymakers and industry experts focused on key wireless issues. The two-day policy track will address spectrum auctions, wireless internet infrastructure, 5G, IoT innovations, public safety, unmanned aerial services and more.

Executives and industry experts confirmed to speak in the track sessions include:
• Amit Ahuja, Head of Audience and Planning Businesses, Adobe
• Domingo Guerra, co-Founder and President, Appthority
• Joan Marsh, SVP, Federal Regulatory, AT&T
• Greg Chambers, Global Group Director, Digital Innovation, Coca-Cola
• Rebecka Cedering Ångström, Acting Head of ConsumerLab, Ericsson
• Monica Adractas, Director, North America, Workplace by Facebook
• Rob High, IBM Fellow, VP and CTO, IBM Watson
• Peter Sorckoff, Chief Creative Officer, EVP Brand and Innovation, NBA Atlanta Hawks and Philips Arena
• Eugene Chung, Founder and CEO, Penrose Studios
• Dean Brenner, SVP, Spectrum Strategy and Technology Policy, Qualcomm Inc.
• Kathleen Ham, SVP, Government Affairs, T-Mobile USA, Inc.
• Luis Minoru, Chief Strategy Officer, TIM Brasil
• Grant Spellmeyer, VP, Federal Affairs and Public Policy, U.S. Cellular
• Michael O’Rielly, Commissioner, United States Federal Communications Commission
• Charla Rath, VP, Wireless Policy Development, Verizon

• For more information on the Mobile World Congress Americas conference, including speakers and full agenda, visit: www.mwcamericas.com/conference/conference-overview/.