Digital Opportunity Trust
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DOT Global Board of Directors
- Janet Longmore (DOT President and CEO, DOT USA board member), Abdul Khan and David Nostbakken -
DAVID JOHNSTON - Founding Chairman
David Johnston is President of the University of Waterloo, one of Canada's most innovative universities and a leading global institution in e-learning and information technology. Professor Johnston completed his university studies with distinction in three countries: the United States (Harvard A.B. 1963), England (Cambridge LL.B. 1965) and Canada (Queen's LL.B. 1966). His academic specializations are securities regulation, corporation law, and information technology law.
He has served on many provincial and federal task forces and committees and is on the board of a number of companies including Canada Trust, Alcatel, Seagram, EMCO, CGI and Lifestyle Furnishings. He has chaired the Board of Overseers of Harvard University, the Canadian Institute for Advanced Research, the Neuroscience Network Centre of Excellence, the Federal Government's Information Highway Advisory Council and its Blue Ribbon Panel on Smart Communities, the National Broadband TaskForce and the national e-Business Roundtable. He is Special Advisor to the Minister of Industry on information highway matters
David Johnston is a Companion of the Order of Canada.
ABDUL KHAN - Chairman of the Board
Born in 1947 of Indian nationality, Mr Abdul Waheed Khan holds a Ph.D. in Mass Communication (1973) and a Masters in Agricultural Journalism (1970) from the University of Wisconsin, Madison, USA, and a Masters in Agricultural Extension (1965) from Agra University (India).
He has been working as Assistant Director-General for Communication and Information at the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) in Paris since July 2001, where he is responsible for UNESCO's programmes and activities in communication and information. He is also responsible for coordinating UNESCO's contribution to the UN ICT Task Force and the World Summit on the Information Society.
Mr Khan served as Vice-Chancellor (President and Chief Executive Officer) at the Indira Gandhi National Open University from 1998 to 2000. In particular, he was responsible for strategic planning, resource mobilization and management of a knowledge network, which includes a consortium of 72 universities. He was also Chairman of the Distance Education Council which is responsible for coordinating all open and distance learning programmes in India.
Mr Khan has extensive international experience in designing, planning and managing communication and information technology applications in education, sciences and culture.
From 1986 to 1992 Mr Khan served as the Founding Director and Professor of the Communications Division of the Indira Gandhi National Open University (IGNOU) in New Delhi, where he developed and managed one of the largest state of the art electronic media centres in Asia. He subsequently joined the Commonwealth of Learning (COL in Vancouver, B.C., Canada, firstly as Senior Programme Officer (1992 1995) then as Acting Head of the Communications and Information Technologies Division (1995 1996) and as Principal Communications Specialist (1996 1998). Mr Khan served as a Visiting Professor/Scientist (1990 1991) at the National Institute of Multimedia Education (NIME) in Chiba, Japan.
Mr Khan has actively contributed to the boards of various national and international bodies including the ISS INFOTECH Ltd, India, IDS International, Thailand, WETV Foundation, Canada and the United States Educational Foundation (USEFI), India. He has served as Chairperson of the Distance Education Council, Vice Pr�sident of the International Council for Open and Distance Education (ICDE) in Oslo and as President of the Asian Association of Open Universities (AAOU). He is a member of a number of professional associations including the International Institute of Communications of the United Kingdom. He is also the recipient of several awards and distinctions such as the "Distinguished Service Award", Commonwealth of Learning, as well as the "India 2000 Millennium Award for Education and World Peace".
Mr Khan is the author of a number of books and articles published in various academic journals, especially on development communication, distance education and multi-media technology applications.
DAVID NOSTBAKKEN - Director and Former Chairman of the Board
David Nostbakken is the founder, President and CEO of WETV International Inc. a global television service promoting sustainable human development and cultural diversity in more than 50 countries worldwide. He is also Chairman of the Green Channel, the first-ever digital channel dedicated entirely to the environment.
David is a lifelong communications and broadcast entrepreneur, developer, and practitioner. He was a founder, CEO and first Chairman of Vision Television. As Director-General of Communications for the International Development Research Centre (IDRC) he developed communications capabilities in Africa, Asia, Latin America and the Caribbean.
David has developed communication strategies, specializing in broadcasting for institutions such as WHO, UICC, and CCS and has produced with CBC, TVO, WTN, TVE, BBC and local television. He was also founder of the Canadian Center of Film for Children, now merged with The Alliance For Children's Television.
Dr. Nostbakken has a Ph.D. in Communications, University of Toronto where he studied and worked with Marshall McLuhan.
REZA MAHDAVI - Director
Reza is Vice President and General Manager of the Cisco GLN Solutions Group (Global Learning Network), a position he assumed in September 2004. Reza takes a pioneering lead role with GLN Solutions Group, responsible for its strategic development and direction.
Prior to this new appointment, Reza was Vice-President of Cisco Systems Europe, Middle East and Africa (EMEA), a position he held from 2000. With responsibility for running Cisco's field Sales operations, technical engineering and marketing for emerging and developing markets, Reza managed and grew Cisco's business in 96 countries and oversaw the establishment of Cisco operations and offices in more than 33 countries.
Reza Mahdavi is considered a trusted advisor too many senior government and business leaders in countries including Bahrain, Egypt, Lebanon, Turkey, the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and Russia. Amongst other distinctions he has been a permanent member of the Presidential and Advisory Council for President Mbeki of South Africa for the last 4 years.
He is a frequent speaker at industry and government events throughout EMEA and is a regular commentator in business and broadcast media throughout the region on ICT issues of relevance to the emerging and developing markets.
JAMES FIERRO - Director
Founding Partner, Venture Resources Group
James Fierro is the Founding Partner of Venture Resources Group, an organization that develops and finances emerging growth companies in their early stages. He has been described as a 'Creative Visionary' and a strong motivator, constantly seeking new ways to shape the future and invigorate others with his ideas. He is particularly noted for his breakthroughs in the areas of RFID technology, event marketing, Internet commerce, non-monetary economics and online travel. He brings with him, over 20 years in founding, co-founding and consulting roles with diverse start up ventures.
James' non-traditional marketing strategy and foreword thinking vision is evident through his 1998 launch of HomeGrocer.com, the first company to provide fully integrated internet grocery shopping, warehouse and delivery services. Together with Venture Resources, Fierro also launched the now known Recipco Corporation, a company recognized for Internet marketing of Caribbean travel and international business through Col.com. James continued to push forward in 2004 by selling and distributing non-toxic, environmentally friendly products through the launch of Zero Combustion Ltd.
James` passion for entrepreneurship is also evident through his active membership with the Yong Entrepreneurs Organization where he served as President of the Vancouver Chapter as well as on the Board of Directors for four years.
JOHN CAWLEY - Director
John is the Senior Program Officer at the the J.W. McConnell Family Foundation. Established in 1937, the Foundation seeks to work strategically at a national level by helping to link people, places and ideas, and create an enhanced sense of community by building bridges between people, communities and sectors.
John started his career in Nigeria with CUSO, after which he joined Canada World Youth where he spent many years at in a variety of positions, most recently as Vice-President and Chief Operating Officer. As one of the founders of the NetCorps Canada International initiative, John nurtured an innovative partnership that has blossomed into the Global NetCorps movement. He has also acted as a consultant with a range of non-profit organizations, assisting them with community-based development, strategic planning, and cross-cultural training. John is a graduate of the McGill-McConnell Program, Master of Management for National Voluntary Sector Leaders.
John has extensive experience in leading and facilitating strategic planning and organizational change with a proven skill set in the design and implementation of impact assessment systems consistent with a results-based approach. His success in building partnerships with funders, Canadian and international institutions, governments and community-based organizations will prove valuable to the DOT mission.
Amir A. Dossal is the Executive Director of The United Nations Fund for International Partnerships (UNFIP), an interface between the United Nations System and the United Nations Foundation, the philanthropic initiative established by Ted Turner's $1 billion U.S donation to UN causes. An innovator and keen strategist, Amir built alliances with names such as the Commonwealth Business Council, the Coca-Cola Company, the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, and the Rockefeller Foundation in a mission to achieve Millennium Development Goals.
Amir has leveraged his networking expertise and his outstanding skill for unlocking new potential by spearheading UN partnerships with the technology sector. He has built ties with Cisco Systems, Ericsson, Hewlett-Packard and Vodafone.
In addition to his innovation and strategic strengths, Amir has a solid background in management. His work implementing management reform within the UN as its first Director of the Management Policy Office, and overseeing 24 peacekeeping missions as Chief of Financial Management in the Department of Peacekeeping Operations, are just a few examples of his diverse leadership roles.
Cydney Harris was formerly a Senior Vice President of Business Development at Business.com, an early stage internet business search destination site. Prior to joining Business.com, she was the Vice President of Business Development at CBS MarketWatch, and the Vice President of Business Development and Marketing at Standard and Poor's Consumer Markets Group. She was also the Director and General Manager of BusinessWeek Online.
Cydney has over 9 years of experience with media and internet companies and 9 years of experience in Banking and Finance. Cydney has an MBA from the Stern School of Business at New York University and a B.S. in Finance from Arizona State University.
President of Media Profile, Patrick is one of Canada's most highly respected public relations practitioners. Drawing on years of experience, including serving as the prime minister's press secretary, he provides strategic communications advice and media training to numerous private and public sector clients.
Patrick's background is in journalism, television production, federal radio and television regulation, and politics.
Following his high-profile tenure from 1976 to 1982 as Press Secretary to Prime Minister Pierre Elliott Trudeau, Patrick spent three years as Minister, Information at the Canadian Embassy in Washington. Upon his return to Canada in 1995 (when he founded Media Profile), Patrick published his recollections of the Trudeau years in Close to the Charisma (McClelland and Stewart, 1986). His first novel, The Father Pat Stories, was published by Simon & Pierre in 1997.
Patrick provides personalized media coaching, communications advice and presentation training to many of Canada's top executives and best-known politicians. He has given counsel to numerous Federal Cabinet Ministers. He has prepared national and provincial party leaders for televised debates. Patrick is a regular political panelist on CBC Newsworld's Politics, ROBtv's The Bottom Line and is frequently called upon by numerous other radio and TV programs for his views on political and communications issues.
He has also written columns and book reviews for the Toronto Star, The Globe and Mail, Maclean's Magazine and Southam News.
He has served on many boards and is currently Chair of the Toronto Preservation Board and a member of the board for the McMichael Canadian Art Collection in Kleinburg and Dixon Hall. Patrick is married with one daughter and lives in King City, Ontario.
KENDALL HARTMAN - Director
Kendall Hartmann specializes in assisting organizations in their start-up activities, and most enjoys working as part of a group that shares a passion to pursue a focused mission. She is committed to finding synergies where both tradition and thoughtful progress can thrive.
Kendall graduated with honors from the University of Wyoming with a degree in Political Science. She worked for a number of years in the United States Senate for Senator Malcolm Wallop (ret.) and is currently Field Representative for Senator John Barrasso (Wyoming).
She became involved on an executive level with the Congressional Award program, a non-competitive, non-partisan development program for young people established by the U.S. Congress, and she is currently a member of the Wyoming Congressional Award Council Board of Directors, serving as its Vice-President.
Kendall was also Special Assistant to the President and Director of Community Relations for Unicover Corporation, an international marketing company. She has recently been affiliated with LinhartMcClainFinlon Public Relations for the purpose of coordinating business and client development for this highly regarded western regional firm.