Mr Timofeev has extensive professional experience in the fields of radio-wave propagation, frequency spectrum planning, development of national EMC standards and the design of satellite communication and television and radio broadcasting systems. For many years, he was responsible for the international coordination of satellite communication systems and headed national delegations at frequency assignment coordination meetings. As Deputy Minister for Communications and Informatization of the Russian Federation, Mr Timofeev was directly responsible for matters pertaining to effective radio frequency spectrum management, the development of television and radio broadcasting and the deployment and operation of the national satellite communication and broadcasting system. On the initiative and with the direct involvement of Mr Timofeev, Acts and Government Decrees of the Russian Federation were drawn up and adopted for the purpose of establishing favourable legal conditions for the use of radio facilities within the territory of Russia and for the harmonization of national and international frequency allocations. He was first elected Director of the Radiocommunication Bureau at Marrakesh in 2002.
“To win an election is an emotional moment, a life-changing event,” said Mr Johnson upon the announcement of his election. “I feel very humbled by the Plenipotentiary’s confidence in me and I shall be determined to meet the expectations.”
Mr Johnson is well known to many of the key players in ITU with over 20 years of experience in the Union’s activities. After obtaining a Master of Science Degree, he joined the UK government which he represented in many other international organizations, including the International Maritime Organization, Inmarsat and the European Space Agency. After five years at the Telecommunication Regulations Division of the European Commission, he became Director in 1992 in UK’s Radiocommunications Agency with lead responsibility for the UK in ITU and the CEPT. In 2003, he joined the UK Office of Communications (Ofcom) where he was the International Coordinator with lead responsibility for the UK in ITU and CEPT. He is credited as having initiated many reforms in the Telecommunication Standardization Sector to speed-up the work and increase the role of the private sector. He chaired the Reform Group on standardization prior to the 2002 Plenipotentiary Conference.
On being elected Director of BDT, Mr Al Basheer pledged to work as a team to achieve the goals and objectives of ITU. He said, “The challenge is great, the task is heavy but I am confident in our ability to serve the Union and all mankind.”
After earning a Master’s degree in Economics and Political Science from San Jose State University, California, Mr Al-Basheer joined the Ministry of Post and Telecommunications (MoPTT) of Saudi Arabia as Director of International Relations where he was responsible for cooperation and coordination with various regional and global telecommunication organizations. He was also top executive and head of the department responsible for telecommunication policy and investment matters at the national, regional and international level. In this position he was also responsible for liberalization, reform and privatization of the telecommunications sector as well as for telecommunication trade and tariff issues in GATS/WTO negotiations. He has extensive experience in telecommunications management and development as well as in negotiating and formulating international agreements on commercial, operational, maintenance and investment issues.
Speaking after the election of the Directors of the Bureaux, the Secretary-General elect, Mr Hamadoun Tour invited them to join his team which would work with congeniality. “We will strengthen team spirit and mutual trust between the staff and management,” he said. Mr Tour expressed his gratitude to the outgoing team of Mr Utsumi and Mr Blois and thanked them for their assistance and support.
