speaking engagements

Sarah Halko is Director of Regulatory & Industry Affairs at iconectiv, where she leads global engagement with regulators, policymakers, and standards bodies on issues spanning digital identity, numbering, and AI governance. She represents iconectiv in ATIS, CTIA, US Telecom, GSMA, and the UK’s NICC, helping shape trusted communications frameworks across both technical and policy domains. At iconectiv, Sarah co-chairs the ATIS Next Generation Interconnection Interoperability Forum (NGIIF) and SMS/800 Number Administration Committee (SNAC), and serves on the company’s AI Board, helping guide enterprise adoption of responsible and secure AI tools. Her work bridges technology and regulation to promote secure, interoperable, and privacy-preserving communications networks worldwide. Sarah is also pursuing her Juris Doctor at the Catholic University of America, Columbus School of Law, with concentrations in telecommunications, national security, and technology law. She is a member of the Law and Technology Institute and the Journal of Law & Technology. 

Bob Grant, Director of Product Manager at iconectiv, is responsible for setting the strategy, roadmap and feature definition for iconectiv foundational products across the TruOps® TruReach® and TruNumber® platforms.

He has served as a member of the Call Authentication Trust Anchor (CATA) Working Group under the North American Numbering Council (NANC) and oversaw the implementation of the Secure Telephone Identity Policy Administrator (STI-PA) role at iconectiv. This is a key operational role in the coordinated industry-driven efforts to prevent illegal robocalls in the United States.

Prior to joining iconectiv, Grant served as Channel Operations Director for Avaya where he held a Director position for The Alliance for Gray Market and Counterfeit Abatement (AGMA). A trade group focused on Promoting the Global Protection of Intellectual Property in the High-Tech Industry.

He holds a Bachelor of Science in computer science from Montclair State University and a Master of Business Administration in international business from Fairleigh Dickinson University.

Bob Grant, Director of Product Manager at iconectiv, is responsible for setting the strategy, roadmap and feature definition for iconectiv foundational products across the TruOps® TruReach® and TruNumber® platforms.

He has served as a member of the Call Authentication Trust Anchor (CATA) Working Group under the North American Numbering Council (NANC) and oversaw the implementation of the Secure Telephone Identity Policy Administrator (STI-PA) role at iconectiv. This is a key operational role in the coordinated industry-driven efforts to prevent illegal robocalls in the United States.

Prior to joining iconectiv, Grant served as Channel Operations Director for Avaya where he held a Director position for The Alliance for Gray Market and Counterfeit Abatement (AGMA). A trade group focused on Promoting the Global Protection of Intellectual Property in the High-Tech Industry.

He holds a Bachelor of Science in computer science from Montclair State University and a Master of Business Administration in international business from Fairleigh Dickinson University.

Stephen Breen is the Director of Sales and Partnerships & Strategy for UK and EU for iconectiv. He is responsible for providing customers with consultation on how to drive cost-efficiencies and increase their satisfaction through iconectiv’s focused platforms on data exchange, number porting and TOTSCo compliance. 

Breen is an experienced executive in the telecommunications industry with more than 25 years of experience. He previously served as Director of Partnerships for Cubit Telecom, where he led a team of Commercial and Delivery Managers in global engagement. He also holds the position of Deputy-Chair of the GSMA Wholesale Agreements & Solutions (WAS) Working Group – a global wholesale interworking and agreements-definition community. 

Breen holds degrees from Methodist College Belfast, Dublin Business School and the Technological University of Dublin.

Alberto Apablaza, Director, Account Management at iconectiv, is responsible for the operations and implementation of the Number Portability in Chile and Argentina including managing new initiatives in the region. As a trusted business leader, Apablaza has demonstrated history of working in the Telecommunications Industry from the beginning of his career in Chile and then in South America. He has been involved in the Chile Number Portability from its conception where he led the project program in one of the most prominent carriers in Chile. Apablaza is a Computer Science Engineer with a Master Degree in Management in Technological Entrepreneurships.

Cathy McMahon is Senior Director, Account Management and Industry Relations at iconectiv, and is part of the team that is overseeing the transition of the Local Number Portability Administrator (LNPA) for all seven regions of the U.S. Number Portability Administration Center (NPAC). McMahon is responsible for customer relations and is actively engaged in supporting the LNPA transition to the new modern, cost efficient and secure Number Portability Administration Center (NPAC) system.

As the authoritative partner of the communications industry for more than 30 years, iconectiv’s market-leading solutions enable the interconnection of networks, devices and applications for more than two billion people every day. A U.S.-based company, Telcordia Technologies, Inc., doing business as iconectiv, is a wholly owned subsidiary of Ericsson.

McMahon began her career at Bell Laboratories and has more than 30 years of experience in the telecommunications industry. Prior to iconectiv, she held positions at Telcordia Technologies and Ericsson. She was also actively involved in the launch of wireless number portability in the U.S. in the early 2000s.

McMahon holds a master’s degree in systems engineering from Stanford University and a bachelor’s degree in mathematics of operations research from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute. 

Juan Carlos Ortiz is a Principal for Corporate Business Development at iconectiv. He is responsible for contributing to the continued product evolution within the TruOps platform. 

Ortiz has 34 years of experience in the Telecommunications sector performing work for customers worldwide. His expertise has focused on the analysis of the financial feasibility and risk profile of new communications service provider programs across a broad spectrum of domain areas. 

Ortiz holds a master’s degree in Operations Research and Decision Sciences from the New Jersey Institute of Technology and a bachelor’s degree in Industrial Engineering from the University of Puerto Rico. He is a Certified Project Management Professional (PMP) by the Project Management Institute.