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September 13-14, 2023 / The Fairmont, Austin

Thank you for your interest in UCX USA's Top 100 Unified Communications Influencers in 2023!

Click the image below to download your copy or continue scrolling to see if your favorite influencers made this year's list.

Top 100

1 - Satya Nadella

1 - Satya Nadella

1 - Satya Nadella

CEO, Microsoft

Twitter | LinkedIn

While Satya’s role reaches all points of the Microsoft technology stack, there can’t be any doubting the influence of Teams’ role in unified communications today. From calling and meetings to the metaverse and workplace analytics, the scope of Microsoft technology has never been so vast. Satya’s keynotes at Microsoft events are often the highlight of the Microsoft calendar.

2 - Brian Solis

2 - Brian Solis

2 - Brian Solis

VP, Global Innovation vs Global Innovation Evangelist

Twitter | LinkedIn

Brian is a world-renowned digital anthropologist, futurist, 8x best-selling author, and international keynote speaker consistently been recognized as one of the world's leading voices in innovation, business transformation, and leadership for over two decades. Forbes called him “one of the more creative and brilliant business minds of our time,” ZDNet said Brian is “one of the 21st century business world’s leading thinkers,” and The Conference Board described Brian as "the futurist we all need now."

3 - Evan Kirstel

3 - Evan Kirstel

3 - Evan Kirstel

Independent Social Media Business Strategist & Chief Digital Evangelist, eViRa Health

Twitter | LinkedIn

Evan is recognized as one of the most influential B2B technology personalities on the internet. He helps brands increase their online exposure through LinkedIn, Twitter, video marketing, and podcasting. In 2017, Evan co-founded eVira Health with his wife to help digitally transform medical and health companies.

4 - Eric Yuan

4 - Eric Yuan

4 - Eric Yuan

CEO, Zoom

Twitter | LinkedIn

Zoom has fast-forwarded from a meetings platform to a complete work hub offering a full UCaaS stack since experiencing huge adoption throughout the coronavirus pandemic. With Eric steering the ship, Zoom boasts over four million Phone users alongside its ever-expanding portfolio of Meetings, Events, Team Chat, and more.

5 - Stewart Butterfield

5 - Stewart Butterfield

5 - Stewart Butterfield

CEO, Slack

Twitter | LinkedIn


Slack has been fairly quiet since it was acquired by Salesforce in 2021. However, Stewart has remained vocal about Slack’s continuing mission to become the place to work. With new additions like Slack Canvas, video in Huddles, and further integrations with line of business apps, Slack remains firmly on the unified comms radar despite no built-in calling or meeting platform.

6 - Jon Arnold

6 - Jon Arnold

6 - Jon Arnold

Principal, J Arnold & Associates

Twitter | LinkedIn

Jon formed an independent analysis firm back in 2005 following 15 years as President of Research Solutions, a market research consultancy focused on B2B technology and four years at Frost & Sullivan as VoIP Program Leader. Jon covers all aspects of the UC portfolio including collaboration, contact center, and next-gen technologies.

7 - Chuck Robbins

7 - Chuck Robbins

7 - Chuck Robbins

CEO, Cisco

Twitter | LinkedIn

Over the last few years, Cisco has repositioned its Webex offering as interoperable and open for partnerships. No doubt applying experience from other sectors within Cisco, Chuck’s leadership and guidance has catapulted Webex back to the top of the UCaaS charts while maintaining its high status in devices and meeting room technology.

8 - Blair Pleasant

8 - Blair Pleasant

8 - Blair Pleasant

President & Principal Analyst, COMMfusion

Twitter | LinkedIn

Blair Pleasant is synonymous with business communications. With analysis experience dating back to 1986, Blair has witnessed the UC&C industry evolve from traditional telecoms to the modern collaboration technologies we use and wish to use today. Blair is a regular contributor to industry publications and one of the most sought after podcasts guests.

9 - Chris Isak

9 - Chris Isak

9 - Chris Isak

Marketing Manager at GMS Global Media Services GmbH and Founder of TechAcute

Twitter | LinkedIn

Chris’ day-to-day role involves increasing brand awareness of one of Germany’s leading modern workplace and smart building providers. Outside of this, he has founded a leading technology publication covering everything from VR gaming to business video conferencing.

10 - Zeus Kerravala

10 - Zeus Kerravala

10 - Zeus Kerravala

Founder and Principal Analyst at ZK Research

Twitter | LinkedIn

Zeus is an independent research analyst covering all angles of telecoms, including unified comms, contact center, networking, and artificial intelligence. He’s a regular contributor to industry publications and can often be found speaking at industry events. He co-hosts Real Time Recorded with Dave Michels.

11 - Jeff Teper

11 - Jeff Teper

11 - Jeff Teper

Corporate Vice President, Microsoft 365 Collaboration

Twitter | LinkedIn

Jeff Teper is the Corporate Vice President of Microsoft 365 Collaboration. This means he looks after the division responsible for Teams, SharePoint, OneDrive, Lists, Viva, and all your other favorite Microsoft collaboration tools. Jeff is the first person to post about new Teams features and changes and is thought of as the voice of Microsoft Teams.

12 - Daniel Newman

12 - Daniel Newman

12 - Daniel Newman

Principal Analyst and Founding Partner, Futurum Research

Twitter | LinkedIn

Daniel founded Future Research to research and analyze the world’s leading B2B technology companies. As part of his role, Daniel says “I spend my life learning about what drives people to adopt new technology so I can share those secrets with companies that are ready to take their business to the next level.” You can find Daniel writing for Forbes and Market Watch as well as co-hosting the Six Five podcast.

13 - Mike Tholfsen

13 - Mike Tholfsen

13 - Mike Tholfsen

Principal Group Product Manager, Microsoft Education

Twitter | LinkedIn

Responsible for the inclusive classroom experience across the Microsoft product suite, Mike has spent the majority of his career dedicated to building and driving engagement of products like Outlook, OneNote, and Teams. Mike is a very active member of the Microsoft Tech Community and is a true ambassador for Microsoft Teams in the education sector.

14 - Rob Scott

14 - Rob Scott

14 - Rob Scott

Publisher, UC Today

Twitter | LinkedIn

What started as a small niche news site has now grown to a worldwide technology platform encompassing UC, CX, VR, and other technology areas. Rob started UC Today using his industry experience as a vendor and has transformed it to a digital platform for news, content, awards, and events. You’ll find Rob and his team at all the largest business technology events around the world.

15 - Patrick Moorhead

15 - Patrick Moorhead

15 - Patrick Moorhead

Founder, CEO, and Chief Analyst, Moor Insights & Strategy

Twitter | LinkedIn

Patrick is a global technology analyst specializing in the Internet of Things (IoT), client computing, cloud, the software-defined datacenter, and semiconductors. Using his previous experience in product marketing roles at technology giants like AT&T and Compaq, Patrick now heads up a group of analysts with real-world experience in roles including strategy, product, technology, and marketing.

16 - Dave Michels

16 - Dave Michels

16 - Dave Michels

Founder and Lead Analyst, TalkingPointz.com

Twitter | LinkedIn

Dave focuses on and is at the heart of all things relating to enterprise communications. He runs a subscription newsletter and publishes the Insider Report. You can find Dave at most industry events, across all niche publications, and co-hosting Real Time Recorded with Zeus Kerravala and Talking Headz with Evan Kirstel.

17 - Rowan Trollope

17 - Rowan Trollope

17 - Rowan Trollope

Former Five 9 CEO and CEO Redis

Twitter | LinkedIn

Rowan’s career has seen him play pivotal roles in growing Symantec, Cisco, and most recently Five9 to compete in niche spaces like early-stage digital collaboration and contact center AI. While announcing his departure from Five9 in October 2022, there is no doubt Rowan’s influence on emerging B2B technology will remain.

18 - Tom Arbuthnot

18 - Tom Arbuthnot

18 - Tom Arbuthnot

Founder, Empowering Cloud

Twitter | LinkedIn

Tom Arbuthnot is the Founder of Empowering Cloud, a free on-demand program providing Microsoft Teams advice and training for IT Pros. Tom has long been an event speaker and leading blogger in the Skype for Business and now Teams world. Tom’s blog and social media provide explanations of what all the latest Teams news means for real people. He’s a regular guest and host of podcasts and webinars like UC Today and Teams Fireside Chat.

19 - Julien Rio

19 - Julien Rio

19 - Julien Rio

AVP of International Marketing, RingCentral

Twitter | LinkedIn

Before joining RingCentral, Julien was best known for driving exponential growth while marketing for small to medium businesses in EMEA. Since RingCentral’s acquisition of Dimelo, a cloud-based digital customer engagement platform, Julien’s remit has expanded to lead international marketing efforts. Outside of RingCentral, Julien hosts the CX Therapy series on YouTube and is a board member of European Customer Experience Organization.

20 - Stephen L Rose

20 - Stephen L Rose

20 - Stephen L Rose

Senior Product Marketing Manager, Microsoft Teams

Twitter | LinkedIn

Stephen hosts the Inside Teams webcast series covering everything from devices and features to productivity and wellness. Stephen is most active on Twitter covering news from all around the Microsoft ecosystem.

21 - Christian Buckley

21 - Christian Buckley

21 - Christian Buckley

Brand Alliance Director, AvePoint

Twitter | LinkedIn

In his day-to-day role, Christian leads a software vendor specializing in solutions to migrate, manage, and protect data in Microsoft 365. He also hosts the Collab Talk podcast and the monthly Twitter chats #CollabTalk where users come together to discuss the latest trends and topics related to business collaboration.

22 - Joel Oleson

22 - Joel Oleson

22 - Joel Oleson

Senior Product Manager at PlayStation

Twitter | LinkedIn

Joel runs Joel365, where he runs go to market campaign management for the Microsoft 365 community. He’s also currently operating as a Senior Product Manager at PlayStation, working on enterprise apps. Joel is both a Microsoft MVP and Regional Director and runs his own blog, Collab Show.

23 - Maribel Lopez

23 - Maribel Lopez

23 - Maribel Lopez

Founder & Principal Analyst, Lopez Research

Twitter | LinkedIn

Following 10 years as a VP at Forrester Research, Maribel founded her own company to provide research, strategic advisory services, and partnership strategy consulting across a wide range of industries including mobile, IoT, and telecoms. She co-founded the Mobile Research Council and is a regular contributor to Forbes.

24 - Rory Read

24 - Rory Read

24 - Rory Read

CEO, Vonage

Twitter | LinkedIn

With a career including technology giants like IBM, Lenovo, and Dell, Rory is now tasked with leading Vonage into a fairly new era of cloud communications. Following acquisitions of Nexmo and NewVoiceMedia, SMS and call center platforms, Vonage now has a technology stack capable of competing with single-platform specialists and catering to a common business requirement.

25 - Aruna Ravichandran

25 - Aruna Ravichandran

25 - Aruna Ravichandran

SVP and CMO, Webex

Twitter | LinkedIn

Aruna is responsible for heading up the entire marketing function of the Webex side of Cisco’s business. Her most recent accomplishments include launching a multi-million dollar influencer program featuring the likes of Daniel Ricciardo and Lando Norris, rebranding Webex to a single unified app, and delivering Webex One, the company's annual summit.

26 - Chris Neto

26 - Chris Neto

26 - Chris Neto

Market Development Manager at Starin Marketing

Twitter | LinkedIn

While tasked with growing Starin’s product line and addressable market day-to-day, Chris is best-known and well-loved for his activity in the AV community. Each Sunday, Chris hosts the popular Twitter Chat #AVintheAM attracting hundreds and thousands of impressions and replies.

27 - Jennifer Caukin

27 - Jennifer Caukin

27 - Jennifer Caukin

VP of Global Communications, RingCentral

Twitter | LinkedIn

Jennifer is versed in business technology PR and corporate communications having held positions at eBay, Skype, and Microsoft before joining RingCentral. As VP, she is now responsible for the comms umbrella which includes employee comms, executive comms, public relations, social media, and analyst relations.

28 - Jim Lundy

28 - Jim Lundy

28 - Jim Lundy

Founder, CEO and Lead Analyst, Aragon Research 

Twitter | LinkedIn

Following long stints at Xerox and Gartner, Jim founded Aragon Research to help technology firms make and sell the right technology. Using his experience in enterprise content management, go-to-market, and consultancy, he’s made Aragon one of the foremost research firms covering unified comms.

29 - David Dungay

29 - David Dungay

29 - David Dungay

Editor-in-Chief, UC Today

Twitter | LinkedIn

Following eight years as Editor of Comms Business magazine, David joined UC Today in 2020 to lead editorial across UC Today, CX Today, & XR Today. Now covering wider technology topics than traditional telecoms, David’s responsibility has also extended to written, video, and audio content.

30 - Ed Ellett

30 - Ed Ellett

30 - Ed Ellett

SVP/GM Client Systems Group, Dell Technologies 

Twitter | LinkedIn

With a resume citing the likes of Poly, HP, and NVIDIA, Ed has seen the world of B2B technology evolve over the last three decades. You may have seen Ed “in-industry” while fulfilling roles at Moor Insights & Strategy and analytics provider, Vyopta.  His current role at Dell sees him lead the Client Systems Group.

31 - Tony Redmond

31 - Tony Redmond

31 - Tony Redmond

Owner and Principal, Redmond & Associates

Twitter | LinkedIn

Tony’s consulting company specializes in helping people understand the impact of cloud technology. He is also the author of Office 365 for IT Pros (2022 Edition). Rather than letting IT admins buy separate books for SharePoint Online, Exchange Online, OneDrive for Business, Microsoft Teams, eDiscovery, Information Protection, Compliance, and PowerShell, Tony has compiled everything you need to know in one place.

32 - Stephanie Atkinson

32 - Stephanie Atkinson

32 - Stephanie Atkinson

CEO, Founder, and Principal Analyst, Compass Intelligence

Twitter | LinkedIn

Stephanie founded Compass Intelligence in 2006 to provide go-to-market, business development, and client engagement services. Her previous roles at Alcatel and Frost and Sullivan ensure she’s tuned into the unified comms space while maintaining several advisory and not-for-profit roles including IoTCoffeeTalk.com and Elevate Our Kids.

33 - Dominic Kent

33 - Dominic Kent

33 - Dominic Kent

Founder, UC Marketing Ltd

Twitter | LinkedIn

After spending 10+ years provisioning, project managing, and running consultancy projects in the unified comms space, Dominic saw a chasm in the marketing offerings of the providers he was working with. In 2018, Dominic became a freelance content marketer working with clients like RingCentral, Mio, and Cisco. Since then, Dominic has gone on to founding the first-ever content marketing agency solely focussed on unified comms.

34 - Matt Wade

34 - Matt Wade

34 - Matt Wade

Founder, jumpto365

Twitter | LinkedIn

Matt Wade is an independent consultant and speaker specializing in Microsoft Teams and the wider 365 ecosystems. He’s the co-Founder of jumpto365, creator of the Periodic Table of Office 365, and other learning materials designed to make Microsoft technologies more digestible. Matt recently authored Office 365 All-in-One For Dummies and regularly creates blog and video content on his social media.

35 - Steve Goodman

35 - Steve Goodman

35 - Steve Goodman

Principal Technology Strategist at Content+Cloud

Twitter | LinkedIn

Outside Steve’s day job, he’s forever present in the Microsoft community. He is Chief Editor of the Practical 365 publication and co-host of Practical 365 podcast. Demonstrating Steve really is practical when it comes to 365, you’ll often find Steve speaking at Microsoft events in the UK or helping clients with technical development and implementation as part of All About Content Limited, where he is co-Founder and CTO.

36 - Irwin Lazar

36 - Irwin Lazar

36 - Irwin Lazar

President and Principal Analyst, Metrigy

Twitter | LinkedIn

Metrigy is a fairly new analyst firm covering unified comms and collaboration but Irwin has years of experience covering the biggest vendors. Spun out of Nemertes Research, where Irwin spent 15 years, Robin Gareiss and Irwin founded Metrigy to conduct research and analysis across the B2B communications technology spectrum.

37 - Jason Lovell

37 - Jason Lovell

37 - Jason Lovell

Head of Metaverse Strategy, PwC

Twitter | LinkedIn

Hence the profile photo, Jason is responsible for everything metaverse at PwC. Having worked with VR technologies since 2015 (at Samsung), Jason has worked with brands of all sizes to develop competitive technologies in the VR and XR category.

38 - Graham Walsh

38 - Graham Walsh

38 - Graham Walsh

Product Specialist and Strategic Alliances Manager at Neat

Twitter | LinkedIn

Graham has been involved with Microsoft and multi vendor partners since the early days of collaboration and interoperability. You’ll find Graham at almost every UC/AV event showing off the latest technology for in-room and hybrid experiences. His blog and YouTube channel are great sources for all things devices in Microsoft Teams and Zoom.

39 - Nicole Herskowitz

39 - Nicole Herskowitz

39 - Nicole Herskowitz

VP, Microsoft Teams

Twitter | LinkedIn

Nicole has been part of the Microsoft family since 2000, spending time on technologies like Microsoft Project, SharePoint, Visual Studio, Azure, and Teams. Aside from being responsible for the success of various Microsoft apps and platforms, Nicole shares the latest features in Teams, customer stories, and real-life examples of how the Teams marketing team adapts to hybrid work.

40 - Ilya Bukshteyn

40 - Ilya Bukshteyn

40 - Ilya Bukshteyn

VP of Calling and Devices, Microsoft Teams

Twitter | LinkedIn

If there’s a device ready to be plugged into Teams, Ilya is the person who knows about it (and probably authorized it!). As Microsoft Teams becomes a full collaboration suite for large businesses, Ilya’s role is crucial for the success of Microsoft as a cloud phone system and enables partners to continue creating best-in-class Teams-certified hardware.

41 - Jonathan Rosenberg

41 - Jonathan Rosenberg

41 - Jonathan Rosenberg

CTO and Head of AI at Five9

Twitter | LinkedIn

Often thought of as the godfather of SIP, Jonathan has been responsible for some of the most foundational protocols we use in unified comms today. Currently responsible for bringing AI into the contact center at Five9 and advising interoperability vendor, Mio, Jonathan’s career roster is a who’s who of unified communications. Companies include Lucent, Skype, Microsoft, and Cisco (twice).

42 - Richard Leong

42 - Richard Leong

42 - Richard Leong

Head of Collaboration and Productivity, Apple

LinkedIn

With over 20 years of technology leadership under his belt, Richard is a firm believer in and a public evangelist for unified comms and collaboration. Richard’s experience has always focussed on enabling the best internal experience when it comes to technology. Check out his LinkedIn for real-world stories of collaboration tech bettering businesses.

43 - Patrick Kelley

43 - Patrick Kelley

43 - Patrick Kelley

Distinguished Architect, Zoom

Twitter | LinkedIn

Boasting one of the coolest job titles in unified comms, Patrick plays a significant role in all technical and enterprise Zoom deals and deployments. Going by “Tattooed Nerd”, Patricks’ YouTube and LinkedIn videos provide educational resources for not just all things Zoom but all things that integrate with Zoom too. His most popular videos include the coexistence of Zoom with Microsoft Teams, Dynamics, and SharePoint.

44 - David Danto

44 - David Danto

44 - David Danto

Director of UC Strategy and Research, Poly

Twitter | LinkedIn

David has his hand in many pies in the UC world. When he’s not evangelizing the Poly (now part of HP) portfolio, you can find him on the board of UCX USA, editing Commercial Integrator's publication, “Collaboration Today and Tomorrow” and, and as Director of Emerging Technologies for the IMCCA, a not-for-profit industry organization designed to grow the UC and AV industry.

45 - Joe Way

45 - Joe Way

45 - Joe Way

Director of Learning Environments, University of Southern California

Twitter | LinkedIn

Joe’s role within the University of Southern California is to provide the best possible experience for students and faculty. And after increasing customer satisfaction scores by 300%, you could say he achieved that when implementing the single largest classroom educational technology upgrade in the history of the university. Outside of “work”, Joe founded the Higher Ed AV podcast and magazine.

46 - Laurie Pottmeyer

46 - Laurie Pottmeyer

46 - Laurie Pottmeyer

Senior Product Manager & Community Lead, Microsoft Teams Engineering

Twitter | LinkedIn

Quite frankly, if you’re in the Teams community, you’ll have come across Laurie at some point.

Laurie is a mainstay in the Tech Community Forum, a regular at Microsoft in-person and online events, and a protagonist in the Women in Teams community.

47 - Stephanie Watson

47 - Stephanie Watson

47 - Stephanie Watson

General Manager at MZA Ltd

Twitter | LinkedIn

Stephanie is responsible for all company operations, client management, and business development at MZA, a UK-based telecom and IT firm covering worldwide markets of unified comms and contact center. Clients include 8x8, Mitel, and Microsoft.

48 - Tony Thomas

48 - Tony Thomas

48 - Tony Thomas

Chief Executive Officer at Windstream Communications

Twitter | LinkedIn

Having started at Windstream as a Finance Controller in 2006, Tony has worked his way up to CEO. Serving a range of clients from residential to enterprise and wholesale, Windstream has been named in Gartner Magic Quadrants for three consecutive years under Tony’s leadership.

49 - Jennifer Mason

49 - Jennifer Mason

49 - Jennifer Mason

VP of Workforce Transformation & Learning, Planet Technologies

Twitter | LinkedIn

Focused on the learning and development sector, Jennifer is responsible for ensuring not only the best technology is in place but the adoption and training of it too. She is a Microsoft MVP for M365 Apps & Services, collecting the accolade for the eleventh year in a row.

50 - Atul Bhardwaj

50 - Atul Bhardwaj

50 - Atul Bhardwaj

Chief Digital & Technology Officer, LEGO Group

LinkedIn

After starting at Accenture straight out of university and working his way to partner, Atul then served as Group CIO at Tesco, the largest grocery retailer in the UK, for 10 years. Now responsible for all digital and technology experiences at LEGO, Atul is tasked with “unleashing the potential of technology and data to help the LEGO Group inspire and develop even more builders of tomorrow.”

51 - Gary Sorrentino

51 - Gary Sorrentino

51 - Gary Sorrentino

Global CIO, Zoom

Twitter | LinkedIn

With years of hands-on experience coupled with a 15 year stint at J.P. Morgan, Gary feels like a natural fit for his most recent role as Global CIO of Zoom, where he is responsible for information and security practices within Zoom. He was recently nominated as a finalist for OnConferences’ Top 100 Information Security Professional Award.

52 - Robin Gareiss

52 - Robin Gareiss

52 - Robin Gareiss

CEO at Metrigy

Twitter | LinkedIn

Another to spin out of formerly Nemertes Research, Robin co-founded Metrigy with Irwin Lazar. She is tasked with leading the company while providing research and strategic advice across the scope of digital transformation, unified comms, and customer experience.

53 - Reggie Smith III

53 - Reggie Smith III

53 - Reggie Smith III

Manager of Conference Services and Telemedicine Operations, Children’s National Health Center

Twitter | LinkedIn

Reggie has been involved with distance learning programs for well over two decades. This, combined with previous experience as a video teleconferencing manager in the 90s and 00s, qualifies him as one of the most senior people to be leading conferencing and telemedicine support in the niche area of children’s health.

54 - Justin Morris

54 - Justin Morris

54 - Justin Morris

Senior Customer Success Manager at Microsoft

Twitter | LinkedIn

With vast experience helping Microsoft partners and end users at Microsoft partners like Accenture and Modality Systems, Justin joined Microsoft with first-hand experience of what customers truly need and is now delivering as a Customer Success Manager. Justin’s entire career has been dedicated to helping clients embrace a Microsoft digital workplace in the UK, USA, Asia, and Australia.

55 - Todd Carothers

55 - Todd Carothers

55 - Todd Carothers

EVP of Strategy, Alianza, Inc.

LinkedIn

After leading CounterPath, a softphone pioneer, as EVP of Marketing & Product then Chief Revenue Officer, CounterPath was acquired by Alianza, Inc. in 2021. Todd is now responsible for executing Alianza’s strategy integrations and key business development initiatives.

56 - Matthew Landis

56 - Matthew Landis

56 - Matthew Landis

Owner & Manager, Landis Technologies LLC

Twitter | LinkedIn

Matthew runs a bespoke consulting, implementation, and support firm specializing in Microsoft Teams and Dynamics. His company was one of the first companies to provide an attendant console for Skype for Business (and then Teams). Landis Technologies now provides a contact center solution for Teams, something you can see on display at many Microsoft events in the US.

57 - Nancy Jamison

57 - Nancy Jamison

57 - Nancy Jamison

Senior Director for ICT, Frost & Sullivan

Twitter | LinkedIn

With a career including product and marketing roles at brands like Siemens, IBM, and SOFTEL, Nancy has spent the most recent part of her career in analyst roles at Gartner, as an independent, and now Frost & Sullivan. Initially covering contact center, her role has expanded to include all things ICT and digital transformation.

58 - Elka Popova

58 - Elka Popova

58 - Elka Popova

VP and Senior Fellow for ICT, Frost & Sullivan

Twitter | LinkedIn

Elka is synonymous with Frost & Sullivan, having been a key part of the organization since 2000. She covers all things relating to digital transformation with a core focus on unified comms and collaboration. You can find Elka on many industry publications, podcasts, and speaking at events.

59 - Tom Hadfield

59 - Tom Hadfield

59 - Tom Hadfield

CEO, Mio

Twitter | LinkedIn

Tom is a serial entrepreneur currently running message interoperability pioneer, Mio. With a vision of connecting business applications and breaking down workplace silos, Mio connects the messaging experience between Microsoft Teams, Slack, Webex, and Zoom Team Chat.

60 - Mary T. McDowell

60 - Mary T. McDowell

60 - Mary T. McDowell

Chair of the Board of Directors, Mitel

Twitter | LinkedIn

Having spent two years as CEO, Mary now chairs the Board of Directors at long-term telecom leaders, Mitel. With previous leadership roles at telecommunications equipment manufacturers like HP, Poly, and Nokia, Mary brings a wealth of experience to Mitel as it transitions its own product offering to the cloud.

61 - Sarah Haase

61 - Sarah Haase

61 - Sarah Haase

Collaboration Group Product Manager, U.S. Bank

Twitter | LinkedIn

Sarah is responsible for driving digital and cultural transformation at the U.S. Bank. The cultural element often being missed when conducting technology migrations in enterprises. With a core focus on Microsoft 365, Sarah has recently empowered 39,000 OneDrive users, 48,000 SharePoint users, and 20,000 active Yammer users.

62 - Stefano Osler

62 - Stefano Osler

62 - Stefano Osler

CEO, Wildix

Twitter | LinkedIn

Stefano has helped grow Wildix from founder level to being recognized as a Niche Player in the Gartner Magic Quadrant for UCaaS in 2021. He has stated his ambition to move into the Leader quadrant so Wildix is one to keep an eye on in years to come.

63 - Javed Khan

63 - Javed Khan

63 - Javed Khan

SVP/GM, Cisco

Twitter | LinkedIn

Following 14 years as VP of Enterprise Security at Symantec, Javed has led the Collaboration unit of Cisco since 2015. He and his team are responsible for everything that goes into the Webex product, which has recently seen a transition to a single unified app and has a major focus on interoperability.

64 - Dan O'Connell

64 - Dan O'Connell

64 - Dan O'Connell

Chief Strategy Officer, Dialpad

LinkedIn

Formerly CEO at TalkIQ, the company was acquired by Dialpad for $50m in 2018 where Dan assumed positions of Chief Strategy Officer and Chief Revenue Officer. Dialpad has since raised $50m in further investment and has been featured as Visionary in Gartner Magic Quadrants.

65 - Rob Arnold

65 - Rob Arnold

65 - Rob Arnold

Program Manager, UC&C, Frost & Sullivan

Twitter | LinkedIn

Rob has been providing analysis on the unified comms industry since 2002 and is one of the most qualified people to have witnessed the shift from on-premises to cloud. Rob covers all things unified comms, collaboration, and associated hardware and integrations.

66 - David Maldow

66 - David Maldow

66 - David Maldow

Founder and CEO, Let’s Do Video

Twitter | LinkedIn

David is the go-to person for B2B (and a splash of B2C) video technology. He produces podcasts, creates educational videos, and strength tests video conferencing equipment. With sponsors like Cisco, Zoom, and BlueJeans, it’s clear David and Let’s Do Video are the authority on video technology.

67 - Darrius Jones

67 - Darrius Jones

67 - Darrius Jones

Senior Vice President Digital Design & Innovation, USAA

Twitter | LinkedIn

Having worked at both the leading unified comms hardware suppliers, Cisco and Poly, Darrius is well-versed in design and implementation. Now leading digital design and innovation at USAA, he is tasked with ensuring technology empowers both employees and customers as it serves branches of the military and their families.

68 - Kevin Kieller

68 - Kevin Kieller

68 - Kevin Kieller

Co-Founder and Lead Analyst, enableUC

Twitter | LinkedIn

Kevin is a content creator and analyst who aims to help Microsoft users implement and adopt Teams throughout the feature set. He is a regular columnist at NoJitter and part of the BC Strategies team, focusing on Microsoft Teams. You’ll likely have seen his husky, Kai, in one of Kevin’s Taming Teams presentations!

69 - Adam Preset

69 - Adam Preset

69 - Adam Preset

VP Analyst, Gartner

Twitter | LinkedIn

Adam joined Gartner as a Research Analyst in 2013 where he has been involved with digital workplace, cloud communication, and virtual events ever since. Now as a VP, Adam is a regular at Gartner and industry conferences and he’s always one of the first to comment on new B2B technology.

70 - Roopam Jain

70 - Roopam Jain

70 - Roopam Jain

VP of Research for ICT, Frost & Sullivan

Twitter | LinkedIn

Roopam started at Frost & Sullivan in 1999 covering conferencing and collaboration. Her remit, and the entire category, has now grown to the wider range of ICT, where she is now a VP. Throughout her career, Roopam has provided market intelligence and commentary on emerging trends. She’s a regular on vendor panels at industry events.

71 - Jason Moss

71 - Jason Moss

71 - Jason Moss

VP of Corporate Development & Alliances, QSC

Twitter | LinkedIn

At QSC, Jason is responsible for developing and enhancing strategic alliances with leading technology partners. He brings with him nine years experience at video collaboration manufacturer, Logitech, and is also a board member of the IMCCA.

72 - Justin Michael Watts

72 - Justin Michael Watts

72 - Justin Michael Watts

Senior Design Engineer, Apple

Twitter | LinkedIn

Justin manages high-touch deployments in the realm of conferencing and broadcasting at Apple. His impressive CV includes global giants like Google, Facebook, and BP. He is also co-chair of the Image Systems Contrast Ratio Standards Committee at Avixa, the AV association responsible for InfoComm.

73 - Jason Conyard

73 - Jason Conyard

73 - Jason Conyard

CIO, VMware

Twitter | LinkedIn

Following long stints at Symantec and Juniper Networks, Jason has spent the last eight years at VMware. He regularly posts insights from real-world experiences within VMware, citing how collaboration technology changes his enterprise for the better.

74 - Michael Przytula

74 - Michael Przytula

74 - Michael Przytula

Managing Director of Intelligent & Digital Workplaces, Accenture

Twitter | Linkedin

With over 25 years of experience enabling technology change at businesses like Dell and HP, Michael is now responsible for the Intelligent & Digital Workplaces within Accenture. Including in-person, virtual, or hybrid, Michael covers all variables of the modern workplace.

75 - Dom Black

75 - Dom Black

75 - Dom Black

Director of Research, Cavell Group

Twitter | LinkedIn

Dom leads Cavell’s research arm covering all things cloud communications, contact center, and video throughout EMEA and the US. He is responsible for the company's research reports and assists with due diligence and consulting projects. You’ll find Dom at all of Cavell’s own industry events including Cloud Comms Summit, Invest Summit, and Networking Summit.

76 - Michael Brandenburg

76 - Michael Brandenburg

76 - Michael Brandenburg

Senior Industry Analyst, Frost & Sullivan

Twitter | LinkedIn

With experience as both a network and system engineer and an editor at several industry publications, Michael merged his experience when joining Frost & Sullivan in 2011. Here, he holds a senior role in the Connected Work team, covering infrastructure, unified comms, and CPaaS.

77 - Hal Hostetler

77 - Hal Hostetler

77 - Hal Hostetler

Senior Field Engineer, Roland, Schorr, & Tower

Twitter | LinkedIn

Hal might just be the longest serving Microsoft MVP with an impressive 26 years collecting the accolade. His hands-on engineering experience includes over five decades worth of Hi-Fi, PA, broadcasting, and IT support. Hal also operates the Daystar Broadcasting Channel 29 translator station, KCPE, located in the Tucson Mountains.

78 - Case Murphy

78 - Case Murphy

78 - Case Murphy

Senior Director, Walmart Global Tech

Twitter | LinkedIn

After a collective 20 years at Time Warner and AOL, Case joined Walmart in 2017 to lead video, voice, and digital signage. He is now responsible for the entire global technology stack as part of a specialist entity within Walmart.

79 - Kevin Crossman

79 - Kevin Crossman

79 - Kevin Crossman

Manager of Collaboration & Content, Juniper Networks

Twitter | LinkedIn

Kevin’s remit at Juniper Network bridges the gap between collaboration and content technologies. And as a Microsoft MVP since 2016, he’s a specialist in SharePoint, Teams, and Yammer. You can find him at industry events like Yammer Festival and contributing to Microsoft community blogs.

80 - Michael Duda

80 - Michael Duda

80 - Michael Duda

Program Manager of Global Deployments Operations, Google

Twitter | LinkedIn

From cutting his teeth as a camera operator to managing AV projects, Michael has since worked his way through the ranks of Google experiencing all things multimedia, video conferencing, and AV. Michael is also a board member at the IMCCA.

81 - Denise Munro

81 - Denise Munro

81 - Denise Munro

Principal, The Cost Reduction Group

Twitter | LinkedIn

Denise established CRG in 1994 with the goal of providing cost savings thanks to her advanced knowledge of telecom services, billing, audit and optimization methodologies, and vendor contract negotiation. In this time, she’s worked independently and alongside consultancies like GAP Solutions Group and Novom Group.

82 - Michael Blumenthal

82 - Michael Blumenthal

82 - Michael Blumenthal

Microsoft Product Manager at NORC at the University of Chicago

Twitter | LinkedIn

Michael’s role at NORC, an objective, non-partisan research organization, sees him responsible for Microsoft 365 product governance, support, and adoption. As a Microsoft MVP since 2015, you’ll also find Michael at events like M365 Chicago and sharing M365 experiences on his blog.

83 - Casey King

83 - Casey King

83 - Casey King

Sr. Principal Technologist, Amazon

Twitter | LinkedIn

Casey has led product teams at some of the foremost players in the collaboration industry like Apple, Lifesize, Huddly, and Poly. Now operating as a technologist at Amazon, there’s no doubt everything Casey’s learned in-industry will influence future Amazon propositions.

84 - Jocelyn DeMaio

84 - Jocelyn DeMaio

84 - Jocelyn DeMaio

AVP of Collaboration Services & End User Experience, The Hartford

Twitter | LinkedIn

Jocelyn has spent the last 20 years leading and developing the collaboration technology strategy for The Hartford. Key projects include migrating the entire IT stack to as-a-service, the integration of multiple enterprise technologies, and most recently creating equal opportunities with the use of technology for co-located, remote, and hybrid workforce.

85 - Abdul Chaudhri

85 - Abdul Chaudhri

85 - Abdul Chaudhri

Director of Strategic Accounts & Building Infrastructure Americas, Biamp

LinkedIn

With an extensive history managing sales teams and vendor relations, Abdul is responsible for building trusted partnerships with Biamp’s sales network. Formerly of HP and QSC, Abdul has decades of hands-on engineering experience to empower his sales leadership.

86 - Deepa Patel

86 - Deepa Patel

86 - Deepa Patel

Brand Director of Marketing Communications, Apple

Twitter | LinkedIn

Having undertaken brand and marketing assignments for clients like Neutrogena, American Express, and Comcast Business, Deepa is now using her experience to empower sales and customer experience within the marketing communications sector of Apple.

87 - James King

87 - James King

87 - James King

Assistant Director of AV Services, Kirk Kerkorian School of Medicine at UNLV

Twitter | LinkedIn

James is a long-serving professional services specialist with a core focus on delivering and maintaining AV projects in the education sector. James also founded and runs the Higher Ed AV IT community, with over 200 active members.

88 - Jeff DeSandre

88 - Jeff DeSandre

88 - Jeff DeSandre

CIO, AmerCareRoyal

LinkedIn

Jeff is responsible for defining and delivering IT strategy and capabilities across the AmerCareRoyal enterprise. His previous experience demonstrates both short-term and long-term change implementation across ERP, communications, and IT technologies.

89 - Eugene Pritts

89 - Eugene Pritts

89 - Eugene Pritts

Executive Director, J.P.Morgan Chase & Co.

LinkedIn

Since joining J.P. Morgan Chase in 2011, Eugene works indirectly with some of the largest brands in the world; meaning J.P. Morgan Chase & Co must always be at the forefront of technology. A key recent project leads the increase of short-form video messaging to help its 278,000 staff make better use of their time.

90 - Rebecca Rinaldi

90 - Rebecca Rinaldi

90 - Rebecca Rinaldi

Head of Enterprise Contact Center & Service Operations Technology, Evernorth

Twitter | LinkedIn

Following 20 years running automation and service operations at Cigna, Rebecca is now tasked with leading contact center technology at Evernorth, where she supports over 25,000 distributed agents.

91 - Kelly Candler

91 - Kelly Candler

91 - Kelly Candler

VP of Digital Workplace & Employee Experience, Raytheon Technologies

LinkedIn

Kelly is responsible for ensuring employees have the best communication and collaboration experience possible whether they are in the office, at home, or a mixture of the two. Her background in Six Sigma and asset management no doubt prove valuable when making the most of technology and educating users of genuine adoption.

92 - Pete Kolak

92 - Pete Kolak

92 - Pete Kolak

Video conferencing Services Manager at Intuit

LinkedIn

Recently named one of the world’s best employers, Pete’s has the role of ensuring the best possible video conferencing service for both internal and external users. With previous experience at giants like Juniper Networks and Adobe, Pete is well-versed implementing and maintaining the latest video services.

93 - Gary LaSasso

93 - Gary LaSasso

93 - Gary LaSasso

Senior Director of IT, Amicus Therapeutics

Twitter | LinkedIn

To remain at the forefront of advanced therapies to treat a range of rare and orphan diseases, Amicus Therapeutics must also be at the forefront of IT and communications services. Gary’s role ensures that and covers video conferencing, room systems, and unified communications.

94 - Kevin Hyatt

94 - Kevin Hyatt

94 - Kevin Hyatt

Senior Manager of Digital Experience Connected Workspace, The Walt Disney Company

LinkedIn

Kevin has been part of the Walt Disney family since 1998 overseeing workplace changes and initiatives to ensure the company remains at the height of technology.  His current focus is creating modern meeting and event solutions with video, voice, content sharing, and space scheduling.

95 - Scott Carr

95 - Scott Carr

95 - Scott Carr

Director of IT, City of Broken Arrow

LinkedIn

Scott is responsible for IT across city departments including Police and Fire for Oklahoma's 4th largest city, Broken Arrow. He has a key focus on Microsoft 365 applications like Teams while managing network, telephony, and ERP components.

96 - DeWayne Hyatt

96 - DeWayne Hyatt

96 - DeWayne Hyatt

Systems Administrator IV, University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences 

Twitter | LinkedIn

DeWayne has spent the last 10 years managing 5,500 workstations and an off-campus server fleet, therefore juggling both on-premises and cloud communication stacks. He also co-founded the learning community, Cloudy County Extension, with over 1,300 users.

97 - David Smith

97 - David Smith

97 - David Smith

Founder and Principal InFlow Analysis

LinkedIn

David is a globally focused consultant focusing on strategies for technology enabling business processes to improve employee and customer experiences.

98 - Brett McVay

98 - Brett McVay

98 - Brett McVay

Network Administrator, Advanced Dermatology and Cosmetic Surgery

LinkedIn

To offer advanced services in a specialist field, a business must always be up to date with modern technology. Brett’s role is to enable that by managing and supporting network, telephone, and collaboration technologies.

99 - Carol Zelkin

99 - Carol Zelkin

99 - Carol Zelkin

Executive Director, IMCCA

LinkedIn

Thanks to Carol’s extensive background in telecoms, wealth of experience and record of success, she has been able to grow the non-profit industry trade association, IMCCA, to its position today. In her role as Executive Director, Carol is responsible for industry relations, strategic planning, and business development.

100 - Aaron Pollock

100 - Aaron Pollock

100 - Aaron Pollock

Manager of Digital Workplace, Magellan Midstream Partners

LinkedIn

With over 20 years experience in security, service center, and desktop support, Aaron is currently tasked with leading the digital workplace at petroleum and crude oil transportation specialists, Magellan Midstream Partners.

Cloud & Networks

Cloud & Networks

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Collaboration

Collaboration

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Customer Contact & Experience

Customer Contact & Experience

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Security

Security

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Video & AV

Video & AV

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Artificial Intelligence

Artificial Intelligence

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