TOP Conference Chairs
Wladek Forysiak, Professor and Deputy Director of AIPT at Aston University.
Wladek Forysiak is a Professor and Deputy Director of AIPT at Aston University. He holds a PhD in laser physics and has a research background in nonlinear photonics and high speed optical fibre communication systems. He was a co-founder of Marconi Solstis in 2000, and spent 15 years in WDM system related product development with Marconi, Ericsson, and Oclaro. A Royal Society Industry Fellow from 2012-16, he was awarded a 5-year EPSRC Manufacturing Fellowship at Aston University in 2015, and is presently the EFFECT Photonics / Royal Academy of Engineering Chair in Highly Integrated Coherent optical fibre Communications. His current research interests are in wideband optical fibre communication systems, optical devices and subsystems, and the impact and mitigation of device and fibre nonlinearities.
Andrew Lord, BT
Andrew joined BT in 1985 after a BA in Physics from Oxford University. He has helped design a wide range of optical network systems and technologies, including long haul subsea and terrestrial DWDM networks He currently leads BT’s optical core and access research including optical access, high speed transmission, and Quantum Communications. He was Technical Program Chair for OFC 2015 and General Chair for OFC 2017; he will be TPC Chair of ECOC 2023. He is Editor-in-Chief of the Journal of Optical Communications and Networking, is Visiting Professor at Essex University, Fellow of the IEEE and a BT Distinguished Engineer.
James Regan, Serial Entrepreneur
James Regan has more than 30 years’ experience in the optical communications component industry. He has held several different roles in research, engineering, project and product management, marketing, sales, and general management. Before joining EFFECT Photonics in 2011, James helped build successful business within large companies such as Nortel Components and JDSU, as well as multiple start-ups, including Agility Communications.