TOP Conference Chairs
Wladek Forysiak, Professor, University of Bristol
Wladek is Professor of Data Centre Networks at the University of Bristol. 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, the impact and mitigation of device and fibre nonlinearities, and data centre networks.
Fotini Karinou, Principal Hardware Architect at Microsoft
Fotini is a Principal Hardware Architect – Optical Technologies at Microsoft’s Azure Hardware Systems and Infrastructure (AHSI) organization, in the Strategic Planning & Architecture (SPARC) team, focusing on the optical technologies pathfinding, roadmapping, and innovation strategy for future Azure AI and compute systems. Before, she was a Principal Research Manager at Microsoft, working on the development of optical technologies for next-generation cloud computing systems and networks. Her research interests included optical devices and systems for datacenter networks, quantum networking, and optical storage. Previously, she was a Senior R&D Engineer at Huawei Technologies Ltd in the Optical & Quantum Laboratory at the German Research Centre in Munich, Germany, focusing on optical transmission systems and networks for datacom, metro/access, long-haul and quantum communications. She holds a Diploma in Electrical and Computer Engineering and a PhD in optical communications. She has served as TPC chair for OFC 2020 and IEEE Summer Topicals 2020 and as TPC member for OFC 2018-2021, CLEO 2021-2023, IPC 2020-2024. Currently, she serves as Associate Editor for the IEEE/Optica Journal of Lightwave Technology and as General Chair for the OFC 2025.
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 has been responsible for optical fibre and systems specifications. He currently leads BT’s optical research including optical access, high speed transmission and quantum communications. He has recently initiated BT’s quantum research, with applications in areas such as secure communications, timing and sensing. He regularly speaks at conferences, sits on several organising committees, including ECOC and was Technical Program Chair for OFC 2015 and General Chair for OFC 2017. He was TPC co-chair of ECOC 2023. He is Editor-in-Chief of the Journal of Optical Communications and Networking, He is Visiting Professor at Essex University, Fellow of the IEEE and a BT Distinguished Engineer.
James Regan, CEO Oriole Networks
James is a physicist with more than 30 years’ experience leading businesses in the optical communications industry and creating companies out of university research. As CEO and co-founder of recent spin-out Oriole Networks he leads one of the UK’s few system-level optical networking companies. He previously created and led spin-outs EFFECT Photonics and Venture Photonics and built successful businesses within Agility communications and Nortel Networks. He has led businesses in highspeed transmission, photonic integration, optical amplification, photonic switching and optical components and modules.