Humans of Telecom

“Telecom is in my DNA. My mother was a switchboard operator. I grew up running around server racks as a kid!” — Shannon Donohue, Chief Technology Officer at Somos, in conversation with Anurag AggarwalFrom running around server racks as a child in her mother’s central office...to joining a 16-person startup called CallFire straight out of UCLA...to being asked by Gina Perini to become the CTO of Somos at 39 -Shannon’s journey is one of destiny, determination, and the most extraordinary set of mentors!In this episode of Humans of Telecom, Shannon opens up about:📡 Telecom literally in her DNA - her mother was a switchboard operator and central office equipment maintainer, and Shannon grew up playing around server racks as a child🚀 Eleven years at CallFire - joining as employee number 16, working alongside TJ Thinakaran, and growing from junior contributor to VP through acquisitions, rebrands and M&A integrations🔄 A career-long front row seat to M&A - from CallFire and EZ Texting, to Telesign becoming Proximus Global, to Vonage within the Ericsson group, to now XConnect and Somos coming together🤝 The Women in Messaging initiative - born as a dinner of six at MWC in Las Vegas, now 65 strong and growing, with founding members including Stephanie Lashley, Tina Donaldson and Gina Perini🧠 A rare neurological condition called aphantasia - she cannot voluntarily visualize images when awake, thinks entirely in concepts and words, and only sees visuals when she dreams🤺 A path to the Junior Olympics in fencing - cut short on Friday the 13th on 13th Street in Santa Monica, when a car hit her motorcycle and fractured her femur and orbital socket at 15⚔️ A linguistics degree from UCLA and the ability to read and speak Old Norse - the ancient language of the Vikings, and heritage tongue of Icelandic, Norwegian and Danish🏂 Snowboarding 30 days every season with her family - and a seven-year-old son already taking on black runs who may soon outshine her❤️ And her one wish - more time with her seven-year-old son and four-year-old daughter, because everyone who has lived this season of life says the same thing - it goes so fastFrom Santa Monica to every corner of the telecom world -Shannon is proof that the best technology leaders are not just the ones who build the best systems, but the ones who make every person around them feel seen, supported and set up to succeed!🎧 Listen now on your favorite podcast platform, and follow Humans of Telecom for more extraordinary voices shaping the industry and inspiring the human spirit!

“I’ve never stopped learning from the people around me. They taught me about business, about leadership - and about life. And I carry all of it with me!” — Nuria Pallarés, Procurement Manager at Sinch, in conversation with Anurag AggarwalFrom a chemistry degree she never planned to use...to stumbling into a telecom sales interview on a whim...to becoming a professional singer with two bands, recorded albums, and stages she has genuinely rocked -Nuria’s journey is one of beautiful accidents, warm connections, and extraordinary range!In this episode of Humans of Telecom, Nuria opens up about:🎓 The chemistry graduate who walked into a telecom interview looking for a career change - and never looked back, 13 years later🌊 Recording this episode from her family summer house overlooking the Mediterranean Sea - because some backdrops simply cannot be argued with🎤 The professional singer with two bands - one that plays original music and one that plays covers - with recorded albums, charity concerts, and stages of 5,000 people📺 A stint as a TV host on a local show in her hometown - because apparently telecom, singing and television were all just waiting for her🐱 Volunteering at an animal rescue shelter caring for over 60 cats - and how being around animals is one of the most grounding things she does🏄 Paddle surfing by the sea, Pilates, meditation, and spiritual practices - because keeping herself centered is non-negotiable🤝 A career defined not by titles but by the people - from NRSGateway and Lleida.net to Tadoo and Sinch - every chapter shaped by mentors, friends and teammates who made the difference❤️ And her quiet but powerful purpose - to leave every place, every person, and every situation a little bit better than she found itFrom a chemistry lab to the global telecom stage to a concert venue near you -Nuria is proof that the best careers - and the best lives - are built one unexpected yes at a time!🎧 Listen now on your favorite podcast platform, and follow Humans of Telecom for more extraordinary voices shaping the industry and inspiring the human spirit

“My father wanted me to be a telecom engineer. I hated the idea. I went into economics instead. And 25 years later - here I am in telecom anyway!” — Ricardo Martins, VP Global Sales Messaging at iBASIS, in conversation with Anurag AggarwalFrom a student who refused to study telecom engineering like his father wanted...to negotiating his exam grade just enough to earn an Erasmus year in Rome...to spending 25 years building one of the most recognisable careers in global wholesale messaging -Ricardo’s journey is one of happy accidents, human connections, and a what-if moment that changed everything!In this episode of Humans of Telecom, Ricardo opens up about:🏛️ The Erasmus year in Rome that started everything - a failed exam, a negotiated grade, and a ticket to Italy that eventually led him straight into telecom📰 The almost-career as a journalist covering the telecom stock market bubble in the late 90s💬 A spectacular journey of building iBASIS - along with Patrick George and the team - to the leadership position it is at now!🌍 Five languages - Portuguese, English, Spanish, French and a slightly rusty Italian - and why being multilingual has always been a quiet superpower in this industry📚 A lifelong passion for comics that started in childhood and never left🎂 Two of his three daughters born on dates that coincide with ITW and Wholesale World Congress Madrid - and the ongoing challenge of splitting himself between the conference floor and home❤️ The most beautiful telecom connection of all - meeting the love of his life, Rita - because sometimes this industry gives you far more than a career🏖️ Recharging by the sea in Sintra with good food, good weather and good friends - because Portugal makes it very easy to slow downFrom Lisbon to Rome to every major telecom conference in the world -Ricardo is proof that the best career moments are rarely planned, the best relationships are rarely expected, and the best journeys always involve a little bit of negotiation!🎧 Listen now on your favorite podcast platform, and follow Humans of Telecom for more extraordinary voices shaping the industry and inspiring the human spirit!

"First come the spikes. Then you see the kindness. Because kindness shown too early is sometimes mistaken for weakness!" — Natalia Matviychuk, Head of Wholesale at GlobaHub AG, in conversation with Anurag AggarwalFrom a 16-year-old exchange student in the United States...to working night shifts at a telecom company to keep her English alive...to becoming one of the most recognisable faces in the global wholesale ecosystem -Natalia's journey is one of grit, adventure, and spectacular reinvention!In this episode of Humans of Telecom, Natalia opens up about:💪 Joining us from Kyiv - the capital of courage and freedom - and what it means to build a global career while navigating the realities of war at home🎓 The exchange year in the US that changed her English - and the night shift customer support job that accidentally launched a 13-year telecom career🥁 The early 20s spent playing drums in a heavy metal band - with dreams of touring Europe as a rock star - and how she is kind of doing that now, just representing GlobaHub instead🎿 A passionate snowboarder who has completely fallen in love with the slopes - the one place where emails simply cannot follow her🎯 The sniper rifle she learned to shoot at a war museum in London - and then decided to take seriously back home in Ukraine✈️ A pilot license on her five-year plan - complete with schools already googled and a mother who jokes she needs a plane more than an apartment💇 Six months in COVID lockdown during which she dyed her hair green, blue, purple and red - because if no one can see you, why not?❤️ And her philosophy - kindness is never weakness, but sometimes it needs a little boldness covering itFrom Kyiv to Chicago to every telecom conference in between - Natalia is proof that the best careers begin by accident, and the best lives are lived with courage, curiosity, and absolutely no regrets!🎧 Listen now on your favorite podcast platform, and follow Humans of Telecom for more extraordinary voices shaping the industry and inspiring the human spirit!

"Treat everybody the same. The cleaner. The CEO. Your job title or bank balance doesn't make you more valuable than anyone else!" — Andrew Ward, Sales Director at NGN Corp, in conversation with Anurag AggarwalFrom a council estate in Coventry...to dreadlocks that earned him the nickname 'Bob'...to becoming one of the most beloved faces in global messaging,Bob's journey is one of hustle, heart, and genuine human connection!In this episode of Humans of Telecom, Bob opens up about:🎯 The phone call from his childhood friend Ollie Gibbons that first pointed him toward telecom - and how that one conversation changed everything👔 The legendary job interview at Nexmo with Daniel Richards and David Vigar - where David walked in with no shoes, slammed his feet on the table, and told Bob to lose the tie immediately or forget being hired🎵 A full DJ setup at home with two turntables, a mixer, and a vinyl collection spanning house, R&B and reggae - the neighbors are less than thrilled🏥 Five days in a coma at age seven after falling off a brick wall - the scar on his forehead is still there as a reminder🚗 A major car crash two days after passing his driving test - and getting the car repaired as fast as possible so he could get back on the road🥊 Boxing, the gym, and eating well - because staying sharp physically keeps him sharp everywhere else🏖️ A passionate beach lover with Jamaican roots who fully intends to escape the UK winter - every single year❤️ And his core belief - we are all flawed, we all make mistakes, and none of us have this figured out. What matters is how you treat people along the wayFrom Bob Marley to NGN Corp -Andrew Ward is proof that the best people in this industry are the ones who never forget where they came from!🎧 Listen now on your favorite podcast platform, and follow Humans of Telecom for more extraordinary voices shaping the industry and inspiring the human spirit!

"Starting from scratch and being like a student at the age of 37 isn't easy... But I realized that if I didn't do it now, I will never have enough courage to do it!" — Alisa Dzic, Head of SMS Department at VX Telecom, in conversation with Anurag AggarwalFrom the colorful world of television in Moldova...to cold-calling a telecom company for a sales role they weren't even advertising...to becoming Head of SMS in just four years -Alisa's journey is one of courage, curiosity, and unstoppable reinvention!In this episode of Humans of Telecom, Alisa opens up about:📺 The television career she loved - and the moment she realized that loving something isn't always enough reason to stay🌍 Why she walked away from a comfortable life in Moldova to start from zero in the international telecom world - at 37📧 The cold email that changed everything - applying for a finance role she wasn't qualified for, just to ask if she could join the sales team instead🎉 The serious professional by day who transforms into the life of the party by night - and how her colleagues took a while to believe both were the same person🐴 Three years of horse riding - and the quiet discipline it takes to stay in the saddle👗 A designer in her own right - sketching outfits, choosing fabrics, and working with a tailor to bring her fashion ideas to life🚶 10,000 steps a day, Spanish lessons on headphones, and podcasts on the go - because Alisa is always learning something new💭 The one thing she would change about herself - the overthinking - and why she is already working on it❤️ And her definition of being human - being someone people can call at any hour, in any situation, and know help is on the wayFrom Chisinau to the global telecom stage -Alisa is proof that it's never too late to begin again, and that the best careers are often the ones you weren't planning for!🎧 Listen now on your favorite podcast platform, and follow Humans of Telecom for more extraordinary voices shaping the industry and inspiring the human spirit!

"Founding GTC with Jose Garcia was the best professional decision of my life! Every client gives me a new lens through which to see this industry!" — Giovanni Benini, Co-Founder at GTC, in conversation with Anurag AggarwalFrom dreaming of becoming the next Einstein in Bologna...to building SIP prototypes at Siemens in the year 2000...to co-founding one of the most respected consulting firms in the global telecom ecosystem...Giovanni's journey is one of curiosity, reinvention, and remarkable depth!And then - right in the middle of this podcast - he did something nobody saw coming.He proposed to his wife. Live. On air. After 27 years!Only on Humans of Telecom!In this episode of Humans of Telecom, Giovanni opens up about:🔭 The physics student who wanted to be Einstein - until he realised research meant spending a lifetime on something only three people in the world cared about🚀 The father-son rocket project that won a national competition at the National Physical Laboratories in the UK - three years of perfecting, one year of winning🌍 Five countries, one identity - in Italy he's the German, in Germany he's the Italian. He calls himself simply European⛪ The odd one out in the family - both his brothers became Catholic priests, which at least explains why his parents have grandchildren👨‍💻 A son who has just founded helmit.org - an AI-powered platform protecting children from cyber bullying on social media - and a father who couldn't be more proud🌱 Gardening between Zoom calls, rollerblading through Munich on Monday nights with 10,000 others, and table tennis three times a week - Giovanni's antidotes to the telecom grind💍 And the moment that made this episode truly unforgettable - a live, heartfelt, long overdue proposal to his wife Connie, 27 years in the making, right here on this podcast!From Bologna to Boston to London to Munich -Giovanni is proof that the best careers are built on genuine curiosity, the best partnerships on mutual trust, and the best love stories - well, sometimes they just need a little more time!🎧 Listen now on your favorite podcast platform, and follow Humans of Telecom for more extraordinary voices shaping the industry and inspiring the human spirit!

"I bring a little bit of that wildness into my meetings and my conferences! Our industry needs it!" — Anna Potapova, Head of Global Strategic Partnerships at AB Handshake, in conversation with Anurag AggarwalFrom a mountain hostel in the middle of nowhere…sitting on the floor with a laptop on her pillow…choosing between her dream FMCG company and a telecom startup she had known for just one month —Anna didn't hesitate for even an hour. She chose the mission. And she never looked back!In this episode of Humans of Telecom, Anna opens up about:🌍 How she turned down Procter & Gamble to join a telecom startup — because purpose always mattered more than prestige🛡️ Why fighting telecom fraud isn't just about protecting operators — it's about protecting real people, families, and their finances🏄 The corporate powerhouse who disappears into Morocco with a backpack, a surfboard, and ten strangers in a hostel — and loves every second of it!🧘 A certified yoga teacher who practices almost every day — not to teach others, but to stay grounded, recharged, and truly herself🐘 Toto — the baby elephant she adopted in Kenya through the Sheldrick Wildlife Trust, because giving back is never just about the big gestures💍 A wedding this summer in the most personal of announcements — on this very podcast — to a wonderful man from Mallorca who made Spain feel like home!🌺 A mother who ran her own business and never once limited her daughter's imagination — and whose entrepreneurial spirit lives on in everything Anna does❤️ And her definition of being human — love. Not just the romantic kind, but love as a philosophy, a compass, and the most powerful force in a world full of conflict!From Valencia to Washington DC to Morocco to Kenya —Anna is proof that the boldest careers are built not on the safest choices, but on the ones that make your heart say yes without hesitation!🎧 Listen now on your favorite podcast platform, and follow Humans of Telecom for more extraordinary voices shaping the industry and inspiring the human spirit!

"PTC has been around for over four decades, and most people in the local community had no idea what we were doing... That was my first big lesson!" — Brian Moon, CEO at Pacific Telecommunications Council (PTC), in conversation with Anurag AggarwalFrom the island of Guam to the world's biggest tech event stage...from leading biz dev at CES to leading a nearly 50-year-old telecom council in Honolulu...from blank stares at the words "submarine cable" to cheers at the mention of YouTube and Roblox -Brian's journey is one of curiosity, connection, and coming full circle!In this episode of Humans of Telecom, Brian opens up about:🌊 How moving to Honolulu to lead PTC wasn't just a career move - it was a deeply personal full-circle moment rooted in his Pacific identity🎪 Over 15 years at the Consumer Technology Association leading biz dev at CES - and what running the world's most influential tech event taught him about leading a global industry council🏫 The career day at an elementary school where blank stares at "submarine cable" turned into cheers for YouTube and Roblox - and why that moment captures everything about our industry's communication challenge👟 The confession that surprised everyone - over 300 pairs of shoes and a very understanding wife🌏 30 plus countries visited and counting - because in this industry, the world is both very big and very small🤝 His family and friends test - if the people closest to you are asking about something your industry is doing, that means you are finally breaking through🌺 The cultural education of arriving in Hawaii and realising that a 40-year-old organisation still had to earn its place in the local community👧 Speaking with young women from Pacific Island nations who are hungry for the same opportunities as everyone else - and why that fuels everything he does❤️ And his quiet but deeply moving definition of legacy - no words needed, just a pause and a smileFrom Guam to Rochester to Washington DC to Honolulu -Brian is proof that the most unconventional paths often lead to the most meaningful destinations!🎧 Listen now on your favorite podcast platform, and follow Humans of Telecom for more extraordinary voices shaping the industry and inspiring the human spirit!

"Once you overcome one challenge, you know you can face the next one. That's when I stopped being afraid!" — Nancy Aboushakra, Head of Messaging & Digital Sales at Bayobab, in conversation with Anurag AggarwalFrom a ten-year-old girl in Lebanon who heard that engineering is for men…to building messaging businesses from scratch across three companies…to closing landmark deals with the world's biggest hyperscalers —Nancy's journey is one of defiance, determination, and dazzling impact!In this episode of Humans of Telecom, Nancy opens up about:⚙️ How an internship at Monty Mobile turned into a full-time offer — because she took every task more seriously than anyone expected📈 The accidental pivot from engineering to sales — and how she grew the wholesale business by 20-30% before anyone even gave her the title🏆 Winning the Capacity Award for Best Innovative Deals with Hyperscalers — and what it felt like when all the hard work finally came together in one room🎯 Breaking an arrow with her throat at the Millionaire Mind Intensive — because limits, as she discovered, only exist in the mind!🏨 Seven years of living in serviced apartments in Dubai — because why not give Nancy the lifestyle she deserves?📚 Why Surrounded by Idiots is the book that changed how she reads people — and how she applies it every single day at work👠 The girl who could have gone into fashion — and still brings that same eye for excellence into everything she does❤️ Her powerful LinkedIn voice — speaking up for women in STEM, salary equality, and the self-doubt that quietly holds so many back💡 And her core belief — do good to people when no one is watching, don't hurt others to climb the ladder, and never judge what you don't fully understand!From Beirut to Dubai, from engineering school to the boardroom —Nancy is proof that when a young girl decides to break barriers, the industry had better pay attention!🎧 Listen now on your favorite podcast platform, and follow Humans of Telecom for more extraordinary voices shaping the industry and inspiring the human spirit!