Deputy to the Director, Chief of the Study Groups and Policy Department, TSB
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International Telecommunication Union (ITU)
A distinguished engineer, leader, and diplomat; multilingual standardization expert and holder of 23 patents, Tunisian born Dr Bilel Jamoussi is the Deputy to the Director and Chief of Telecommunication Standardization Policy Department at the ITU Standardization Bureau (TSB) in Geneva, Switzerland. His primary mission is to establish international standards to promote universal, meaningful connectivity and champion sustainable digital transformation. He also aims to intensify industry engagement, ensure inclusivity in standards development and adoption, and bolster cooperation with other standardization bodies. Additionally, he is committed to leading in emerging tech discussions, building strategic partnerships, and pursuing organizational excellence.
Previously, he was the Chief of the Study Groups Department of ITU Standardization Bureau (TSB) from 2010 and until 31 August 2023. He has led the coordination of the bureau’s standards moving activities into a new era characterized by digital transformation that needs an increased collaboration with vertical sectors such as healthcare, transportation, utility, and banking. His innovative approach has served as a catalyst to launch new standards initiatives related to emerging technologies such as IoT, Blockchain, AI and Quantum, attracting a new wave of memberships from non-traditional players.
A standout accomplishment of Dr Jamoussi is his effort in bridging the telecommunications and financial sectors. Through this, he paved the way for the creation of digital payments guidelines and standards that aim to foster financial inclusion on a global scale. Key achievements under his tenure have been important new standards while effectively managing staff by recruiting new talent, improving gender balance, delivering new work methods, and staying within budget.
Prior to 2010, he worked in the private sector for 15 years and held senior executive positions such as Director of Standards for Nortel. In this role he participated in over 90 standards making bodies worldwide. In the Internet Engineering Task Force (IETF), he authored a number of Internet standards. As an IEEE Senior Member, he was elected to the IEEE Standards Association (IEEE-SA) Board of Governors and the IEEE-SA Corporate Advisory Group. He holds a BSc, MSc and PhD degrees in Computer Engineering from the Pennsylvania State University, USA.
In addition to his many accomplishments, Dr Bilel Jamoussi is a pivotal figure in the global ICT community. He is a sought-after speaker at tech events worldwide like the Global Cybersecurity Forum (GCF), often taking the stage as a keynote speaker or panellist. His expertise and insights are in high demand by media outlets such as Financial Times, resulting in frequent interviews, podcast features, and media appearances.
Bilel has lived in Tunisia, Canada, USA, and Switzerland, giving him a unique global viewpoint. He is fluent in Arabic, French, and English and speaks some Spanish and German.
