Speaker details

Biography

After 15 years shaping and implementing the European regulatory framework for electronic communications, Dr. Pascal Dutru moved to the Middle East in 2012 and is now advisor to the Minister of Communication and information technology, in charge of digital economy. Before, he played an instrumental role in establishing Qatar Communications Regulatory Authority (CRA), the independent authority in charge of ICT and postal services, holding various senior manager positions ranging from strategy, policy, planning and legal. In that capacity, he has ensured that the regulator enables the ICT sector as a whole and supports digital transformation and digital inclusion. Amongst a wide span of achievements, he has defined regulatory strategies and reviewed practices, adopting a forward-looking perspective. He has also developed specific regulatory frameworks for competition, access, quality of service and reviewed core regulatory policies and instruments related to spectrum, numbering and addressing. His actions support Qatar transforming into a connected nation, with very high-speed fixed and mobile broadband available everywhere (full fiber and 4G+ network coverage, large 5G roll out). He has also supported Qatar in signing and implementing ambitious strategic partnerships with large Cloud service providers, developed the national Cloud Policy and related instruments, and contributed to significant digital transformation projects. Pascal brings with him over 25 years of experience in the communications industry, with an in-depth understanding of markets at all stages of competition and the deployment of proactive strategies tailored to foster growth. In Europe, he was General Counsel of Clear Channel (Europe), a worldwide external communication group, and of Alten SA, a listed IT services company. Prior to that, he was Deputy General Counsel in charge of the regulatory and competition division of Bouygues Telecom, a French fixed and mobile telecom service provider. As part of his duties, he helped the company branch into new markets, oversaw strategic contract negotiations with French and Foreign service providers, handled complex litigations and was deeply involved in the regulatory field in France and in Europe. His earlier professional experience includes working as an attorney at law with Thieffry & Associes, and Bigle, Carbonnier, Lamaze & Rasle, amongst other distinguished organizations. Pascal is an Attorney at Law (Paris) with a PhD in Law and an LLM in European Law from the College of Europe (Bruges). He also graduated from ESSEC in Finance and Control. Pascal often conducts lectures in telecom law and electronic commerce, regularly speaks at high profile international conferences and is an officer of the international Bar association (IBA – Communications Committee).