President's Address

About the speaker

Dr Mike Short FREng BA CEng FIET, Vice President – Public Affairs, Telefonica Europe

Mike's career spans 37 years in electronics and telecommunications, with the last 24 years in mobile communications. After working for Philips, Landis and Gyr, and BT, he was appointed in 1989 as Director of Cellnet (now part of Telefonica and branded O2 UK) dealing with major infra-structure investments and commercial agreements. In 1992 the focus moved to launching Cellnet’s GSM service and establishing Roaming agreements. He also handled international business development and helped to win overseas mobile licenses and undertook some of the first mobile training in India.  

He was elected chairman of the Global GSM Association for 1995/96 and served on its executive board for five years. In February 1996 during his tenure he chaired the first of 10 annual mobile congresses in Cannes, France, started the annual GSM awards and GSM A website. He helped create the GSM A regional interest groups and a stronger data focus on texting and mobile email. He was a board member of the WAP Forum and founder board member of Open Mobile Alliance (OMA), as well as being active in the UMTS FORUM. Mike also chaired the UK Mobile Data Association 1998 - 2008, and was until recently its Honorary President.

He has also served as a member of the UK Home Office Internet Task Force, UK OSAB (Ofcom Spectrum Advisory Board), home access to broadband committee, the UK Government trade and investment ICT sector advisory board and its advisory committee on London 2012. He has chaired since its inception in 2007 the steering board for TSB supported digital communications KTN (now ICT KTN). He has been board member of UK child council for internet safety and an IET Trustee since 2008.

After looking after Cellnet's 3G strategy and external relations, he was appointed VP Technology for O2 Group in 2000, prior to demerger from BT, and its later acquisition by Telefonica.

Mike's focus today is on European public policy that relates to innovation, whether research, the responsible use of mobiles or new business development. This includes a focus on advanced mobile services and data applications including mobile learning, smart metering, transport telematics and connected healthcare.

In the last 5 years, Mike has also been appointed Visiting Professor at Surrey University, De Montfort, Lancaster, and Leeds Universities and to the Boards of Coventry University and Ravensbourne College. He was awarded an honorary doctorate in 2008 for services to the mobile communications industry. He is a Fellow of IET/BCS/RGS/ Royal Academy and a member of the Royal Television Society.

See Mike Short on IET.tv

• Broadcasting Spectrum: The Issues - 1 June 2005
• The Appleton Lecture - 27 September 2007
• The IPTV conference 2007: Deployment and Service Delivery - 13 December 2007
• The IET Assisted Living conference - 24 March 2009
• The John Logie Baird lecture 2010 - 25 November 2010

See also