Cliff Crosbie, Global Director of Retail Marketing, Nokia

Bio

Cliff heads up Nokia's Global Retail and Trade Marketing team - he started with Nokia in August 2004. He has built the Retail Team and led the creation and deployment of all new retail concepts from the new Nokia Flagship stores to new consistent branded executions at all levels of retail.

Cliff has an extensive retail background. Before joining Nokia he was Director, Nike stores, EMEA for Nike Inc. based in the Netherlands. There he set up and managed the retail strategy for Nike EMEA and the development of new retail concepts.

Prior to this he set up and managed the Niketown flagship store on Oxford Circus in London, which became the top performing store for Nike globally. Before his 5 years with Nike Inc. he held store and other management positions over 10 years within IKEA and prior to that business controlling positions with Habitat UK Ltd.

Speaker's statement

I've spent most of my life creating and executing experiences at retail with the firm belief and knowledge that it makes a huge difference to a brand. Being close to your consumers is the number one priority to ensure you fill their needs in the best way. You do this through great experiences delivered by passionate well trained teams of people. A phone is no longer just a phone and educating consumers in what's now possible and available to them is the key to moving the whole industry forward.

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Web

www.nokia.com

Stuart John, Director of Product Management, Ocean Observations

Bio

Stuart is Ocean's Director of Product Management and is based in London, England, where he is also responsible for Ocean's UK operations. He is dedicated to advising clients on the whole product lifecycle - from strategy to innovation and realisation of beautiful products.

Before joining Ocean, Stuart was Product Manager for Mobile at Skype where he steered the adaptation of the Skype softphone to become a compelling and reliable service for network operators and mobile phone users. He managed the design and development of Skype for Hutchison 3 X-Series from concept through to global deployment.

Prior to Skype, he was Product Manager for User Interfaces and Java at Symbian, focusing on the evolution of the OS platform to support richer interactive UIs and representing Symbian on the Sun JCP Mobile Java Executive Committee.

Stuart has held senior management positions at companies such as TDK Systems Europe where he was Head of R&D for Bluetooth products and has also provided consulting services to tier-1 network operators including the interaction design of portal services for the UK launch of Vodafone live!

He is a co-founder and organiser of Mobile Monday London, the popular monthly networking forum for mobile industry professionals.

Speaker's statement

The operators have seen the light and the old model of metered pricing is giving way to the brave new world of flat fee mobile broadband access where voice and data are converging and becoming free. Complex tarriffs and obscure charges are being discarded in favour of transparent pricing and 3G-capable handsets are within reach of all but the most price-sensitive customers. Users' fears of bill shock from opening their mobile browsers will be overcome by curious exploration, tempted by popular internet brands that are mobilising their communities and services.

How then will bold operators hold on to these newly acquired internet-savvy customers, many of whom would usually churn away at the first sign of a better deal? There is retention value in offering a package of easy to use, reliable and painstakingly-designed interactive mobile services and early adopters have shown us that they are willing to pay modest amounts for simple, useful social tools or anywhere entertainment. The services are becoming as polished as their free internet equivalents and users do recognise the value of accessing them from anywhere. Signs are encouraging for mainstream usage although there are still a number of technical challenges to solve before even basic services can be delivered in line with mass market expectations.

We are only just beginning to understand how to build compelling mobile experiences now that the barriers to innovation and adoption are being removed. Enlightened operators and device manufacturers are becoming more flexible in opening up their platforms and there is greater need than ever for excellent developer support and enablers on the networks and handsets. Only through close dialog and experimentation will the new concepts and business models for next generation services emerge and take mobile beyond Internet. Now that price is becoming less of an issue the customers are waiting to be delighted.

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Web

www.ceanobservations.com

Paul Kompfner, Head of Development, ERTICO

Bio

Paul Kompfner is Head of Development at ERTICO - ITS Europe, with over 14 years' experience in co-ordination and management of European projects. He is currently coordinator of the CVIS (Cooperative Vehicle-Infrastructure Systems) integrated project that began in February 2006 within the "IST for eSafety" priority of the EU Sixth Framework Programme. He is also manager of the European Nomadic Device Forum and joint Chair of the eSafety Forum Working Group on "ICT for Clean & Efficient Mobility".

An astrophysicist by training, he has led ERTICO projects on telematics system evaluation, traffic and travel information, road applications of satellite navigation, ITS planning for cities, ITS for public transport and driver safety & HMI. Before joining ERTICO Mr Kompfner was Principal Scientific Officer at the UK Transport Research Laboratory, where he led a section carrying out studies of accident risk, advanced driver training, company car use and transport systems operation.

Speaker's statement

I will start with presenting the CVIS (Co-operative Vehicle Infrastructure Systems) and Nomadic Device initiatives. Both are developing technologies for machine-machine interaction and the goal of these initiatives is enhanced user experience. Connecting mobile devices and vehicles into a 'co-operative networked world' will change the paradigm of travelling.

What role will mobile devices play in this world? I will examine some possible user experiences. For example, mobile devices of the future may be more than just a convenience device, and serve as a 'personal guard' for alerting you to potential collisions in your vehicle.

I am very interested in bringing user experience thinking into the ongoing research projects on co-operative systems. Unfortunately, these, as many other R&D projects, tend to be 'technology focused' and forget it is the user experience which will sell the technologies in the end.

I would like to learn more about what the user experience community finds interesting about co-operative systems. Imagine having all this connectivity and what kind of innovative applications can be developed...

Why are they participating at MEX?

The MEX conference as it will be an excellent opportunity for me to do some creative brainstorming with new people.

Agenda link

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Web

www.ertico.com

Christian Lindholm, User Experience Expert

Bio

Christian is a visionary product creator in the mobile and convergence domains. Most recently with Yahoo as Vice President of Global Mobile Products where he oversaw the development of its mobile services. Prior to that Christian spent 10 years with Nokia. At Nokia he was instrumental in driving the company's user experience efforts. He is the father of the Nokia Series 60 user interface, the inventor of the Navi key user interface which between 1997 and 2005 was featured on more than 400 million phones globally. Before leaving the company in 2005 he and his team created the Nokia Lifeblog, a multimedia diary of the users life automatically created on the phone and archived on the PC. The users can share desired moments on a blog from either the phone or the PC, this solution is now standard on all Nokia Nseries devices. This was one of the first true convergence products in mobile space.

Simplicity is a common theme and philosophy that is driving him. There is always room for simplification.

Christian wrote with his colleagues the book Mobile Usability, How Nokia Changed the face of the Mobile Phone, he is a frequent speaker on the future of mobility. Helsinging Sanomat, Finland's largest daily news paper called him the godfather of all Nokia mobile phone users. Christian holds several patents in user experience and mobile HW. Christian has a broadly read blog called Moving Experiences, where he shares the big picture, the details and things in between. It can be found at www.christianlindholm.com

Currently Christian is taking some time of observing the world as a mobile consumer. His interest lies in mobilizing the Internet, enabling what he calls moving computing. He spends most of his time in London, where he is living with his family."

Speaker's statement

Multimodality is a vehicle against complexity as mono-tasking, voice-centric devices evolve to multi-tasking, connected devices. There is a new breed of handsets hitting store shelves with integrated GPS, 3D and light sensors. All of them have microphones and most of them have camera sensors - we are entering sensory feast!

At the same time more and more sophisticated communication takes place on-line. The internet has been transformed with social networking sites, blogs, IM, feeds and e-mail combining for a multimedia communication feast. Finally, in the middle of it all the mobile industry faces the confusion of evolving into a service provider or becoming bit pipes.

How can interfaces be liberated, unified and uses to reduce complexity for users? In my presentation I will highlight some of the barriers that need to be overcome before the manifesto statement can become reality.

Why are they participating at MEX?

MEX is evolving into a leading gathering of mobile and convergence experience where the format drives change and attracts the 'do-ers' out of their labs.

Agenda link

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Web

www.christianlindholm.com

Matthew Menz, Head of Interaction Design, Motorola

Bio

Matthew Menz was always keen to spend an afternoon with a good colouring book. Early on, the picture was never as important as colouring in the lines. However, he soon realised that no matter how well he did, someone else had created the story. Matthew's focus quickly shifted from staying between the lines to creating his own.

In 2004, Matthew started Motorola's European User Experience group and is currently the Head of Interaction Design for the European Design Studio, leading the regional UI platform development and co-design programs. His career with Motorola began as the Lead Interaction Designer on Motorola's first 3G mobile devices.

Prior to joining Motorola, Matthew was the Information Architecture Practice Lead at Sapient Boston. He has lead design teams to create global solutions for companies such as IBM, Nickelodeon, Fila, CIBC, Wal-Mart, Mass Mutual Financial Group and Dow Agro-sciences. His most recent book has not yet been written, but he is enjoying the process.

Speaker's statement

An integrated approach to physical and digital interaction is crucial to supporting service access. I will discuss alternative approaches that maximise the growing capabilities of mobile devices and question what is essential to the experience.

We will review the definition of mobile services, their contribution to the devices they inhabit and then explore the development and ownership models that affect integrated offerings. Ultimately, we need to understand how consumers benefit from their use.

Why are they participating at MEX?

I am looking forward to participating at the MEX conference this year because it provides a unique forum to discuss and debate all aspects of the mobile industry. The simple fact that MEX gives something back to the community is reason enough to attend. I hope the 2007 report will find a larger audience than those who can pay to attend.

Agenda link

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Web

www.motorola.com

Paul Nerger, Vice President of Worldwide Sales & Marketing, Argogroup

Bio

Paul Nerger joined Argogroup in December 2000 from Informix Software where he was the Executive Director of International Marketing and responsible for worldwide wireless strategy. At Informix, Nerger piloted the company's entry into the wireless market setting new product directions and brokering strategic relationships with Symbian, Psion and Nokia to embed Informix technology into the infrastructure of the next generation of wireless devices and networks. He has over 15 years of marketing experience with Informix, Digital Equipment, Sequent Computer Systems and Silicon Graphics in both the US and Europe. Paul Nerger brings a deep understanding of linking marketing (including branding) to sales in fast-moving technology businesses, along with a strong commercial understanding of market entry strategies, channel development and product management.

Speaker's statement

A fundamental axiom of management is that you can not control that which you can not measure. The mobile experience is no different.

If the industry wants to offer outrageous user experiences it must be able to measure them to allow improvement. Today, members of the value mobile chain (content suppliers, aggregators and mobile operators) make attempts to measure but often these measurements fail because they embrace capacity and performance rather than the user experience as a whole.

It is relatively easy to measure the raw performance of a GPRS sub-system or the bandwidth of a circuit; but the difficulty comes when trying to measure how well the video is rendered or how the user percieved the voice call. Consumers don't care about speed and throughput - they care about how quickly a page renders, what it looks like aesthetically, and what it does to help improve their lives.

Although measurement in the future will continue to look at the speeds and feeds required to tune the networks, it must go beyond this and look at the whole experience so that we can meet and exceed the demands of those pesky customers that we love to attract and retain.

Why are they participating at MEX?

At Argogroup we are passionate about improving the Mobile Experience. We love the promise of the mobile web but know that the promise will only be achieved with a positive consumer experience.

Agenda link

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Web

www.argogroup.com

Antti Öhrling, Co-founder, Blyk

Bio

Antti is a co-founder of Blyk. Antti has over 25 years experience as a senior manager in branded goods, retail and wholesale, publishing, film and advertising industries. In 1991 Antti was appointed Managing Director of Film and TV production at WSOY one of the leading publishers in Finland. He has since gone on to produce a number of award-winning documentaries, corporate and marketing films which have won plaudits in the USA, France, Finland and Germany.

Antti is now the co-founder and chairman of Contra Advertising, which operates in London, Helsinki, San Francisco, Singapore, Beijing and Shanghai. He is also a chairman or board member for more than 10 companies; a well-versed speaker, Antti is a regular at lectures on global marketing and brand issues for international audiences.

Speaker's statement

For this industry to go forward - to really deliver a relevant mobile advertising experience - it is essential to combine the capablities of an operator and the approach of a media company. Being an operator, Blyk has the ability to truly simplify the user experience for both young people and advertisers. Having the ethos of a media company, Blyk addresses the needs of advertisers and it's young users in a distinct way.

From the very beginning we've built Blyk based on insight into existing phone and media usage, and the principle that we never interrupt the basic flow of communication. The user has been right at the center of all of our development.

The success of mobile advertising is linked directly to the relevance of the interaction between a brand and the consumer. Relevance that comes when you really know the consumer and can deliver information, an offer, or an experience based on his/her wants and needs. At Blyk, we believe that the combination of our user profiling capabilities and our behavioral tracking, will give advertisers the insight from which to build more relevant communications and truly engage their core audience.

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Web

about.blyk.com

Mark Rolston, Senior Vice President, Creative, Frog Design

Bio

As the SVP for Creative at Frog Design, Mark Rolston is responsible for the creative direction of the company's work for clients. He orchestrates teams of strategists, technologists, designers, information architects, analysts and others to produce ground-breaking work for Fortune 500 clients that include Hewlett-Packard and Nextel, among others. As the founder of frog design's digital media group in 1997, Mark was an early pioneer of digital media and the Internet. Called "the most talented web designer in Austin" by the Austin American Statesman, Mark has been personally responsible for extensive groundbreaking new media design work and user interface, including all of the Compaq Presario utility applications (audio playback, telephone, fax, etc) in the early 1990s. He managed the design of dell.com which launched in 1999, marking the birth of the most profitable website on the Internet. Recent User Interface and eCommerce projects managed by Mark include work for clients such as i2, Sun Microsystems, SAP and Microsoft.

In 1991, prior to joining frog design, Mark co-founded Virtual Studios, one of Austin's first and largest digital design firms. His work with Virtual Studios won international acclaim, and attracted the interest of frog design, which purchased Virtual Studios in 1996. Mark's client roster has featured many of the world's largest brands, including Dell, SAP, Ford, Disney, Acura, Microsoft and i2. He is an internationally recognized expert on the web, digital media, user interface and eCommerce and has been widely quoted in the press, including Business Week, CIO, Design, HOW, Information Week, MacWeek, MacWorld, New Architect, PC Magazine, PC World, PC Week, and others.

Speaker's statement

Variety is the spice of life. The appeal and value of this idea has been proven countless times across the global consumer spectrum, yet the mobile industry still struggles to make sense of it. So how can we help?

We will look at the various qualities of personalisation - a deep catalog of ideas that are too often reduced to mundane choices of colour and ringtones. Personalisation spans issues of customer self- empowerment, community, brand, fashion, deployment, IT management and environment.

Consumers today are not only asking for more choice, they are demanding access to the tools of customisation and to the marketplace itself.

We will also discuss how customisation tools are not merely solutions to direct at end-users. These capabilities should be part of a cascading food-chain that encompasses the handset designers, manufacturers, carriers, content vendors, resellers, retail, corporate buyers, IT organisations, communities, families, and yes, ultimately - the individual.

Why are they participating at MEX?

2007 looks to be a pivotal year. We see a critical mass of technology, ideas, customer demand and dissatisfaction. It's time to do something about it. I'm hoping the conversations at MEX can be part of driving better solutions and user experiences.

Agenda link

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Web

www.frogdesign.com

Al Russell, Head of Mobile Internet and Content Services, Vodafone

Bio

In his role as Head of Mobile Internet and Content Services, Al is responsible for the end-to-end management of Vodafone UK's content, internet and next generation messaging services for both the wholesale and consumer business. Prior to joining Vodafone in 2000, Al had a media agency background, and was involved in the set up of Carat Interactive in 1996. Since joining Vodafone, Al has overseen the launch of Vodafone Live!, Vodafone's 3G services and, more recently, the launch of Mobile TV.

Speaker's statement

Mobile devices allow customers to take their communities with them and allow them to interact using a familiar experience they are used to on a PC, but adapted to work well on the mobile.

Customers will use these communities in a different way than they currently do on their PC. They will expect to be able to interact using the basic features they are accustomed to, whilst also making the most of mobile benefits which allow them to go above and beyond their PC experience.

Customers will be able to interact with their communities spontaneously, adding photos and comments in real time in a way they not possible before. In order to ensure a good mobile experience it is important that the usability, charging, support and ubiquity of handsets allow them to interact with their communities in a simple and frequent way.

Agenda link

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Web

www.vodafone.com

Bill Schwebel, President, AOL/Tegic Communications

Bio

Mr. Schwebel is responsible for AOL's mobile software business. Under his leadership, Tegic established its T9 product line and business processes that led to global adoption and improved operating efficiencies. Mr. Schwebel directed new product launches in Japan, China and India as well as established local market presence in Tokyo, Seoul, Hong Kong, Beijing, Singapore, Sao Paolo, London and Paris. Mr. Schwebel also serves as Senior Vice President of AOL Wireless where he is responsible for operating AOL's B2B wireless businesses. Prior to joining AOL and Tegic, Mr. Schwebel was President and CEO of Uptown Services, Inc., a telecommunications management company focused on providing marketing, development and operational services to competitive service providers and their strategic suppliers. Mr. Schwebel also was as a Director of Network, Systems and Product Development at Time Warner Telecommunications, Inc. Earlier, Mr. Schwebel held various network engineering and product management roles at U S WEST, Inc.

Speaker's statement

It is important to let the carrier understand that they 'own' the customer but that unless they can 'manage' the customer's expectations and needs, they are not going to get much out of this ownership. It's about improving the user experience which includes better 'predictions' of all inputs, including text and actions, allowing the user to more quickly get the task done.

Why are they participating at MEX?

For Tegic, success hinges on delivering simple, intuitive and flexible mobile experiences to consumers. MEX is the ideal forum for discussing how to better enhance the mobile usability with key industry leaders and experts.

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Web

mobile.aol.com