A telecommunications engineer by training, Mr. Toscano has more than twenty five years experience in the telecommunications sector and has held management positions in both the public and private sectors as well as in regional and international organizations in this field.
His professional experience before his current position as Director of External Relations with ITSO includes executive appointments within the Portuguese government and the European Commission, top-level management responsibilities with the private telecommunications sector in Portugal, as well as teaching assignments at various universities in Portugal. He has also been actively involved in the definition, development and work of numerous regional and international regulatory entities in the telecommunications and satellite communications fields in particular the ITU, EC, CEPT, and the GSM MoU, and is especially knowledgeable and comfortable working in a multicultural environment.
Mr. Toscano is a leader with vision. Articulate and results oriented, Mr. Toscano excels in creative problem solving and has repeatedly demonstrated his ability to build consensus and achieve results in highly complex commercial and political environments and situations. He has a proven track record in providing leadership, vision and creative direction.
Skills
- Leadership
Ability to think strategically and provide leadership, vision and creative direction in a multicultural environment.
- Technical/Regulatory Analysis
Long-standing experience in applying legal and technical analysis to complex political, commercial and regulatory issues and to form innovative solutions and well-balanced positions on issues such as privatisation, mobile and satellite communications, access and interconnection, licensing, universal service, numbering, market structure and dominance; and radio spectrum management.
- Negotiation Skills
Well-tested experience in negotiation. Able to understand, negotiate and re-define governmental policy and determine outcomes that are mutually beneficial to government and private sector organizations. Experience in high level negotiations as well as in providing industry/international analysis that demonstrates appropriate policy options while balancing such options with commercial needs.
- Communication and Interpersonal Relationships
Well-developed interpersonal skills and communications ability. Highly competent in written and oral presentations including public speaking, conducting training seminars for foreign regulators and classroom lectures.
- Languages
Fluent in English, French, Spanish and Portuguese.
- Education
School of Engineering, Technical University of Lisbon: Degree in Electrotechnical Engineering (Telecommunications and Electronics), completed October 20, 1980 (Maxima Cum Laude).
Professional Experience
- June 2003 – present
ITSO
Washington, D.C., USA
Director of External Affairs
Since June 2003, Mr. Toscano has been the Director of External Affairs at the International Telecommunications Satellite Organization (ITSO) – formerly “INTELSAT”, based in Washington, DC. Mr. Toscano’s responsibility includes overseeing, coordinating and managing ITSO’s relationships with its 148 member countries, other international organizations, both public and private development sectors, financial institutions, regional telecommunications organizations, other satellite organizations and telecommunications companies, regulatory authorities, academic institutions and the general public. As such, Mr. Toscano has been instrumental in ensuring that the objectives of the 2001 reorganization of INTELSAT are continuously met through INTELSAT’s adherence to its Public Service Obligations for the benefit of all countries of the world, in particular, for developing countries and lifeline users, and that the ITSO’s member countries’ assets in the form of orbital locations are protected.
- 1996 - May 2003
ICP-ANACOM
Lisbon, Portugal
Director
From 1996 to 2003, Mr. Toscano was with the Instituto das Comunicações de Portugal (ICP-ANACOM), where he was the Director in charge of the Engineering Directorate and Director of the International Relations Directorate respectively. In 2000 he was also given the responsibility of managing the Communications Policy General Directorate while also maintaining his position as Director of International Relations.
While heading the Engineering Directorate, he drafted the new numbering plan and radio spectrum management policy and legislation for Portugal; drew up the terms of reference, and led the evaluation team for the third mobile license which covered GSM 900 and DCS 1800; prepared the regulatory framework for T-DAB; and assisted in drafting the regulatory framework for UMTS. Mr. Toscano also led various teams to Portuguese-speaking countries in Africa to assist these countries in defining and implementing spectrum management, numbering, mobile licensing, etc.
As International Relations Director, he was responsible for relations with International, Regional and European Union Institutions and successfully led Portuguese and European teams in various negotiations and fora. He was head of the Portuguese delegation at the 1997 and 2000 ITU World Radiocommunications Conference (WRC) as well as at the 1998 Minneapolis and the 2002 Marrakech ITU Plenipotentiary Conferences, as well as at various ITU Council meetings between 1998 to 2003. During WRC-97, he successfully negotiated changes in the ITU Radio Regulation Appendixes 30 and 30A Plans which were beneficial to Portugal and Cape Verde; led negotiations on behalf of Europe to create a regulatory framework for a new technology (HAPS), and was actively involved in European negotiations on other new technologies (e.g., GSO and NGSO). At the 2002 Marrakech Plenipotentiary Conference, he was elected vicechairman of the Committee dealing with Political Matters and ITU Reform, and was a member of the Conference Steering Comittee. In June 2000, he was appointed Vice-President of CEPT and was one of the CEPT Troika team-members mandated in 2001 and 2002 to redefine CEPT. From January to June 2000, Mr. Toscano was responsible for the preparation of European Union Telecommunications Council meetings under the Portuguese Presidency, and was Chairman of the Economics Questions Group -Telecommunications of the EU Council of Ministers. Within this context, he was also in charge of the Portuguese input and negotiations on the EU’s 1999 Review, and the definition and implementation of the New Regulatory Framework.
- 1988 - 1996 European Commission
Brussels, Belgium
Directorate General XII
From 1988 to 1996, Mr. Toscano worked at the European Commission in Brussels where he was Deputy Head of the Sector on “Open Network Provision on Access to Networks,” and acting Head of the Sector on “Mobile, Satellite, Frequencies and Numbering Policy.” As such, he was instrumental in preparing the key European telecommunications liberalization policies, and was actively involved in the drafting, institutional representation and negotiation, adoption and national implementation of various initiatives, including the ONP Directive, the Competition Directive, the Mobile and Satellite Green Papers and Directives, and the Convergence Green Paper.
During this period, he also represented the European Commission in several EU institutions (e.g. Council of Telecommunications Ministers, European Parliament, Economic and Social Committee and the Committee of the Regions) and in other various European and international organizations (e.g. ITU, CEPT, OECD, ETSI).
Mr. Toscano was also a member of the European Commission team negotiating the Services Annex to the General Agreement on Trade and Tariffs - Uruguay Round and of the European Union delegation to the talks with the United States on the Global Information Infrastructure (GII). He was also the head of the European Union delegation to the Future Advanced Mobile Services (FAMOUS) meetings (trilateral - between Europe, Japan and USA).
- 1980 - 1988
CTT - Correios de Portugal
Lisbon, Portugal
Several Managerial Positions
From 1980 to 1988, Mr. Toscano held several managerial positions with the Portuguese CTT, including Head of the Protocols and Interfaces Sector, Head of the Telematics Network Planning Unit, and Head of the Strategies of Networks Development Unit. During this time, he specialized in private data networks, packet switched networks and telematic services.
- 1982 – 1988
Institute of Applied Mathematics
Lisbon, Portugal
Professor
- From September 1982 to August 1988, Professor of “Mathematics” and Assistant Professor of “Numerical Mathematics Methods.”;
- From September 1984 to 1988, Professor of “Material Technology”, and “Automatic Calculus.”
- 1979 – 1981
School of Engineering
Lisbon, Portugal
Assistant Professor
Professor of “Circuits and Computing”, and “Introduction to Circuits and Signals.”
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José Manuel Toscano Curriculum Vitae
(PDF 373 KB)
