Emmanuel Akoto
Sr Technical Sales Manager
Summary
Goal-oriented manager with distinguished 29+ years experience in the telecommunication industry and proven leadership abilities. Organized and dependable at managing multiple priorities with a positive attitude. Willingness to take on added responsibilities to meet team goals.
Overview
29
29
years of professional experience
4
4
Certifications
Work History
Sr Tech Solution Sales Manager
Nokia
02.2020 - Current
- Leading pre- and post-sales technical support for operations support system and business support system (OSS/BSS) for North American customers (wireless and wireline network providers)
- Collaborating with cross-functional teams, including account managers, R&D/SW developers, and product managers, to devise optimal system offerings, delivered as Onsite (on-premises), Cloud (private PaaS), and Hosted (SaaS)
- This involves customer requirement analysis, product management, project planning, and system integration of customized applications and solutions
- Delivered exceptional presentations that showcased the value of our solutions for potential clients.
- Managing project assignment to a team of five solution specialists; Overseeing the assembly of HW, SW, and applications for solutions
- Crafting detailed technical responses of RFIs/RFPs for new and growth opportunities. Specifically on Performance, Fault, and Configuration Management
- CLIENT ENGAGEMENTS: Engaged directly with: Webscale, Mobile, Satellite, Cable, US Gov and Utility companies.
- PRODUCT PORTFOLIO: Nokia products supported: NetAct (similar in functionality to AWS' CloudWatch+IAM+IC); Data Communications & Analytics Platform (AWS' CloudTrail); Nokia Archive Cloud (AWS' RedShift), Nokia AirFrame Data Center Manager, Unified Troubleshooting Framework, EdeNet SON
- KEY ACHIEVEMENTS: Received the 2022 Nokia Long-Term Incentive award; Led the planning, design, and migration of the OSS systems in Chinese swap opportunities; Migrated multiple customers' OSS from standalone to on-premises cloud systems; Architected migration of Network elements (VNFs, CNFs, and PNFs) to OSS system.
Regional Product Manager
Nokia
08.2008 - 02.2019
- Deeply involved in all aspects of the OSS/BSS product life cycle - customer requirements collection and refinement, roadmapping, planning, delivery and gathering customer feedback to understand key issues/needs and trends in customer base.
- Responsible for driving the roadmap for our Network Management products for North American customers
- Worked with cross-functional teams of Engineering, Account Managers, Marketing, Sales, Partners, and Executives.
- CLIENT ENGAGEMENTS: Managed relationships with key clients in the USA (T-Mobile, AT&T, Verizon, US Cellular, Sprint, etc), Canada (Bell, Freedom Mobile, Telus, SaskTel, Videotron, etc), and the Caribbean (Bermuda Digital Communications, Claro, etc)
- LEADERSHIP & TEAM MANAGEMENT: Managed a team of eight solution managers, responsible for overseeing a network management portfolio valued at over $100 million
- ACTIVITIES: Collaborated with cross-functional stakeholders (Designers, SW Developers, and Business Development) to gather requirements and ensure project milestones were met timely
- Translated business requirements into functional/technical specifications for the development team
- Technical presentation to customers to agree on feature development
- Furthermore, monthly roadmap presentations & discussions
- ACHIEVEMENTS: Won multiple new deals in Canada and network extensions in the USA; Supported the transition of multiple customers from LTE to 5G in the network management space; Designed Network expansions (which was successfully implemented).
Senior System Software Engineer
Nokia Siemens Networks
05.2002 - 08.2008
- Specified, Designed, and developed the OSS Northbound interfaces based on the 3GPP standard and the Mobile Telecommunication Radio Access Configurator
- RESPONSIBILITIES:
- 1) Specification and design of new products and features for the OSS, based on customer and internal requirements
- Collaborated extensively with operators, translating their requirements into detailed specifications
- 2) Development and Testing: Part of the development team (in XML/CORBA/IDL/C++/Java) for the 3GPP Northbound Interfaces project. Conducted rigorous testing procedures to guarantee the reliability and performance of the applications in real-world scenarios
- 3) Customization - Customized the 3GPP Northbound Interface - tailoring it specifically for fault and performance management for Chinese operators. Conducted operability testing in China and Germany, spending dedicated months on-site to ensure the interface's effectiveness in diverse operational environments
- ACHIEVEMENTS: Awarded the Certificate of Honor for the central role played in the development of the 3GPP northbound interface; Mapping proprietary topology and modules to 3GPP standards via XML/XSLT; Customized/Enhanced the 3GPP Northbound Interface to meet the unique requirements of Chinese operators; Conducted operability testing in an international market, ensuring seamless integration within diverse operational landscapes; Operating successfully in countries where I lacked proficiency in the local language.
Product Development Specialist
Nokia
10.2001 - 05.2002
- My contribution involved assisting in the analysis, selection, and setup of the billing platform that Nokia was in the process of adopting.
- Coordinated with vendors for the sourcing of components necessary for prototype creation, expediting production timelines.
- This position served as a temporary role while anticipating my next position
Research and Development Project Manager
Nokia
04.1998 - 09.2001
- Established and led a project in a startup division dedicated to researching and developing a VPN-overIP integrated with the [3G] Mobile Network, known as the Wireless Intranet Office
- I was responsible for the ISDN/IP Gateway component within the ecosystem
- I led a team of three software engineers throughout the full software development life cycle, including coding in C, conducting code reviews, managing source control, overseeing build processes, and conducting testing
- I also handled project management, the acquisition of OEM (hardware and software) components, and the recruitment of software engineers
- Outcome: Unfortunately, despite the efforts, the product, Wireless Intranet Office, did not make it to the market.
Software Design Engineer
Nokia
03.1995 - 03.1998
- Design and implement OSS Fault management libraries, features, and application renewal
- Coding was in C/C++ on Unix
- MAJOR ACHIEVEMENTS:
- 1) The Managed Object Cache (MoCa): Adding caching layers on top of the Oracle database to help improve the read times of common requests. The 'memory mapping' methodology was used in its development. This is similar to AWS' ElastiCache for Redis
- 2) Informing Delay: Alarm Filter is a common functionality for all Network management systems (NMS). However, transient alarms were a nuisance to customers. I designed and developed a system that uses 'delay tactics' as a filtering methodology. Instead of simply filtering alarms, they are delayed till a corresponding 'cancel' alarm is received
- 3) Alarm Pipe Re-design: Involved in the design & specification of the redesign of the fault management system. I was not involved in the coding.
Education
Master of Science - MS - Computer Science
University of Tampere
09.1986 - 05.1995
Skills
Cloud Computing
HTML, XML, JSON, PHP
Strategic PlanningCustomer Engagement
Pipeline Management
Sales Presentations
C/C
OSS/BSS (LTE, 5G)
Certification
Windows Programming Using Visual C++, Oracle Education
Awards
- 2023 Nokia Applaud Excellence Award: Support for Nokia Enterprise Segment
- 2022 Nokia Long-Term Incentive Award: Recognizes individuals for their outstanding contributions to the company impacting business outlook for years to come.
- 2006 Certificate of Honor Award: Received for the central role played in the development of the 3GPP northbound interface in the 3G business team
Timeline
AWS Certified Cloud Practitioner, Amazon Web Services (AWS), 03/01/24, 03/01/27, 7c43f93d0ede4ddd9f32c7388d0b4f90
02-2024
AWS Solutions Architect Associate 2022: Data Storage Services, Skillsoft, 7999658
02-2024
Sr Tech Solution Sales Manager
Nokia
02.2020 - Current
Regional Product Manager
Nokia
08.2008 - 02.2019
Senior System Software Engineer
Nokia Siemens Networks
05.2002 - 08.2008
Product Development Specialist
Nokia
10.2001 - 05.2002
Research and Development Project Manager
Nokia
04.1998 - 09.2001
Software Design Engineer
Nokia
03.1995 - 03.1998
Master of Science - MS - Computer Science
University of Tampere
09.1986 - 05.1995