Suhail Syed

Dynamic and results-driven professional with 25+ years in international telecommunications, business development, and strategic partnerships. Recognized as the 4th most influential individual in the international telecommunications industry, a U.S. patent holder for a telecommunications-related software product, and an active member of the Forbes Business Development Council. With 10+ years of experience in developing strategic partnerships in the global telecommunications domain and 8+ years managing telecom carrier partnerships and vendor relationships, I have successfully driven revenue growth, launched innovative messaging and voice solutions, and forged high-impact collaborations across global markets. My expertise includes telecom interconnection standards, messaging and voice technologies (SS7, SMPP, RCS, A2P/P2A, 2FA, IMS, cloud numbers, and network APIs), and next-generation communication services. A proven leader with strong project management and cross-functional collaboration skills, I excel in managing multiple high-impact initiatives, optimizing business operations, and navigating complex negotiations with Tier-1 telecom providers. Passionate about driving strategic growth, digital transformation, and global connectivity.

• Cisco Certified Network Associate (CCNA)
• Microsoft Certified Professional (MCP)

• Holds a US patent for a telecommunications-related software product
• Ranked as the 4th most influential individual in the international telecommunications industry

An active member of the Forbes Business Development Council.

References available upon request.

Serves on the advisory board for the following companies: www.alienics.com, www.vespertelecom.com, www.amazesoftwaretech.com

• Vesper Telecom, Hong Kong, Director – Strategic Partnerships & Products (Voice, SMS, VAS Products), 03/01/24, Present, Spearhead the identification and evaluation of potential strategic partners to ensure alignment with company objectives and long-term growth strategies., Lead high-stakes negotiations to secure partnership agreements that drive mutual value, foster collaboration, and enhance competitive advantage., Establish and nurture strong relationships with key partners, serving as the main liaison to ensure seamless communication and sustained engagement., Collaborate with cross-functional teams to implement strategic initiatives aimed at accelerating revenue growth, expanding market penetration, and enhancing the product portfolio., Represent the company at industry events and forums, and set clear performance goals with thorough KPI analysis to drive continuous improvement., Launched new consumer products Travelfone (eSIM platform) and Zapp IM (omni-channel messaging platform), expanding the company’s digital services offering.
• Lyca Mobile Group, London, UK, Director – Business Development (Voice, A2P, Roaming, DC), 06/01/21, 02/29/24, Oversaw the Mobility segment of the MVNO business, driving growth by establishing new revenue streams in M2M services, premium SMS offerings, exclusive corridor deals, toll-free service solutions, bilateral roaming agreements, and network-to-network interconnects (NNIs)., Developed and executed strategic partnerships across 22 countries, ensuring Lyca Mobile led in market promotions such as unlimited calling plans to key regions (e.g. Morocco, Mali, Senegal)., Collaborated cross-functionally with internal departments to create quarterly product strategies focused on enhancing user experience and achieving business goals., Pioneered direct roaming partnerships by transitioning from traditional multi/dual-IMSI models, securing deals with major telecom groups such as Bharti Airtel and Moov., Managed a monthly revenue portfolio of €10 million and led a dedicated team to maximize partnership value and drive sustainable growth.
• Vesper Telecom, Hong Kong, Director – Strategic Partnerships & Products (Voice, SMS, VAS Products), 08/01/17, 05/31/21, Managed a $25 million annual revenue portfolio, driving year-over-year profitability growth of 7–10% through strategic initiatives and operational excellence., Formulated and executed growth strategies for the European and African regions by securing long-term partnership agreements and commitments with key telecom operators., Spearheaded the launch of new revenue streams, including SMS wholesale (hubbing), toll-free services, and value-added solutions like 'Fixigo' to mitigate credit risk and enhance bundled sales., Commissioned points of presence (PoPs) and colocation centers in strategic locations (Los Angeles, Hong Kong, London, Singapore), boosting network capacity and business volume by 10–12%., Led the evaluation and implementation of carrier insurance and audit processes (in partnership with Euler Hermes and Coface) to manage risk and ensure financial stability., Directed a global team of 15, overseeing business and sales operations with an annual budget of $1.5 million, and ensured alignment with corporate objectives while driving high-performance results.
• Sify Technologies Limited, Toronto, Canada, Director – Sales (Voice & Data Products), 04/01/14, 07/31/17, Reported directly to the President; oversaw a $15 million revenue P&L and achieved profit margins of 15–18% across the Americas and Europe., Established Sify’s Singapore operations to unify customer and vendor relationships on a single platform, resulting in a 3–4% increase in overall profit margins., Developed an African carrier pool to serve North America’s ethnic telecom market, and successfully launched a wholesale business unit that monetized undersea cable assets (EIG, GBI, MENA) by positioning Sify as a leading bandwidth provider., Led the execution of a strategic Skype–Sify partnership and evaluated UCaaS collaborations to integrate last-mile enterprise solutions through existing MPLS, Ethernet, and cloud service offerings.
• VeloSolutions Inc/VeloMobile Health Inc, Canada, VP – Products & Business Development (International Voice, SMS, Communication Products), 09/01/11, 02/28/14, Expanded the carrier services business by 30%, onboarding over 35 enterprise carriers for voice and SMS through innovative product development and strategic marketing initiatives., Designed and implemented end-to-end communication solutions and network architecture, leveraging AWS cloud infrastructure to support new healthcare communication products., Developed two new revenue streams in SMS and value-added services (VAS), and founded a sister company (VeloMobile Health) to launch healthcare offerings such as VDOCTOR, VLAB, and VPHARMA., Engineered mobile and tablet-enabled applications, securing inclusion in the Samsung Enterprise Alliance Program (SEAP) to drive market adoption., Filed and managed short code applications with the Canadian Wireless Telecommunications Association (CWTA) to enable bulk SMS services with two-way (MO/MT) messaging capabilities for customer engagement and two-factor authentication., Led a customer-experience initiative by integrating process automation and Salesforce CRM with call center operations, improving client satisfaction and responsiveness., Secured enterprise contracts with major telecom providers including Wind Mobile (Canada), Tigo (Guatemala), and Claro (Central America) to deliver large-scale communication solutions., Managed the full product lifecycle from concept to market delivery within a $1 million budget, targeting an $80 million annual market opportunity., Negotiated and signed key client agreements in Guatemala (e.g. Batres Pharma’s 300-store retail network and the IGSS hospital chain with 75 centers), establishing revenue-sharing partnerships with organizations like Novartis.
• Vodafone Mobile, Mumbai, India, Senior Manager - Carrier Sales and Relations (International Voice - ILD/NLD/Hubbing), 09/01/10, 10/31/11, Closed 15+ international carrier agreements and managed relationships with over 40 Tier-1 carriers across North America, Latin America, and Africa, driving significant voice traffic growth., Partnered with strategic carriers to optimize route purchasing and sales, handling 1.5 billion minutes of retail voice traffic and achieving $25 million in annual inbound revenue., Maintained strong relationships with Vodafone operating companies in North America, Latin America, and Africa, collaborating with headquarters to meet and exceed regional revenue targets., Developed and implemented pricing strategies that increased profit margins by 15% for Vodafone’s retail voice products in Qatar, Egypt, and Fiji., Negotiated with retail business units to reduce sales costs for North America and other key destinations, boosting organic revenue by 10%., Launched a network quality improvement program that raised Answer-Seizure Ratio (ASR) and Average Call Duration (ACD) by 5% on the top 20 outbound routes through improved interconnect agreements and capacity-focused carrier renegotiations.
• Sify Technologies Limited, Chennai, India, Business Manager – Enterprise Voice (ILD/NLD/Hubbing/Data), 08/01/09, 09/30/10, Designed and launched a comprehensive voice hubbing service with multi-tiered product offerings, driving new market penetration and service differentiation., Led the solution design for enterprise connectivity products (MPLS VPN, data center, and managed cloud services), optimizing the corporate communications portfolio., Evaluated and deployed a next-generation OSS/BSS platform (GCS) for the voice business, creating a detailed migration roadmap to integrate all services into the new billing and routing system., Automated the contract sign-off process for voice and data services via an online portal, improving operational efficiency and reducing cycle time., Surpassed sales targets by 15%, generating $28.76 million in revenue through new account acquisition, strategic route development, and bundled triple-play deals., Directed a team of sales agents across North America and Europe, executing strategies to capture and expand market share.
• Telco214 Inc, Florida, USA, Operations Manager (International Voice/SMS Networks), 04/01/03, 07/31/09, Managed end-to-end satellite and voice network connectivity with 30 operators across 26 countries in the Middle East (GCC), Africa, and Asia, ensuring seamless international communications., Built and led a high-performing operations team that delivered value-added telecom services, contributing to an annual EBITDA target of $20 million., Identified and developed niche market opportunities in emerging regions (e.g. Sierra Leone, Cape Verde, Sudan) using localized strategies to maximize ROI., Designed and implemented a customer loyalty platform to optimize dialing plans and integrate legacy/new systems, reducing routing code mismatches by 98% and greatly improving customer satisfaction., Established a Margin Assurance Office in Bangkok to streamline customer invoicing and vendor reconciliation, optimizing costs and improving payment cycles., Launched and managed operations in 34 countries worldwide (including Angola, Bangladesh, Brazil, Canada, Hong Kong, and Nigeria), significantly expanding the company’s global footprint.