2023-24 Chair, R8 SAC
Abdullateef is an accomplished General Manager of Projects at Phase 3 Telecom. He holds a bachelor’s degree in electrical engineering from Bayero University Kano (BUK) and a master’s degree in information and communication technology (ICT) with Honors from the Northern University of Malaysia. He is also a certified business analyst and has completed certification from the United States Telecommunication Training Institute (USTTI) in Washington DC.
Highlights of Abdullateef’s career include a senior management role at Suburban West Africa before joining Phase 3 Telecom in 2013. He has played a vital role in expanding the company’s optical aerial and underground infrastructure, which now spans over 6000 km. He has also led the successful implementation of the Phase 3 Telecom 100G transmission network backbone nationwide between 2019 and 2022. Abdullateef has contributed to the deployment of numerous high-profile projects for Mobile Network Operators (MNOs) across Nigeria and Sub-Saharan Africa, earning him industry recognition.
Abdullateef’s contributions to his field have been widely recognized, and he is the recipient of several awards and accolades. These include the Leadership and Innovative Award, Best Creativity Award, and Excellence in Leadership Award from Phase 3 Telecom and IEEE Smart Village, as well as the Award of Excellence from IEEE Nigeria Section, NSE Maitama branch, MGA Board Young Professionals Achievement Award, and Outstanding Volunteer of IEEE R8 ASYP Congress (EMEA) in various years.
Past Chair, R8 SAC
Simay Akar is a sustainable energy expert and a Multi-award-winning entrepreneur in the energy industry. She is the CEO and founder of AK Energy Consulting, a firm that provides a wide range of environmental consulting services to achieve sustainability goals; from conducting environmental impact assessments to developing and implementing carbon management plans and a comprehensive range of supply chain solutions for clean energy technologies.
Akar has a strong background in photovoltaic manufacturing, battery storage, and renewable energy systems, having worked in multicultural enterprises in several countries and served roles as a sales and marketing director, head of overseas marketing, and chief commercial officer and co-founder.
In addition to her professional acclimates, she is an IEEE Senior member, and an acknowledged volunteer since 2007. Simay is a graduate of Middle East Technical University, Ankara, Turkey and she participated Energy Innovation and Emerging Technologies Program at Stanford University.
Akar is passionate about advancing cutting-edge battery technologies, promoting sustainable energy solutions, and empowering the next generation of energy leaders.
R8 Regional Student Representative
Ahmed earned his B.Sc. in Computer Engineering from the Arab Academy for Science and Technology in Egypt, where he now serves as a Teaching Assistant. He achieved milestones in international competitions and work experiences related to Artificial Intelligence, Computing Algorithms, IoT, and Embedded Systems, working in different companies like Valeo and Orange. Ahmed serves IEEE as the Region 8 Regional Student Representative and Member of the MGA Student Activities Committee. He served IEEE Egypt Section as the Sectional Student Representative, IEEE SAC Egypt as the Training & Leadership Officer, and IEEE Computer Society Global SYP Congress 2023 as the Program Officer. Ahmed is also the Founding Chair of the 1st IEEE Egyptian Student and Young Professional Congress in 2022 and the 1st IEEE Egyptian Student Paper Contest in 2023. He took part in organizing the IEEE 119th R8 Meeting in Cairo and served his local Student Branch through many roles for 5 years, including SB Chair and Secretary, leading his SB to win 6 regional awards in two years. He is an IEEE Brand Ambassador and served as an Ambassador for IEEEXtreme, IEEEDay, and IEEE R8 Entrepreneurship Week. Ahmed believes that IEEE changed his life in 2016, so he started his volunteering journey on his first day to college and continues to give back.
Chair, Adhoc Committee
Vildana is a young entrepreneur with a big experience in Branding and Marketing. Her BOLD IT agency is focused on quality branding and event organization, as well as providing consulting services for rebranding.
During her student days at the department of Graphic Engineering and Design at the Faculty of Technology in Banja Luka, she was an active IEEE Volunteer in her Student Branch where she was Treasurer and Social Media Manager. Since January 2021, she became part of the R8 SAC as an Outreach Coordinator and Electronic Communications Coordinator. She is currently the Chair of the Adhoc on
New Initiatives.
Vildana (co-)wrote a few conference papers about the concepts of green technologies in the graphic industries as well as the power of individuals to contribute to society, but she primarily works as a Brand Designer & Strategist.
As an educator and mentor, she loves to share her knowledge and empower young people to work in IT.
Chair, Adhoc Committee
Khaldoun Taktak is a Network and Telecommunication Engineering Student at the National Institute of Applied Sciences and Technology (INSAT). Besides pursuing an engineering degree, he loves dedicating his free time to reading, volunteering and experiencing new cultures. He serves as a member of the IEEE MGA SAC and the chair of the IEEE Region 8 AdHoc committee on training and leadership support. Previously, he was chair of the IEEE Region 8 Student and Young Professional Congress in 2022 which was held in Tunis, Tunisia and has always been an active volunteer within his Student Branch contributing to the organization of many local events and congresses. As a dedicated and active IEEE volunteer, Khaldoun firmly believes that volunteering and engineering combined together will help advance technology for the benefit of humanity especially when derived from students.
Chair, Adhoc Committee
Vera Marković is a retired Full Professor from the Faculty of Electronic Engineering at the University of Niš, Serbia. From 2014 to 2022, she served as the head of the Department of Telecommunications. Her research interests include wireless communications, microwaves, artificial intelligence in telecommunications, etc. She has published over 300 research papers, with over 40 papers published in journals indexed in SCI. She conducted study visits at prestigious universities in Germany and UK and participated in many EU projects.
An IEEE member since 1992 and a senior member since 2015, Prof. Marković has held several leadership positions. Over the period 2007-2019, she served as the Secretary, Vice-chair, and Chair of the Serbia&Montenegro Section. Subsequently, she contributed as a member of the R8 Nominations&Appointment Subcommittee (2019–2020) and R8 Membership Development Subcommittee (2020). Since 2019, she has been a member of the R8 Student Paper Contest jury. Her involvement extends to various roles, such as being a member of the MGA Member Benefits Portfolio Advisory Committee (2020-2021) and an IEEE Global Public Policy Committee Member (2021-2022). Since 2021, she is member of the R8 Student Activities Committee (SAC) and holds the position of R8 Student Paper Contest coordinator. As of January 2023, she serves as the Chair of the R8 AdHoc Committee on Contests, Awards, and Recognitions within the framework of R8 SAC.
Chair Adhoc committee
Fay Majid Elhassan, a seasoned IEEE member for nearly nine years, is a trailblazer in the fields of reinforcement learning, sustainable agriculture, and multimodal learning. Currently pursuing a Master’s in Machine Intelligence,building on a robust foundation in Electrical and Electronic Engineering. As the Vice Chairman of IEEE Sudan, she plays a pivotal role in leadership, emphasizing diversity and inclusion. Fay serves as the Chair of Digital Communications for the IEEE Region 8 Student Activities Committee and is the Co-Lead of Industrial Engagement for the IEEE East Africa Entrepreneurship Summit, contributing significantly to entrepreneurial initiatives.
Fay’s commitment to empowering women in technology is evident as the Co-Founder of the Women in Machine Learning and Data Science Khartoum Chapter and a Google Women
Techmaker Ambassador. She actively bridges academia and industry, participating in various committees within IEEE Smart Village and the African Working Group. Fay’s entrepreneurial spirit shines through her role as the Founder of impactful initiatives.In summary, Fay Majid Elhassan is a dedicated researcher, dynamic leader, and advocate for diversity in technology. Her multifaceted contributions, coupled with entrepreneurial endeavors, showcase a commitment to advancing technology for sustainable solutions and empowering underrepresented voices in the field.
