ECTEL appoints new Managing Director

The Eastern Caribbean Telecommunications Authority (ECTEL), has appointed a new Managing Director.

ECTEL said in a release that the appointment of David Cox took effect from February 1, 2024.

He takes over as the head of the organisation from Cheryl Hector Fontenelle, ECTEL’s Director of Economics and Finance, who served as the acting Managing Director from July 2021.

Cox brings over 17 years of experience to the organisation, having spent seven as General Counsel at the Directorate from 2007 to 2013. His responsibilities included drafting telecommunications related legislation and providing legal advice on implementation of the Treaty establishing ECTEL, as well as all aspects of the regulation of telecommunications in the ECTEL Contracting States. During that time, he extensively revised interconnection regulations in ECTEL states, supervised a legislative reform of the entire ECTEL Telecommunications Act and Treaty, and assisted in developing legal approaches to the regulation of sub-regional roaming and implementing number portability in ECTEL markets. His regular duties also included advising ECTEL’s Council of Ministers on Treaty matters with special emphasis on regional ICT policy.

David Cox, the new Managing Director of ECTEL

David Cox joined Cable & Wireless Communications (CWC), in September 2013 where he served as the head of Regulatory and Government Affairs for the Caribbean. In this role, he managed a team of eight professionals who together ensured compliance with CWC’s regulatory obligations and execution of its regulatory strategy across several Caribbean states. Cox also served as the Chairman of the Caribbean Association of National Telecommunications Organization (CANTO), from January 2019 until January 2023, providing leadership to the organization during some of its most difficult years.

On his first day, Cox met with staff and expressed his delight in rejoining the ECTEL team. He informed them that his focus for 2024 would be to promote efficiency, develop a Strategic Plan, and improve staff morale, among other things. He said he saw himself as “a servant,” whose role was to “help staff and the organisation achieve their full potential”.