Humans of Telecom

“Telecom is in my DNA. My mother was a switchboard operator. I grew up running around server racks as a kid!” — Shannon Donohue, Chief Technology Officer at Somos, in conversation with Anurag AggarwalFrom running around server racks as a child in her mother’s central office...to joining a 16-person startup called CallFire straight out of UCLA...to being asked by Gina Perini to become the CTO of Somos at 39 -Shannon’s journey is one of destiny, determination, and the most extraordinary set of mentors!In this episode of Humans of Telecom, Shannon opens up about:📡 Telecom literally in her DNA - her mother was a switchboard operator and central office equipment maintainer, and Shannon grew up playing around server racks as a child🚀 Eleven years at CallFire - joining as employee number 16, working alongside TJ Thinakaran, and growing from junior contributor to VP through acquisitions, rebrands and M&A integrations🔄 A career-long front row seat to M&A - from CallFire and EZ Texting, to Telesign becoming Proximus Global, to Vonage within the Ericsson group, to now XConnect and Somos coming together🤝 The Women in Messaging initiative - born as a dinner of six at MWC in Las Vegas, now 65 strong and growing, with founding members including Stephanie Lashley, Tina Donaldson and Gina Perini🧠 A rare neurological condition called aphantasia - she cannot voluntarily visualize images when awake, thinks entirely in concepts and words, and only sees visuals when she dreams🤺 A path to the Junior Olympics in fencing - cut short on Friday the 13th on 13th Street in Santa Monica, when a car hit her motorcycle and fractured her femur and orbital socket at 15⚔️ A linguistics degree from UCLA and the ability to read and speak Old Norse - the ancient language of the Vikings, and heritage tongue of Icelandic, Norwegian and Danish🏂 Snowboarding 30 days every season with her family - and a seven-year-old son already taking on black runs who may soon outshine her❤️ And her one wish - more time with her seven-year-old son and four-year-old daughter, because everyone who has lived this season of life says the same thing - it goes so fastFrom Santa Monica to every corner of the telecom world -Shannon is proof that the best technology leaders are not just the ones who build the best systems, but the ones who make every person around them feel seen, supported and set up to succeed!🎧 Listen now on your favorite podcast platform, and follow Humans of Telecom for more extraordinary voices shaping the industry and inspiring the human spirit!

“I’ve never stopped learning from the people around me. They taught me about business, about leadership - and about life. And I carry all of it with me!” — Nuria Pallarés, Procurement Manager at Sinch, in conversation with Anurag AggarwalFrom a chemistry degree she never planned to use...to stumbling into a telecom sales interview on a whim...to becoming a professional singer with two bands, recorded albums, and stages she has genuinely rocked -Nuria’s journey is one of beautiful accidents, warm connections, and extraordinary range!In this episode of Humans of Telecom, Nuria opens up about:🎓 The chemistry graduate who walked into a telecom interview looking for a career change - and never looked back, 13 years later🌊 Recording this episode from her family summer house overlooking the Mediterranean Sea - because some backdrops simply cannot be argued with🎤 The professional singer with two bands - one that plays original music and one that plays covers - with recorded albums, charity concerts, and stages of 5,000 people📺 A stint as a TV host on a local show in her hometown - because apparently telecom, singing and television were all just waiting for her🐱 Volunteering at an animal rescue shelter caring for over 60 cats - and how being around animals is one of the most grounding things she does🏄 Paddle surfing by the sea, Pilates, meditation, and spiritual practices - because keeping herself centered is non-negotiable🤝 A career defined not by titles but by the people - from NRSGateway and Lleida.net to Tadoo and Sinch - every chapter shaped by mentors, friends and teammates who made the difference❤️ And her quiet but powerful purpose - to leave every place, every person, and every situation a little bit better than she found itFrom a chemistry lab to the global telecom stage to a concert venue near you -Nuria is proof that the best careers - and the best lives - are built one unexpected yes at a time!🎧 Listen now on your favorite podcast platform, and follow Humans of Telecom for more extraordinary voices shaping the industry and inspiring the human spirit

“My father wanted me to be a telecom engineer. I hated the idea. I went into economics instead. And 25 years later - here I am in telecom anyway!” — Ricardo Martins, VP Global Sales Messaging at iBASIS, in conversation with Anurag AggarwalFrom a student who refused to study telecom engineering like his father wanted...to negotiating his exam grade just enough to earn an Erasmus year in Rome...to spending 25 years building one of the most recognisable careers in global wholesale messaging -Ricardo’s journey is one of happy accidents, human connections, and a what-if moment that changed everything!In this episode of Humans of Telecom, Ricardo opens up about:🏛️ The Erasmus year in Rome that started everything - a failed exam, a negotiated grade, and a ticket to Italy that eventually led him straight into telecom📰 The almost-career as a journalist covering the telecom stock market bubble in the late 90s💬 A spectacular journey of building iBASIS - along with Patrick George and the team - to the leadership position it is at now!🌍 Five languages - Portuguese, English, Spanish, French and a slightly rusty Italian - and why being multilingual has always been a quiet superpower in this industry📚 A lifelong passion for comics that started in childhood and never left🎂 Two of his three daughters born on dates that coincide with ITW and Wholesale World Congress Madrid - and the ongoing challenge of splitting himself between the conference floor and home❤️ The most beautiful telecom connection of all - meeting the love of his life, Rita - because sometimes this industry gives you far more than a career🏖️ Recharging by the sea in Sintra with good food, good weather and good friends - because Portugal makes it very easy to slow downFrom Lisbon to Rome to every major telecom conference in the world -Ricardo is proof that the best career moments are rarely planned, the best relationships are rarely expected, and the best journeys always involve a little bit of negotiation!🎧 Listen now on your favorite podcast platform, and follow Humans of Telecom for more extraordinary voices shaping the industry and inspiring the human spirit!

"First come the spikes. Then you see the kindness. Because kindness shown too early is sometimes mistaken for weakness!" — Natalia Matviychuk, Head of Wholesale at GlobaHub AG, in conversation with Anurag AggarwalFrom a 16-year-old exchange student in the United States...to working night shifts at a telecom company to keep her English alive...to becoming one of the most recognisable faces in the global wholesale ecosystem -Natalia's journey is one of grit, adventure, and spectacular reinvention!In this episode of Humans of Telecom, Natalia opens up about:💪 Joining us from Kyiv - the capital of courage and freedom - and what it means to build a global career while navigating the realities of war at home🎓 The exchange year in the US that changed her English - and the night shift customer support job that accidentally launched a 13-year telecom career🥁 The early 20s spent playing drums in a heavy metal band - with dreams of touring Europe as a rock star - and how she is kind of doing that now, just representing GlobaHub instead🎿 A passionate snowboarder who has completely fallen in love with the slopes - the one place where emails simply cannot follow her🎯 The sniper rifle she learned to shoot at a war museum in London - and then decided to take seriously back home in Ukraine✈️ A pilot license on her five-year plan - complete with schools already googled and a mother who jokes she needs a plane more than an apartment💇 Six months in COVID lockdown during which she dyed her hair green, blue, purple and red - because if no one can see you, why not?❤️ And her philosophy - kindness is never weakness, but sometimes it needs a little boldness covering itFrom Kyiv to Chicago to every telecom conference in between - Natalia is proof that the best careers begin by accident, and the best lives are lived with courage, curiosity, and absolutely no regrets!🎧 Listen now on your favorite podcast platform, and follow Humans of Telecom for more extraordinary voices shaping the industry and inspiring the human spirit!

"Treat everybody the same. The cleaner. The CEO. Your job title or bank balance doesn't make you more valuable than anyone else!" — Andrew Ward, Sales Director at NGN Corp, in conversation with Anurag AggarwalFrom a council estate in Coventry...to dreadlocks that earned him the nickname 'Bob'...to becoming one of the most beloved faces in global messaging,Bob's journey is one of hustle, heart, and genuine human connection!In this episode of Humans of Telecom, Bob opens up about:🎯 The phone call from his childhood friend Ollie Gibbons that first pointed him toward telecom - and how that one conversation changed everything👔 The legendary job interview at Nexmo with Daniel Richards and David Vigar - where David walked in with no shoes, slammed his feet on the table, and told Bob to lose the tie immediately or forget being hired🎵 A full DJ setup at home with two turntables, a mixer, and a vinyl collection spanning house, R&B and reggae - the neighbors are less than thrilled🏥 Five days in a coma at age seven after falling off a brick wall - the scar on his forehead is still there as a reminder🚗 A major car crash two days after passing his driving test - and getting the car repaired as fast as possible so he could get back on the road🥊 Boxing, the gym, and eating well - because staying sharp physically keeps him sharp everywhere else🏖️ A passionate beach lover with Jamaican roots who fully intends to escape the UK winter - every single year❤️ And his core belief - we are all flawed, we all make mistakes, and none of us have this figured out. What matters is how you treat people along the wayFrom Bob Marley to NGN Corp -Andrew Ward is proof that the best people in this industry are the ones who never forget where they came from!🎧 Listen now on your favorite podcast platform, and follow Humans of Telecom for more extraordinary voices shaping the industry and inspiring the human spirit!