After concluding her long tenure with the IFC (World Bank), as Principal TMT Adviser, within the Global Telecommunications, Media & Technology Private Equity investment sector, Laureen has resumed the helm of operations at Extelcon, LLC. As a senior member of IFC’s Global TMT Team, she was responsible for deal flow development and the evaluation of TMT investment opportunities in Emerging Markets; providing guidance on new projects and with
portfolio companies including deal structure & operational improvements, from concept through to exit. Her investment verticals of focus include; Mobile/MVNO’s, Towers, Broadband (Wired & Wireless), Backhaul (Satellite & Terrestrial Fiber), Submarine Fiber, Data Centers and Fintech.
Prior to joining the IFC (World Bank), Laureen was with Alcatel-Lucent (now Nokia), as Vice President 4G/LTE Strategy. At ALU, she was focused on the development of innovative, revenue generating, applications and services in order to accelerate the successful and profitable migration to 4G/LTE worldwide. She is a founding Director of GTWN, Global Telecommunications Woman’s Network, connecting C level women in the TMT industry on a global basis, mentoring young women in telecoms & technology, and providing Angel financing to women led TMT companies.
As an industry veteran with 25+ years of telecoms experience, she has held Executive and BOD roles with some of world’s leading operators. Her global portfolio includes; MTC-Vodafone (now Zain) in the Middle East, Deutsche Telekom (Germany), Cable & Wireless, PLC (UK), and NYNEX USA (now Verizon). She is a founding Director of several joint venture European and Asian wireless companies; Debitel GmbH (Germany), Telestet (now Wind Hellas, Greece), and PT Satelindo (now Indosat) of Indonesia. Additionally, she was a Partner at KPMG Consulting in the UK and has been a member of the Board of Directors at several international telcos/startups; Paktel in Pakistan, Mobikom in Bulgaria, MTN in South Africa, and Surfkitchen in the UK.
Her background includes; private equity/venture capital, business development, strategic planning, operational execution, engineering and re-engineering of Telco’s. She holds an MSc in Telecommunications Engineering from Rochester Institute of Technology, and an MBA from Long Island University in New York. In June 2017, Laureen was named to the Top 50 Women to Watch in the Telecoms Industry by Global Telecoms Business.
