MEF’s Enterprise Leadership Council Triples in Size, Driving Key Initiatives in Service Automation, Cybersecurity, and AI-Ops

New council members drive strategic initiatives, enhancing collaboration and innovation for the network, cloud and security ecosystem

DALLAS, Oct. 29, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — MEF, a global industry association of network, cloud, security, and technology providers accelerating enterprise digital transformation, today announced the expansion of its Enterprise Leadership Council (ELC) from four founding members to 14 leaders representing a diverse range of industries. Formed one year ago, the ELC now includes executives from sectors such as entertainment, financial services, banking, retail, technology, healthcare, and consulting.

This expansion highlights MEF’s commitment to providing real value to enterprises exploring Network-as-a-Service (NaaS) opportunities, reinforcing its role as an independent platform where enterprises, service providers, cloud, technology companies, and other key stakeholders, collaborate on initiatives shaping the future of the digital ecosystem. With expanded enterprise participation, the organization is poised to drive impactful projects that address cloud, network, and security challenges head-on, propelling innovation across industries.

The ELC’s growth also reflects the increasing importance of enterprise perspectives in shaping MEF’s NaaS-related work. By tripling its membership in just one year, the council now offers a broader and more comprehensive view of enterprise needs across various sectors and has begun shaping strategic initiatives in areas such as service automation, cybersecurity services, compliance, and AI-Ops. 

The ELC includes:

• Francisco Artes, Vice President, Product & Enterprise Security, Roku
• Nabil Bitar, Chief Technology Officer & Head of Network Architecture, Bloomberg LP
• Maxime Bruynbroeck, Head of Network, Decathlon
• Chris Carmody, Chief Technology Officer & Senior Vice President, Information Technology Division, UPMC
• Daniel Foo, Head of Grabber Technology Solutions (GTS), Grab
• Michael Jenkins, Strategic Negotiator, Google Enterprise Network
• Amin Jerraya, Senior Vice President, Head of IT Digital Engagement and Infrastructure, Siemens Healthineers
• Mark Looker, Managing Director and Head of Voice & Data Network Service, Morgan Stanley
• Raleigh Mann, Senior Vice President of Technology, Williams-Sonoma, Inc.
• Amo Mann, Chief Architect for Cloud and Network, Accenture
• Chema San José, Head of Data & AI Architecture – CTO Global, Santander Digital Services
• Neal Secher, Vice President, Head of Network Services, TD Bank
• Jonathan Sheldrake, Vice President of IT – Infrastructure & Services, Burberry
• Alejandro Tozer, Independent

“The expansion of the Enterprise Leadership Council marks a pivotal moment in MEF’s evolution,” said Sunil Khandekar, Chief Enterprise Development Officer, MEF. “By amplifying the enterprise voice, we’re not only responding to current industry needs, but anticipating future ones. The ELC’s diverse expertise is already shaping MEF’s NaaS initiatives, which will drive real solutions for today’s challenges and lay the foundation for tomorrow’s innovations. This level of collaboration sets a new standard for how industry associations can lead meaningful progress.”

A first initiative for the ELC is MEF’s recently launched Lifecycle Service Orchestration (LSO) Circuit Impairment & Maintenance (CIM) Service API, designed to enable service providers to automate and standardize how network circuit impairments and scheduled maintenance are communicated to enterprises. The CIM Service API will be showcased during a live demonstration at MEF’s Global NaaS Event (GNE) this week in Dallas, highlighting how enterprises can collaborate with service providers to proactively identify and address impairments and streamline network maintenance.

As ELC-led initiatives continue to advance, MEF is attracting more enterprises eager to collaborate with technology, cloud, and service providers on MEF’s independent platform. Together, they contribute to and benefit from solutions that address critical needs in cloud, network, and cybersecurity infrastructure, accelerating digital transformation across sectors.

Learn More
Enterprises interested in joining MEF and contributing to projects that directly address their needs are encouraged to visit www.mef.net for more information on membership and engagement opportunities.

About MEF
MEF is a global consortium of service, cloud, cybersecurity, and technology providers collaborating to accelerate enterprise digital transformation. It delivers standards-based frameworks, services, technologies, APIs, and certification programs to enable Network-as-a-Service (NaaS) across an automated ecosystem. MEF is the defining authority for certified Lifecycle Service Orchestration (LSO) business and operational APIs and Carrier Ethernet, SASE, SD-WAN, Zero Trust, and Security Service Edge (SSE) technologies and services. MEF’s Global NaaS Event (GNE) convenes industry leaders building and delivering the next generation of NaaS solutions. For more information about MEF, visit MEF.net and follow us on LinkedIn and Twitter.

Media Contact:
Melissa Power
MEF
pr@mef.net