Meet our bloggers

Adam McMath is the IT Director at Mission Critical/Nilex, a leader in the geosynthetics industry providing innovative solutions to support the unique challenges of civil, resource and environmental construction.

Amy is a copywriter and editor with more than 20 years of experience. She has written in such diverse industries as executive development, construction, health care and technology. When she’s not writing, she’s probably reading, knitting or running somewhere in the Pacific Northwest.

Andrew began his career with Allstream (formerly AT&T Canada) in 2000, working as an engineer within the technical development team and focusing on the design and implementation of the business IP network. Since then, he has held various positions within the telecommunications industry, including sales engineering roles at TELUS Communications and Bell Canada. Andrew rejoined Allstream in 2010 as a sales engineer team lead and quickly made the transition to a technical sales manager within the central region team.

Brian Bloom is an independent journalist and tech blogger whose work has appeared in Computing Canada, PC World, CIO Canada and various other publications. He was previously a staff writer at Computerworld Canada, covering a wide range of enterprise technology topics.

Bruce brings together a deep technical understanding of VoIP and communications technologies to help companies simplify their operations, lower costs and become more competitive. A background in marketing, sales, information systems and operations enables him to bring technology to life in real world applications. As Allstream’s Marketing Manager for voice, Internet, and SIP trunking product suites he is uniquely positioned to power business success with the latest in telecommunication services.

Carlos Henriques is Security Architect, Team Lead at Allstream. He specializes in security architecture and design, malware analysis processes, DDoS intelligence and verification, content filtering and many other areas of information protection.

Christine Wong is a journalist based in Toronto who has covered a wide range of startups and technology issues. A former staff writer with ITBusiness.ca, she has also worked as a reporter for the Canadian Economic Press and in broadcast roles at SliceTV and the CBC.

Danny Bradbury has been a technology journalist since 1989. He has written for clients including the Guardian, the Financial Times, the National Post, the Economist Intelligence Unit and the Independent. He writes regularly on technology issues ranging from cyber-security to enterprise IT, and is also a documentary film maker.

Darin Stahl is a Lead Research Analyst with Info-Tech Research Group, with three decades of experience in the information technology industry, including more than 20 years managing complex IT environments. Darin has extensive experience leading IT organizations in several industries, including financial services, insurance and manufacturing.

Dax is the Director of Marketing for Unified Communications at Allstream. His team is responsible for developing and launching value-added products and services that are adjacent to the company’s core network offerings. He is an avid racquet sports enthusiast, blogger and social media observer. Follow Dax on Twitter or connect with him on LinkedIn.

Don Thorsen is the UC Product Manager for North America, responsible for the Cisco and Mitel product portfolio. Responsibilities include bringing business solutions to Allstream customers that centre around applications such as collaboration, contact centres, unified communications and remote working. Vertical focus specialties include healthcare, hospitality, finance and government. Don is an industry veteran with more than 40 years’ experience in the communications space. Prior to joining Allstream, Don was the Director of Global Sales Enablement for Mitel Inc.

The expertIP editorial team consists of industry professionals from the communications, design, marketing and IP networking sectors. Together they provide editorial oversight and creative directions to all content decisions pertaining to the blog. To contact the editors, please email expertIP@allstream.com

Ed got his first taste of the Internet over 20 years ago and was immediately drawn in. He learned how to develop websites, and by his first year of high school had launched a profitable online business. This passion led him to study systems engineering and eventually landed him at Allstream. Ed loves tackling new technologies and unsolved problems and isn’t afraid to try an outside-the-box approach to solve them. Ed’s role as a service prime for Business IP (MPLS) and Internet in the Technology Group provides him with a chance to see the up-and-coming technologies and tackle some of the more complex customer requests that come along.

Emanuel is responsible for Allstream’s Cisco Unified Communications (UC) portfolio of products in the U.S. and Canada, including a UCaaS offering in the cloud. He has more than 15 years of experience launching innovative products that leverage technology to help people achieve more. From the idea to the R&D lab testing stage, to development and all the way through to product launch, Emanuel has a track record of successfully leading projects to completion. He is currently focused on expanding service offerings to customers, particularly around how artificial intelligence (AI) can improve collaboration and the user experience for contact centres.

Esra is a product marketing and technology leader with over 17 years of experience in the telecommunications industry. Esra has been responsible for service and technology evolution alignment and currently she is a Sr. Product Manager with Allstream responsible for NaaS portfolio development. Esra has a BSc. in Electronics Engineering from the Middle East Technical University and an MBA from Colorado State University. Esra also enjoys traveling and spending time with her family.

Grant is Director of IP Product Strategy at Allstream. A sailor, martial artist and self-professed propeller-head, he has more than 20 years of experience across all aspects of technology development, network planning and product marketing.

Jared Lindzon is a freelance journalist based in Toronto covering technology and Canada’s startup community, among other topics. He is regularly featured in the Toronto Star, the Globe & Mail, the National Post, Fast Company as well as an array of other print and digital publications.

A veteran technology journalist who has covered everything from start-ups and the reseller channel to smartphones and enterprise IT, Jeff Jedras was reporting on cloud computing before the term had even been invented. His work has appeared in trade magazines such as Computer Dealer News and ComputerWorld Canada, as well as newspapers such as The Ottawa Citizen and The Vancouver Sun. And he still loves his BlackBerry.

Johann is Senior Product Manager of Access Services at Allstream. She has more than 15 years of telecommunication experience, weathering a vast range of national initiatives. Working on initiatives from a Layer 1 through to Layer 3 has afforded her the opportunity to build her project management skills to the strength they are today. By and large, humour is her secret weapon to fostering strong project teams and successful outcomes.

Hovering on the border between Gen-X and Gen-Y, Joseph has “grown up” with technology. As a blogger for ExpertIP, Joseph’s experiences selling everything from SaaS (when it wasn’t called “SaaS”) to data networks for large enterprises keep him at the forefront of the latest technology trends. Today, Joseph manages a sales team at Allstream and is focused on working with new customers. When he’s not tapping away at his smartphone, you’ll find Joseph sipping a red with his family and friends.

Justin Whipple is a network field technician with Allstream. He’s worked in telecommunications for more than 19 years and has been part of the Allstream team for 16 years. He hails from Utah, and is an outdoor enthusiast who enjoys hiking, biking, trail running, paddle boarding and boxing.

Larry Ekiert is a senior product manager with Allstream’s unified communications team.

When Laurette first connected a new modem to her computer and dialed onto the Internet, she didn’t realise that it was the first step that would lead her towards a 14-year career in telecommunications, specializing in enabling IP services for Canadian and international businesses. Laurette is Allstream’s Sr Product Manager Switched Ethernet and when not on the computer, Laurette might be found enjoying the arts, travelling or just admiring nature.

A keen interest in understanding the how’s and why’s of human behavior and decision-making led Maelyn to embrace a career in marketing research. She brings 15 years of research experience in financial services, consumer packaged goods and telecommunications. As Senior Manager, Customer Insight at Allstream, Maelyn is a passionate champion of the voice of the customer. A Certified Net Promoter Associate, she advocates the use of customer feedback and insights to drive meaningful improvements in the experience Allstream delivers to internal and external customers.

Mario has 23  years of experience in the telecommunications industry as a leader in roles at Bell Canada, AT&T  Canada and Allstream. As Sr. manager, field operations for the province of Quebec, he is responsible for managing customer relationships and the network team. In his career Mario has held leadership roles in a diverse range of areas, including customer operations, network services, customer care and OSP.

Mark Goldberg is head of Mark H. Goldberg & Associates Inc., a telecommunications industry consulting practice that specializes in assisting its clients to understand the implications of changes in competitive markets. Drawing on more than 30 years of global industry experience, for 16 years the firm has assisted clients in Canada and around the world in all sectors of the industry: new entrants and incumbents, end users, manufacturers and software suppliers, government regulators and industry associations. In the course of his corporate careers, he gained the perspective and led changes from many perspectives of telecommunications: communications service providers, regulation, research and development, equipment architectures and large customer networks.

With a focus on developing social media initiatives and connecting with Canadian IT professionals online, Mark has developed a North American best practice for social media responsiveness and a focus on the customer experience. And with a background in photography and a perspective as a business owner himself (wonderlabphoto.com), Mark understands how critical it is to stay connected 24/7.

Massimo Mauro is a Solutions Architect at Allstream.

Matt Walsh is a sales engineer with Allstream working out of the Kent, WA office in the Seattle area.

Matthew Stein is the CTO of KnowRoaming, which offers a product that automatically connects a smartphone a country’s local wireless carrier. 

Melanie is vice-president of research at Frost & Sullivan. Her experience base covers a broad range of sectors, leveraging long-standing relationships with leading industry participants’ senior executives and customer organizations in the areas of voice, IP communications and conferencing; instant messaging and presence; unified communications; and social networking. Ms. Turek holds a BA with Honours from Harvard College.

As President, Michael leads Allstream in its purpose: accelerating business innovation with cloud communications technologies, with a focus on helping to simplify our customers’ business communication needs.

Michael has introduced key transformations within the North American organization which focus on the underlying values of customer-centricity, easy, responsiveness and trusted. These critical changes will help secure a strong and sustainable future for Allstream.

Michael has 25 years of executive leadership and experience driving innovation across the telecommunications industry. Since joining MTS Allstream in 2005, Michael has served as Chief Technology Officer, Chief Operating Officer and President. He began his career at Nortel Networks.

He is a licensed Professional Engineer and holds a Bachelor of Applied Science in Electrical Engineering with an Option in Management Science from the University of Waterloo. Michael also sits on the board of directors for the Metro Ethernet Forum (MEF), where he was elected Chair in February 2015. He is a triathlete, skier and pilot.

Neil McEvoy is the Founder and CEO of the Cloud Best Practices Network, an industry forum whose objective is to build a knowledge base of cloud best practices that underpin a consulting and solutions program that assists customers to migrate successfully and profitably to cloud computing. He is based on Toronto.

Odette has a vast experience in telecommunications and enterprise solution selling.  Her career propelled in 1995 when she began selling a new technology called “Internet”, making her a pioneer in this area in Québec.  It was also during this period that she discovered her true passion in training and communications. Having evolved over the past 20 years, Odette now contributes her dynamic skills to the Allstream Sales team and her clients across Canada.

Patricia MacInnis is a freelance journalist based in Atlantic Canada. She is the former editor of national industry publications including Computing Canada, Technology in Government and Communications Networking Journal.

Paul is Principal & Marketing Director at PT & Associates, an experienced marketing and technical writer specialized in telecom and IT industry materials. He combines his technical background as a professional engineer in electronics and telecommunications with writing skills honed at the University of Toronto. He has many years of experience working for market leaders such as Allstream, Siemens, Nortel and Motorola.

Rebecca Lynch is Allstream’s Vice President of Product, leading product management and development for Allstream’s portfolio of products in both the U.S. and Canada. She is responsible for driving lifecycle management of Allstream’s existing products, Allstream’s product vision and future roadmap. Rebecca has more than 20 years of experience in product marketing, management and development.

Rishi Patel is the Vice President of Sales at Allstream. He’s passionate about leading high-performing teams through fostering a culture of collaboration, integrity and accountability, to support driving revenue growth, customer success, employee engagement and attracting the right talent. Rishi has served in various senior leadership positions in sales at companies including Bell Canada, FlexITy Solutions and most recently with Vidyo as Vice President of Global Sales. Rishi invests time to coach and support his team, which turned into a passion project where he co-founded Hack Your Energy, a program that helps people manage their energy and time, both in their personal and professional life.

The former Editor-in-Chief of ITworld Canada, Shane has been writing and speaking about the impact of information technology for more than 15 years. He was the founding editor of ITbusiness.ca, wrote a regular column on IT for The Globe and Mail’s Report on Business and edited ComputerWorld Canada, CIO Canada and Computing Canada. Shane has spoken at IT industry events across Canada and appears regularly on CBC, CTV and BNN to discuss technology trends. An award-winning journalist, Shane has been recognized for excellence in science and technology reporting by the Canadian Advanced Technology Alliance.

Sharmila is a Project Manager at Allstream, with more than 10 years of experience in telecommunications — five of those years focused on project management. As a Certified Project Manager, Sharmila enjoys navigating all aspects of complex projects.

For more than 10 years, Stefan’s articles and interviews have appeared in a variety of publications, including The Globe and Mail, Networkworld Canada and Channel Insider Canada. Specializing in communications technology, his career began at The Computer Paper in 2000. He made his way over to ITworld Canada where he developed stories for Networkworld Canada, Computerworld Canada and IT Focus. His career took him to Decima Reports where he helmed Telemanagement. Based in Ottawa, Stefan now develops editorial content for numerous organizations including media firms, industry associations and the federal government.

Stephen Fisher is Allstream’s Senior Vice-President and Chief Technology Officer (CTO), leading IT and network architecture, technology innovation and network operations. Before joining Allstream, he was CTO of Enterprise Networks with Zayo Group and CTO and Senior Vice-President with Electric Lightwave, LLC. Stephen has more than 20 years’ experience driving excellence in engineering, network architecture, service delivery and operations as well as in designing and implementing cybersecurity operations and compliance programs and agile development practices.

Tanya has more than 20 years of experience in technology and was one of the few women to run a bulletin board before most people had heard of the Internet. She has been with Allstream for more than a decade and has held many roles within the organization, from IT Security Specialist to her current role as Senior Manager of Network Release and Change Management. Tanya is a Montreal native who relocated to Ontario in 1998.

Trevor Chichak is the Head of Infrastructure – Americas, at PTI.

Vanessa Nelson is the Director of Account Consultants, responsible for managing relationships with Allstream’s strategic customer segment — overseeing a team that provides a dedicated resource to deliver the best customer experience for Allstream’s customers.

Vawn Himmelsbach is the editor of expertIP. She has reported on technology, business and travel for two decades, for media outlets such as the Toronto Star, The Globe & Mail, National Post, CBC.ca, Metro News, ITBusiness, PCworld Canada and Computerworld Canada. She also spent three years covering tech as an Asian correspondent.

Vito Mangialardi is the Director of the Business Continuity Management (BCM) program at Allstream. He is a Certified Business Continuity Professional (CBCP) with the Disaster Recovery Institute Canada, and has more than 16 years of direct experience with business continuity management. Vito also functions as a subject matter expert in the area of business continuity and emergency management and services to external clients. Under Vito’s leadership, Allstream was honoured with the 2009 Award of Excellence from the Disaster Recovery Institute of Canada, and Vito was also personally honoured with the 2012 National Award for Business Continuity Management from the Canadian Centre for Emergency Preparedness.