INEC board

Chairman of the Board - Hans Tijl

Deputy CEO of the Development Corporation of Amsterdam

Hans Tijl is the deputy CEO of the Development Corporation of Amsterdam (OGA), a municipal company. OGA is responsible for the development of real estate and new developments in the city. OGA is the administrator for the municipal held lands in the city (about 80%) with an actual value of about 60 billion euro.  

As OGA's project director Hans Tijl is responsible for a score of projects. On of these is the overall vision and direction of the city's broadband program, with projects like Citynet, the roll out of FttH to all homes and businesses and the broadband services program Futureweb. Another of his responsabilities is the roll out of the city heating network, a means of reusing the equivalent of waste heat for 400,000 homes.  

Hans is deeply involved in realizing the opportunities ICT and broadband for a sustainable economic and social development of Amsterdam. In April 2007 he was elected Chairman of the Board of INEC, the International Network of E-Communities with members in the US, Asia, Latin America and Europe.

Hans Tijl (Nieuwe Tonge, 1961) received his doctoral degrees in political sciences as well as public administration, both cum laude, from the University of Amsterdam.

Contact: Hans Tijl

Vice Chairman of the Board - Dato' Dr. Abu Talib Bin Bachik

Senior Vice President of the Technopreneur Development Division MDeC

Dato’ Dr. Abu Talib holds BSc/MSc degrees from the Louisiana State University, USA and a Doctorate in Agriculture Science from University of Gent. Belgium.

He was a researcher by training specializing in Agronomy (Soil Chemistry) and has authored about 50 Scientific Research Papers. He was a well-known researcher in the rubber industry.  He had held numerous positions in the Rubber Research Institute of Malaysia including serving as the Deputy Director General (Development) in the Malaysian Rubber Board, before he joint MSC Malaysia’s Multimedia Development Corporation (MDeC) in 1999 as the Vice President for Corporate Affairs Department.

Prior to holding office in this capacity, Dato’ Dr. Abu Talib was the Senior Vice President of the Marketing and Branding Division, as well as the Client Services Division in MDEC.  He was the President of Streetmarkets.com Sdn. Bhd., a subsidiary company of MDEC from 2000-2001.

While serving as the Vice President of the Client Services Division in 2003, he was also the Vice President in-charge of the Technopreneur Development Flagship, where he initiated the JAVA Technopreneur Development Centre and a programme with MARA, through the Ministry of Entrepreneur Development to promote technopreneurship amongst Bumiputra in the various states.  During this period, he also formalized the formation of the National Incubator Network.

Dato’ Dr. Abu Talib initiated a few collaborative Programmes with other developing countries, such as Myanmar, Lao PDR and Syria, under the Malaysian Technical Cooperation Programme (MTCP).  He is also involved in other collaborative efforts with Pakistan, Indonesia, Korea, Saudi Arabia and others, with the objective of “opening the markets” for MSC companies.   He is the founder member of the MSC - Asia Pacific ICT Awards or MSC-APICTA 1999, which led to the formation of the International APICTA event with currently 14 member countries participating.

Contact: Dato’ Dr. Abu Talib Bin Bachik

Treasurer - Óskar Sandholt

Executive Director, education, culture & development Seltjarnarnes

Mr. Oskar J. Sandholt is the Executive Director for education, culture and development with the Municipality of Seltjarnarnes in Iceland. Mr. Sandholt graduated from the Iceland University of Education receiving a Bachelor degree in 1991 and a Masters Degree in administration from the same university in 2006. He has also studied Business and Finance at the University of Iceland. He worked as a Project Manager with the Municipality of Seltjarnarnes, overseeing amongst other the Fibre to the Home project, managed Educational and Cultural matters for Reykjavik Energy for a short time and was a Managing Director and one of owners of a wholesale and retail store specifying in American auto products. He was a Chief Executive Officer of two Health Clinics and Teacher to name some of previous occupations. Amongst other Mr. Sandholt has been on the Reykjavik Capital Area’s Board of tourism. He has published a study on School mergers in Iceland and is the author of educational material.

Contact: Óskar Sandholt

Gerard Jansen -

Director Almere Kennisstad

Gerard Jansen is director of the foundation Almere Kennisstad (knowledge city). This organisation, funded by the municipality of Almere, promotes and helps to develop innovations with ICT in the main sectors of society: business, living, education, health care, public services and security.

Gerard Jansen is born in 1953, is married and has 2 grownup children. He has a degree in social sciences and is trained in project management. Before he became director of Almere Kennisstad in January 2007 he was deputy head of the economic department of de municipality of Almere. Before that he had several (management) functions in different areas of the public sector.

Contact: Gerard Jansen

Odisseas Raptis -

Projectmanager E-Trikala

Contact: Odisseas Raptis

Claudio Grech -

First secretary at Malta's Ministry for IT & Investment

Following his graduation as a Bachelor of Science in Business and Computing from the University of Malta in 1995, Mr Grech joined a local insurance company as a business analyst. Between 1996 and 1999, he carried out strategic human resources management projects for Government after which he joined the cabinet of the Minister for Justice and Local Government, as the Policy Coordinator for the field of Local Government.

In 2000 he graduated as a Master in Business Administration in strategy and later on in the same year he was allocated the responsibility of implementing electronic policy in Malta. In 2001 he was also appointed Executive Secretary of the eMalta Commission and e-Government Programme Manager. In April 2003, he was appointed Head of Secretariat of the Minister for Information Technology and Investment. He reports directly to the Minister and coordinates a policy team handling all Government investments.

Mr Grech chairs the Core ICT Steering Group of Government. Amongst other committees, Mr Grech is Malta’s Information Society Technologies Director and represents Malta on the i2010 High Level Group of the European Commission. He is also a Director of MITTS Ltd, the Government’s internal IT agency, and of the Malta Council for Science and Technology. In 2005 and 2006 he led the Government’s Negotiating Team responsible for the development of the SmartCity@Malta project.

He is also currently reading for a Doctorate in Business Administration with the Maastricht School of Management, specialising on the implementation of e-Government strategies.

Contact: Claudio Grech

Paul Morris -

Executive Director Utopia

Paul T. Morris is Executive Director of UTOPIA, a governmental entity created by 14 Utah cities to build an open wholesale fiber optic network to all homes and businesses within the member cities.

He was the City Attorney for West Valley City, Utah, from 1983-2005 and Chair of the Utah League of Cities and Towns Telecommunications Task Force since 1997. From BYU he received a B.S degree in Business Management in 1979 and a law degree in 1982. He received a M.P.A degree from the University of Utah in 1991. In 2004, the FTTH Council presented Paul with its Star Award. He is also a member of NATOA, the National Association of Telecommunications Officers and Advisors.

Paul is the Immediate Past Chair of the International Network of E Communities (INEC).

Contact: Paul Morris

Francisco Saboya-

President Porto Digital

Contact: Porto Digital