21923 - SCTE Broadband Aug2023 COMPLETE v1 (1)

54 Vol. 45 No. 3 - September 2023 Issue The more you put in the more you get out of it. So, with the election process, were you up against lots of other people? Was it very competitive? RM: The election of a president is typically not very competitive. At least those I have witnessed have reached a consensus very quickly. In my case I was very happy to see the support I got from the whole board. It’s a once in a lifetime opportunity for me, having been involved with the council for so many years. I am really honored to take up the role, working with a board that is really engaged and collaborates well. It sounds like quite a nice, close-knit community. RM: Yes it is, and this was very clear when Covid hit. It was pretty intense during this challenging time and the Board had to work closely together to postpone events, move online and find solutions. It all required a lot of discussion and extra work. We had a very engaged Board, which is important in times of crisis. Crisis does bring you closer together. RM: I have to say a big thank you to Eric Festraets for his leadership during the first year of Covid. The amount of extra work he needed to do due to the Covid crisis was incredible. He really did well keeping the organisation on the right path while phased with such an unseen situation. I do hope that we such a crisis will not come back any time soon. Oh please no. Once every hundred years is enough, isn’t it? RM: Absolutely. Hopefully, we can focus on issues that will drive the fibre industry forward. Looking ahead, what would you say are the greatest challenges facing the FTTH right now as you’re taking up this role? RM: Good question. As I said, we are broadening our scope, expanding our activities also into fibre adoption and industry sustainability. I think one of the Council challenges it to keep pushing to be heard at a European commission level, which is not an easy task. In the policy and regulation committee we are seeing some interesting debate, and learning how we can bring different opinions together into one statement that benefits the whole fibre market. Our membership roster, events and committees continue to grow and we should raise our profile as Europe’s leading fibre industry organisation. That’s good. Do you get involved with the show? RM: No. As a Board, we obviously are informed and support the event by suggesting potential speakers or topics. The practical organisation is with the management team, and they do a great job. As a president, there’s no additional from the industry