Roberto Viola

Nationality:  Italian Academic qualifications:
1978 – 1983: Doctor degree (cum laude) electronic engineering University of Rome la Sapienza, Italy
1993 – 1996: Master's degree in Business Administration (MBA) OU Business School Milton Keynes, UK. Professional experience in the European Institutions: 
As from 1 September 2015: Director General for Communications Networks, Content and Technology (CNECT)
September 2012 – August 2015: Deputy Director-General – Directorate- General Communications Networks, Content and Technology (CNECT).  Professional experience before joining the European Institutions:
July 2004 – August 2012: Secretary General – AGCOM, Italian Regulatory Authority for electronic communication, postal, audiovisual and media services, Rome – Italy. Chief executive with policy, operational and strategic responsibility.
May 2001 – July 2004: Director, regulatory department, AGCOM departments. In charge of regulatory policy in e-communication, spectrum, broadcasting and media services.
July 1999 – May 2001: Technical Director – AGCOM. In charge of research and technical support in fixed and mobile networks, broadcasting services and standardisation.
1993 – July 1999: European Space Agency (ESA), Space Research and Technology Centre (ESTEC), Noordwijk, The Netherlands. Head of the telecommunication and broadcasting satellite systems section in the Satellite Telecommunication Programmes Directorate. Programme Manager of the ESA multimedia applications research programme.
1986 – 1993: European Space Agency (ESA), Space Research and Technology Centre (ESTEC), Noordwijk, The Netherlands. Senior engineer, Technical Directorate. Research projects manager in advanced transmission systems, video and audio compression, networks and data communication.
1984 – 1985: Itaspazio, Rome, Italy. Telecommunication systems analyst. Design of telecommunication systems Other professional activities: 
A number of scientific publications and patents in the area of telecommunication systems research, navigation and broadcasting systems, transmission systems.
Awarded the ESA inventor medal 1999
Marconi prize for the best Italian doctoral thesis in telecommunications 1983
2005-2012 Universita S. Orsola, Naples, Lecturer in telecommunication and media law
2011-2012 University of Rome, Lecturer in ICT business models Language Skills: 
Italian (mother tongue)
English, French, Spanish, Dutch