Bio

As Co-Founder and CEO, Eric R. Handa has built APTelecom (www.aptelecom.com) into a globally recognized leader in telecom consulting. Since launching in 2010, Handa has grown APTelecom from a start-up business to an award-winning global organization which has generated over US $315 million in sales for clients, and has been named the Sales Team of the Year by the Global Customer Sales and Service Awards, as well as a Silver Award winner of the 2014 Fastest Growing Company EMEA by the Best in Business Awards. Telecom Review Magazine awarded APTelecom the Best VAS Consulting Company in Dubai, United Arab Emirates in 2016 and 2017. APTelecom has pioneered financing options for new submarine cables with off-take pre-sale agreements, IRU options with economies of scales (upgrade rights), and fixing distressed assets for existing submarine cable systems. Prior to founding APTelecom, Handa worked for AT&T, Tyco Electronics, Tata Communications and Bharti Airtel in a number of senior operations, research, and sales assignments. Handa has covered, and resided (fourteen years overseas Hong Kong, Singapore, London). He is an expert contributor to Wired.com’s “Innovation Insights” section, and is regularly quoted by the most prestigious global media outlets in the world on the topic of telecom in emerging markets, including Entrepreneur Radio, Bloomberg, BusinessWeek, Telecom Review North America, SubTel Forum, CommsDay, and Fierce Telecom. Handa is a Pacific Telecom Council (PTC.org) innovation awards judge. Under Handa’s leadership, APTelecom has also developed a culture of giving back, and established its signature “State of Subsea” series, which is a 501c charity. APTelecom has donated more than 10% of its profit annually since inception (www.stateofsubsea.com). Handa is an avid supporter and volunteer of Habit for Humanity and Bloom Again Foundation. He sits on the Board of trustees for Bryant university.