The success and longevity of any company in the telecommunications industry relies heavily on extensive knowledge and experience in the industry. With technology changing faster than we can keep track, leaders of telecom companies must be invested enough in the market to adopt trends before they become mainstream.
Veteran network builder, Samer Bishay is a prime example of this type of leadership. Best known for his role as president and CEO of Iristel Inc., Bishay has recently been appointed as the president and CEO of Ice Wireless Inc. Replacing Ice Wireless’ previous founder, Tom Zubko, Bishay will continue Zubko’s position since the company’s establishment in 1999.
Maintaining his role at Iristel, Bishay intends to instill the same values and success with Ice Wireless as he has done in leading Iristel from a small start-up to an international telecommunications service provider. Iristel currently holds domestic infrastructure licenses on three continents and is a major shareholder of Ice Wireless, making the leadership transition a no brainer for Bishay.
Established in 1999, Iristel Inc. was granted a carrier license by the Canadian Radio-Television and Telecommunications Commission (CRTC) in 2000, and today is one of Canada’s largest VoIP and DID service providers with a coast-to-coast network. Iristel offers a complete portfolio of IP services in Canada, including hosted IP PBX (News - Alert), DID, virtual faxing, virtual roaming, and global IP trunking products and services. Iristel clients include large ILECs and Wireless Service Providers across Canada.
Also established in 1999, Ice Wireless (ICE) is a GSM cellular phone network that was founded to service rural and remote communities in northern Canada. ICE provides a full range of affordable and leading edge cellular services to Yellowknife, Inuvik, Hay River, Aklavik, Behchoko and Whitehorse. The Ice Wireless network covers 70 percent of the Northwest Territories and 78 percent of the Yukon.
As the new president and CEO of ICE, aside from his experience, Bishay brings numerous awards and accolades to his new role. Most notably, he was the recipient of Profit Magazine’s Young Entrepreneur Award, as the youngest CEO among the Top 50 Profit companies in Canada, in 2004.
Edited by Brooke Neuman