Biographies
Senior Management Team
Barry Shrier - Founder and CEO
Barry Shrier is the founder and chief executive of Liberty Europe, a leading provider of public Internet access with a particular focus on Wi-Fi. Barry identified that one of the key problems delaying the adoption of Wi-Fi is that there is rarely anyone available in the hot-spots who knows how it works, or what to do when it goes wrong. He therefore set-up Liberty Europe to not only provide Internet access, but also the critical sales and marketing support needed to train staff and monitor usage, which will ultimately give users the confidence to use the service.
Previously, Barry was hired by Deutsche Bank to launch Paybox, the world's first international mobile payment system, to the UK market. He has also worked for several strategic marketing consultancies where he managed various international projects for Unilever, Guinness, Procter & Gamble, Mars and Nestle.>
Jeff Parker - CTO
Has spent his entire career in IT engineering and informational architecture and brings to the business a wealth of relevant knowledge and experience.
Ken Brooks - Legal Counsel
After graduating from Keble College with a first class honours degree in Modern History, Mr Brooks attended law school in Guildford. Formally a commercial partner with Linnells in Oxford, he was a founder of Brookstreet des Roches, a specialist commercial legal practice where he is now a commercial legal consultant. He has extensive international and managerial experience and has a strong track record in deal brokerage, acquisitions and mergers. He is a director of several other companies covering fields such as business consultancy, manufacturing, property and plastic merchanting.
The Liberty Europe Advisory Board
Dr Peter Cochrane
Peter Cochrane joined BT Laboratories in 1973 and has worked on a wide range of technologies and systems. In 1993 he was appointed as the Head of Research, and in 1999 he became BT's Chief Technologist. In November 2000 Peter retired from BT to join his own startup company - ConceptLabs - which he founded with a group out of Apple Computers in 1998 at Campbell CA, in Silicon Valley. A graduate of Trent Polytechnic (now Nottingham Trent University) and Essex University. He has been a visiting professor to UCL, Essex, Southampton and Kent. He was the Collier Chair for the Public Understanding of Science & Technology at the University of Bristol and is a Member of the New York Academy of Sciences. He has published and lectured widely on technology and the implications of IT.
He led a team that received the Queen's Award for Innovation & Export in 1990; the Martlesham Medal for contributions to fibre optics technology in 1994; the IEE Electronics Division Premium in 1986; Computing and control Premium in 1994 and the IERE Benefactors Prize in 1994; the James Clerk Maxwell Memorial Medal in 1995; IBTE Best Paper Prize and Honorary Doctorates from Essex, Robert Gordon, Stafford and Nottingham Trent Universities and was awarded an OBE in 1999 for his contribution to international communications. Peter was awarded an IEEE Millennium Medal in 2000 and The City & Guilds Prince Philip Medal in 2001.
Caroline Gabriel
Research Director - Rethink Research Associates
Bradley De Souza
Bradley advises on the best way to use technology to improve competitive advantage. His extensive experience has made him a invaluable asset to organisations.
He concluded more than 3 successful years at O2, a European Moblie Carrer. His role as Vice President led to the creation of a mobile data program called Revolution. Revolution is seen as the European equivalent of the NTT Docomo's 'i-mode'. The program is a key feature of O2's Mobile Data Strategy.
He also had responsibility for O2's Developer program, Source O2. Under his management Source O2 grew into the largest Moblie-Carrier Developer program in Europe, with over 14,500 registered developers. His previous roles included Vice President of Research & Developement for Genie, O2's successful Mobile Data business. He developed strategies for Phone & Data device developement, APIs, Supplier Management and Developer programs.
Originally Bradley was Chief Technology Officer for Genie (a Mobile Data Virtual Network Operator), where he successfully delivered the core service capability to support Genie's ambitions in Europe and South-East Asia, 12 Countries in all.
Prior to working with O2, in 2000, Bradley was Head of Technology at the BBC, in charge of all interactive online developement. His work at the BBC made it the largest portal and interactive content publisher in Europe.
Bradley has a wealth of experience in Telecommunications, Technology, New Media, Electronic Publishing, Broadcasting and Venture Capital. He has always been drawn to the opportunities technology and media convergences create. Early on in his career, Bradley was given the opportunity to fomulate the Internet Strategy for Financial Times, Developing the world famous FT.com site.
Bradley is motivated by the challenges that convergence opportunities bring. His international career plus multi-industry background give him a unique insight into the challenges modern businesses face when trying to balance the technology equation.