Dr. David Soldani is a distinguished figure in the ICT industry, currently serving as the Senior Vice President of Next Generation Advanced Research at Rakuten Mobile, a position he has held since 2021. In this role, he leads the charge in developing advanced cloud-native technologies, leveraging AI/ML and eBPF, to boost productivity, reduce risks, and enhance the performance of modern telecom networks and data centres.

Before his tenure at Rakuten Mobile, Dr. Soldani held significant positions at other major tech companies. He was the Chief Technology and Cyber Security Officer (CTSO) for the Asia Pacific Region at Huawei. Prior to that, he served as the Head of 5G Technology, e2e, on a global scale at Nokia. His extensive experience also includes roles as the Head of the Central Research Institute (CRI) and Vice President of Strategic Research and Innovation in Europe at Huawei’s European Research Centre.

Dr. Soldani has a strong academic background, holding a Doctor of Science degree in Technology with distinction from Helsinki University of Technology in Finland and a Master of Science degree in Engineering with magna cum laude honours from the University of Florence in Italy. He has also held several prestigious academic appointments and is currently an Adjunct Professor at the University of New South Wales (UNSW). His past academic roles include Visiting Professor at the University of Surrey in the U.K. and Industry Professor at the University of Technology Sydney (UTS).

Originally from Italy, Dr. Soldani currently resides in Australia with his family. His areas of expertise encompass Cloud-Native Computing, AI, 5G, B5G, 6G, and cybersecurity. He is also an advisory board member for 6G World.