Chief Operating Officer, Turbidite
Wilfred Kwan is co-founder and chief operating officer of Turbidite. With more than 25 years in the ICT sector, Wilfred has a successful track record in leading global telecom/subsea and data center operations, in addition to engineering, customer service, product management, and IT.
Wilfred was previously COO of Global Cloud Xchange and CTO of Pacnet. He also served as director of operations for WorldCom Asia Pacific and earlier held management positions with Global One, Lucent Technologies, Motorola, and Nortel. Wilfred received his Master of Science and Bachelor of Science in electrical engineering from Cornell University and a Master of Science in financial management from the University of London.
What technology breakthroughs would pave the way for the ICT Industry?
In my view, the COVID-19 pandemic has accelerated digital transformation into the next generation. The collaboration of different technologies from open-source cloud-sharing to AI, big data, and blockchain are all essential as we enter the “new normal.” New technologies from genetic testing to virus detection and epidemic tracking are proving invaluable in our ongoing battle against COVID-19. For the ICT industry, it is important to ensure that we deliver a robust, yet flexible, underlying infrastructure – it’s all about high availability, scalability, reachability, and rapid deployment capability. A shared cloud infrastructure powered by both hyperscale and edge data centers, coupled with ubiquitous fiber and 4G/5G access technologies, is important.
How can telecommunications technologies help humanity?
As new innovations steer humanity into further digitalization of our daily lives, I believe telecom technologies and infrastructure are the foundation from which we will continue to build into the future. With increasing and more sophisticated virtual demands in media, communications, business, education, logistics, and more, our global fiber optic and data center ecosystem today play an even bigger role in enabling efficiencies in the world we live in. As fiber optic networks continue to improve, we must also put in more peripherals on the edge to ensure that hyperscale and edge data centers actually complement each other in delivering new digital requirements globally.
How can corporations and researchers best serve the next generation?
It’s all about collaboration. We must bring together businesses and academics to bridge the gaps and deliver innovation. As I mentioned earlier, the next generation is here! As virtualization continues to have an increasing impact in everything we do, researchers and academics will need to further align with businesses in order to train a new generation of leaders to deliver on more sophisticated requirements in the future. PTC provides a solid platform where academics and corporations can come together in meaningful discussions on new innovations and strategic developments as we all move forward on digital transformation.
What value does PTC hold for you/your company?
I have been a PTC Member for more than 18 years and find that PTC’s Annual Conference has been an anchor event in our industry. There’s value to be gained across the company in sales, procurement, general networking, marketing, and education. It is one of the few industry events where our customers, vendors, and new prospects come together to do business. To put it simply, PTC has helped impact our bottom line! I am also thrilled to see more diversity at PTC over recent years as OTTs and CIOs from finance, automotive, and other industries join the conference to partner with ICT players.
What would you share with those interested in becoming a PTC Member?
Hawaii is a great place to be in January – that’s the truth! On a more serious note, PTC’s Annual Conference is just one part of what PTC is all about. From webinars to academic symposiums, the organization delivers useful information, tools, and networking opportunities for industry professionals and students. In fact, PTC’s new Digging Into the Future VLOG series has brought ICT leaders together in a unique forum to share views and challenges as we all continue to work (and compete) towards delivering our best to impact digital transformation around the world.
What advice would you share with current and future graduates interested in the ICT field?
First of all, I congratulate those who are considering a career in ICT! Without a doubt, technology will continue to play a huge role as digital transformation is simply unstoppable. By leveraging all the up-and-coming technologies, you are in a unique position to help shape a better world. To stay ahead, never stop learning and always maintain a very positive attitude as change is the norm in this very DYNAMIC industry. In ICT, new opportunities are only just beginning!
What is something that not many people know about you?
I practice active listening and stay present when people talk. It always results in wonders and works like a charm every time!
About Turbidite
Turbidite, Asia’s newest pan-Asian edge data center platform launched on 3 March 2021, with focus on the development of a wide network of international-standard edge data centers across multiple Asia-Pacific countries. The company’s Turbidite Guam development project, a joint venture with IT&E, a subsidiary of Prospector Pacific, marks the first in a series of key initiatives by Turbidite as the company continues to progressively roll out edge data centers in strategic locations across Asia-Pacific. Founded by industry veterans Bill Barney and Wilfred Kwan, Turbidite is backed by New World Development, a leading Hong Kong and China property conglomerate.
