We Know Telecom

A Pacific Northwest native, Brooklynn is a senior account manager who brings over five years of telecom experience, supporting various business groups of Nokia. This includes Network Infrastructure, Bell Labs, CSP, Enterprise Campus Edge and North America corporate communications, as well as several projects focused on quantum and education.

Her experience ranges from strategizing and executing Vice President Kamala Harris’ visit to the Sanmina factory to providing on-site briefings and logistics support for Nokia Bell Labs’ Centennial Event at Murray Hill.

Brooklynn prides herself on her sourcing skills. Her efforts to dig out anecdotes and real business outcomes have led to coverage on CNBC’s Worldwide Exchange and fostered a close relationship with Bloomberg’s telecom reporter, Kelcee Griffis. In addition to her client work, Brooklynn leads Hoffman’s intern cohort to foster the next generation of storytellers.

Akansha Rai is a regional communications leader with over 20 years of experience across telecom, technology and infrastructure-led businesses in APAC. She brings deep, hands-on telecom expertise from her early career, having led communications for Motorola across APAC for over six years, working across both in-house and agency roles. Her work included regional communications strategy, executive positioning, and extensive KOL and influencer engagement, supporting Motorola’s leadership and market presence across multiple APAC markets.

Prior to this, Akansha led communications for Vodafone in India, managing multiple circles across North India in a highly competitive, regulatory-aware telecom environment. Akansha also led the tech practice at Zeno India, working for clients like Lenovo Mobile Business Group (India & AP), Motorola India, Ducati and LINE India.

Building on this foundation, Akansha has spent the latter part of her career in senior regional leadership roles, running complex multi-market accounts across APAC, including Zoom, Ripple, Oracle, Western Digital and OutSystems. Her work sits at the intersection of regional strategy, narrative development and cross-border coordination, supporting clients across Southeast Asia, India and North Asia through growth, transformation and market expansion.

Gerard is a creative storyteller for brands and executives at the intersection of earned and digital media. As managing director, he oversees the North American PR, creative, Story Studio, insights and digital teams for The Hoffman Agency.

In addition to his leadership role, Gerard engages directly with C-suite clients to develop executive thought leadership programs. Gerard’s ability to uplevel executives through media appearances, speeches, keynotes and multi-channel creative content has proven successful for a wide range of executives. A digital-first thinker and creator, Gerard has experience working with tech clients and executives across the semiconductor, telecom, automotive, EdTech, FinTech, cybersecurity, AI and SaaS sectors.

Prior to joining The Hoffman Agency, Gerard held executive leadership roles at Weber Shandwick, LEWIS Global Communications and Cone Communications. His clients have included TSMC, American Express, Trellix, Sony, Bank of America, Verizon, Motional, Enel and many others.

In his spare time, Gerard teaches the “Influencing the Influencers” course at Northeastern University’s College of Arts, Media and Design.

Lou heads The Hoffman Agency, a global communications consultancy focused on the tech sector. In the spirit of Silicon Valley, he thought there was a better way, putting service delivery as the lead pin, not financial performance. This principle continues to guide the firm today.

His experience in the telecom sector includes Alcatel Lucent, when the APAC VP of Communications, Heather Ritchie, engaged The Hoffman Agency for support in the region. This was the start of the relationship that takes us to today and continues to support Nokia.

Regardless of the sector or the client, Lou believes in the mantra, “the story is always there.” A student of communications, he teamed with journalist Peter Lewis (Fortune and The New York Times) to develop a half-day workshop on storytelling. Lately, he’s been on a kick to help clients understand what it takes to land tier-one media, leading to the creation of the workshop, “Helping Sources Become Better Sources.”

Kelly is an Executive Vice President at The Hoffman Agency, bringing more than 15 years of B2B tech PR experience working with innovation-driven companies. Her approach at Hoffman is shaped by the Agency’s dedication to what truly matters: staying focused on the work, showing up for clients and building genuine relationships rooted in trust rather than transactions.

Kelly has worked on the Alcatel-Lucent and now Nokia business since 2012, providing long-term strategic counsel throughout a relationship that has evolved alongside the industry itself. Today, she supports Nokia across Cloud and Network Services, Network Infrastructure and the company’s Technology and AI organization. Across sectors and client challenges, Kelly believes strong communications starts with credibility and consistency.

As folks like Sarah Miller and Rick Foote are aware, she also believes that a little humor can go a long way when you’re in the trenches. Known for her institutional knowledge, steady leadership and collaborative approach, Kelly serves as a trusted partner to teams navigating transformation, growth and moments that truly matter.

With a fascination for the technology and innovation that underpin the devices we use today, Nate has a deep passion for the technical. His expertise lies in finding ways to turn such content into thought leadership that engages broader audiences and is featured on the likes of CNBC.

Nate has been knee-deep in leading and executing PR programs for hardware, semiconductor and enterprise technology companies since 2015. His experience spans both stealth startups and household names like Bosch, Nokia, NXP, Synaptics, TSMC and many more.

He has overseen several global content programs and worked extensively with the Agency’s global offices across the U.S., EMEA and APAC. He is keenly aware of the vital differences in media landscapes and cultural nuances that must be navigated when developing a program for global or multi-regional audiences.

Paul has spent the last two decades immersed in the telecoms industry. For most of that time, his work has focused on helping technology vendors sell into operators — while also representing operators themselves, including BT and EE. That dual perspective has shaped how he thinks about communications: what resonates with telco buyers, what raises red flags, and what influences long-term decisions in a market where trust and credibility matter more than hype.

He’s worked extensively across RAN infrastructure with Samsung Networks; optical and transport networking with Neos Networks, Ribbon and ECI Telecom (prior to its acquisition by Ribbon); cloud, NaaS and digital transformation with BT; and cloud-native orchestration and containerization with Wind River and Synchronoss. He’s also supported satellite connectivity players, such as Skylo and Lynk, and advanced research-driven organizations, including InterDigital, working on topics such as 6G and integrated sensing and communications (ISAC). Along the way, he’s partnered closely with industry bodies, including the GSMA, TM Forum and Wireless Broadband Alliance.

Whether advising at moments like Mobile World Congress, engaging analysts who shape vendor shortlists or helping leadership teams navigate diversification without losing credibility with their core customers, his approach is pragmatic, operator-aware and future-focused.

Hailing from Malaysia, with a stop in Silicon Valley before landing in Portland, Oregon, Sam is an Account Director who believes the most complex network technologies succeed when paired with clear, credible storytelling. She brings more than six years of experience supporting telecoms and networking innovators, including Nokia, Forward Networks and Wind Talker Innovations.

She has helped shape communications strategies across Nokia’s evolving portfolio, including the Networks Infrastructure and Cloud and Networks Services businesses. Her number one goal is always ensuring that Nokia’s stories reach the audiences that matter most. Today, she leads NI storytelling at the intersection of quantum-safe networks and data center networks, as well as mission-critical sectors such as energy, transportation, public sector and education.

At The Hoffman Agency, Sam specializes in proactive media relations and content development, securing key placements in outlets such as Insider, Bloomberg and ZDNet. She also maintains strong relationships with key telecom media outlets, including Fierce Networks, RCR Wireless, SDxCentral and more.

Shannon oversees the day-to-day operations and strategy of her teams, with deep expertise in telecommunications and network infrastructure communications. She specializes in media relations, thought leadership and storytelling and has supported telecom and connectivity clients since 2019. She keeps a close pulse on the media landscape for her clients so she can identify opportunities and work with the team to respond quickly.

At Hoffman, Shannon has led communications programs for leading telecom and networking companies, including Nokia, Tarana Wireless and NXP Semiconductors, alongside clients such as EY’s Tech and AI practice, Alation, Baidu, Snap Inc. and Workiva. She spearheads integrated communications programs and coordinates product and company announcements around funding, earnings, M&A and partnerships, as well as cultivates relationships with editors across the business, technology and consumer spaces.

With a passion for project management, Shannon drives earned byline programs, oversees product and company awards, facilitates on-site and virtual client events, and manages owned research campaigns. She is always on the lookout for the next great anecdote.

Zoe leads the telecoms practice in London, working primarily across the mobile sector with clients including EE, BT and Samsung Networks. She spearheaded the highly successful earned media launch and ongoing national rollout of EE’s 5G Standalone network, driving sustained coverage across the UK and educating consumer technology media on the real-world benefits of 5G Standalone.

Zoe’s favorite stories are those that take on highly complex, technical concepts and translate them into clear, compelling narratives — bringing to life the tangible impact and power of connectivity in everyday life.

Beyond mobile operators, Zoe has led teams supporting leading industry trade associations TM Forum and the Telecom Infra Project around their flagship events, DTW and FYUZ. These programs involved close collaboration with media and analysts to shape perceptions of the organizations, as well as working with member companies to tell collective stories of progress around open standards, autonomous networks, AI and more.

Before specializing in telecoms, Zoe worked with global SaaS organizations across open source, cloud databases and cybersecurity.