Six Hundred Local Telecom Leaders Gather to Honor Industry Leaders

(Atlanta, November 9, 2011) —Five of Atlanta’s leading telecom and technology executives have been named as winners of the 2011 Atlanta Telecom Professional of the Year (ATPY) awards by the Association of Telecom Professionals, handed out last night.

The 2011 Atlanta of Telecom Professional of the Year is Val Rahmani, Chief Executive Officer of Damballa. The former IBM executive is leading the fast growing web security firm that was spun out of Georgia Tech in 2006.

Other winners include Dr. Jay Yadav, Founder and CEO of CardioMEMS (recipient of the 2011 ATPY Industry Innovation Award), Joe Oesterling, Executive Vice President of Network and Technology at Cbeyond (winner of the 2011 ATPY Industry Leadership Award), IntercontinentalExchange Senior VP and CTO Edwin Marcial (the 2011 ATPY Enterprise Innovation Award), and Noni Gonzalez, AVP of Corporate Systems for AT&T (the 2011 ATPY Enterprise Leadership Award).

Over 600 of Atlanta’s most influential telecommunications executives, including 30 CIOs and a number of CEOs, attended the event kicked off by special guest speaker Glenn Lurie, President of Emerging Devices, National Resale and Partnerships for AT&T. Karen Finger of CenturyLink Business and incoming ATP President chaired the event.


Platinum sponsors for the 2011 Atlanta Telecom Professional of the Year Award included AT&T, Carousel Industries, CenturyLink Business, Cirracore, Equinix, Oracle and Stone Resource Group.

On winning the overall ATPY Award for 2011, Rahmani said, “I am personally excited to receive this award, and I am truly proud to share this accolade with the amazing Internet security team at Damballa. Every day, this team brings energy and passion to creating unique ways to stop cybercriminals from doing harm. As mobile devices have become pervasive in our lives, it is exciting that Damballa has been able to apply our technology and provide critical cyber threat protection for organizations and consumers. This award underscores our commitment to the Atlanta community and our dedication to bringing growth and jobs to the region. I am pleased that Damballa has been able to contribute to the telecom industry and to the Atlanta business community in such a meaningful way.”  

The 2011 ATPY Industry Innovation Awards was presented to Dr. Jay Yadav, Founder and CEO of CardioMEMS. The Atlanta-based company has developed proprietary wireless sensing and communication for use in the human body. The sensors can be implanted using minimally invasive techniques and allow physicians to monitor cardiac output, blood pressure and heart rate data remotely.

On winning the award, Yadav said, “I am honored to receive this award and to share this honor with the dedicated team at CardioMEMS,” said Dr. Yadav, founder and CEO of CardioMEMS. “At CardioMEMS we have created a proactive approach to healthcare by combining the latest advances in microelectronics, information technology, and wireless communications. It is the goal of CardioMEMS to continuously innovate to improve the quality of life for patients and to deliver more efficient and cost effective health care.”

Joe Oesterling, Executive Vice President of Network and Technology for Cbeyond won the 2011 ATPY award for industry leadership. Oesterling oversees the company’s customer network, applications, billing, infrastructure procurement and other responsibilities for the company that serves the telecom needs of more than 59,000 small business nationwide.

“I see this prestigious honor as one for the entire Cbeyond team,” said Oesterling of Cbeyond. “We are passionate at Cbeyond for delivering big business communications and IT solutions to the small business owner, and that passion radiates throughout the organization.  Having been part of Cbeyond in the past 11 years during which we have grown tremendously is a true honor.  Continuing to build Cbeyond and working alongside true professionals within Cbeyond and outside of Cbeyond in the local telecommunications industry is a privilege. Thank you to the Association of Telecom Professionals for highlighting our efforts.”

Edwin Marcial, Senior VP and CTO of IntercontinentalExchange, the Atlanta-based technology company that operates regulated exchanges, trading platforms and clearing houses for agricultural, currency, energy and other markets, said “I appreciate this recognition, which I largely share with my dynamic and deeply-committed technology and operations team at IntercontinentalExchange (ICE). Marcial says “ICE has emerged as a leading global exchange and financial infrastructure operator over the last decade thanks to its dedication and passion for leveraging technology to solve complex problems and improve efficiency.  Our networks and services now manage some of the most critical financial transaction activity in the world even as ICE continues to bring greater transparency and risk management savvy to all its work. This award underscores that ICE will continue to grow and thrive as part of the Atlanta business community.”

And AT&T’s AVP of Corporate Systems Noni Gonzalez was awarded the 2011 ATPY Enterprise Leadership Award. Gonzalez retail distribution for AT&T’s 2,400 stores as well as major retailers including Wal-Mart, Target and Best Buy, plus network construction and maintenance of AT&T’s 20,000 cell towers and 7,000+ central offices as well as operating the life cycle management system that tracks over 250 million handsets, among many other responsibilities.

“It’s an honor to receive such distinguished recognition,” said Gonzalez. “When you have a team like ours that rallies to overcome any obstacle, focuses on doing the right thing and works to ensure benefit is brought to the corporation, this award validates that what we do creates value. There is no better feeling!”

Thanks to all of our sponsors, volunteers, and board members for putting on another fantastic event!


About ATP

Association of Telecom Professionals (ATP) is a nonprofit organization dedicated to the continued professional development and network growth of the telecommunications community. ATP was created for the purpose of providing an environment for networking, exchanging important industry information, and the recognition of excellence within the international telecom community.



Each month ATP meets the professional development needs of our members by drawing upon telecom and communications thought leaders to share their knowledge and experiences. It is through this exchange of ideas that we provide an avenue for networking to our members in the wireline, wireless, media, technology, and enterprise communities.



To join ATP or for more information on the many benefits associated with ATP membership and a full calendar of ATP events, please visit the web site at www.atpconnect.org.