Paul de Sa was part of the leadership team at the U.S. Federal Communications Commission (FCC) from 2009-12 and 2016-17, serving as Chief of its Office of Strategic Planning, with a focus on merger reviews, spectrum policy, and broadband, including work on the National Broadband Plan. Between these two periods of government service, he was the Senior Analyst at Bernstein Research covering the U.S. telecom sector, publishing on topics relevant to broadcast, cable, satellite, and telecom investors. Recently, Paul authored a primer on the financial aspects of broadband projects and was a member of the Biden-Harris Transition's FCC Agency Review Team. Paul was previously a Partner at McKinsey & Company, spending almost a decade serving communications and private-equity clients from the firm’s Washington, D.C., and Seoul offices. He holds a B.A. from Cambridge and a doctorate in theoretical physics from Oxford, was a John F. Kennedy Memorial Scholar at MIT, and researched technology policy as a post-doctoral fellow at Harvard, during which time he served as a staff member on two reports by President Clinton's Committee of Advisors on Science and Technology. Paul can be contacted at paul.desa@quadrapartnersllc.com​.

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Chris Helzer has twenty-five years of experience in the cellular telecommunications industry and government, including working as the Chief Engineer in the FCC's Wireless Telecommunications Bureau from 2014-2017, the director of radio network and handset development at Nextel Communications from 1999-2005, and a variety of consulting positions. He has worked on most parts of cellular networks, including radio deployment, core networks, services, devices, and standards. Chris has B.S. degrees in physics and electrical engineering from the University of Maryland. Chris can be contacted at chris.helzer@quadrapartnersllc.com.

 

Ruth Milkman served as the Chief of Staff of the FCC from 2013-2017 and Chief of the FCC’s Wireless Telecommunications Bureau between 2009 and 2013 with responsibility for spectrum policy, auctions, and universal service funding. From 1998-2009 she worked as one of the leading telecommunications lawyers in Washington as co-founder of Lawler, Metzger, Milkman and Keeney, a firm serving clients ranging from start-ups to large established telecommunications companies and private-equity firms. Before joining Lawler, Metzger, Ruth held a variety of senior positions at the FCC, including Senior Legal Advisor to Chairman Reed Hundt and Deputy Chief of the International and Common Carrier Bureaus. She leads Quadra’s work on spectrum policy and co-authored a September 2021 white paper on spectrum sharing policy. Ruth has a B.A. from Harvard University and a J.D. from the University of Michigan Law School. She served as a clerk for the Honorable J. Harvie Wilkinson III on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit. Ruth can be contacted at ruth.milkman@quadrapartnersllc.com.

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Roger Sherman founded Waneta Strategies, LLC, in 2016 and served as Managing Director until 2019, when he joined Quadra. At Waneta, he provided strategic counseling to Fortune 500 businesses, start-ups, trade associations, and investors. Roger was Chief of the FCC's Wireless Telecommunications Bureau from 2013-2016 with responsibility for spectrum, auctions, competition policy, infrastructure deployment, and transactions. Prior to his service at the Commission, Roger held a number of senior positions on Capitol Hill, including serving as Chief Democratic Counsel to the Energy and Commerce Committee. Outside of government, Roger spent ten years at Sprint Corporation as a Director of Wireless Regulatory Affairs. Roger has a B.A. from Amherst College and a J.D. from Harvard Law School. Roger can be reached at roger.sherman@quadrapartnersllc.com.

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Jon Wilkins spent sixteen years at McKinsey & Company in Washington, D.C., working with global clients spanning the wireless, cable, wireline, and high-tech sectors. He left McKinsey as a Senior Partner in 2013 to join the FCC as the agency’s Chief Operating Officer, a role he served in from 2013-2015 with responsibilities including the reform of Universal Service policy and operations. In 2016, he became Chief of the Wireless Telecommunications Bureau, where he played a central role in activities including transaction reviews, auctions, and development of the world's first regulatory framework for 5G mobile services. He leads Quadra’s work on federal and state broadband funding programs and authored a July 2021 white paper on state broadband planning and strategy. Jon has a B.A. from Dartmouth College and a J.D. from Yale University Law School. He served as a clerk for the Honorable J. Frederick Motz on the U.S. District Court for the District of Maryland. Jon can be contacted at jon.wilkins@quadrapartnersllc.com​.