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Brian Herlihy, Executive Director at SEACOM, has been named as one of the World Economic Forum’s (WEF’s) 192 Young Global Leaders for 2012. The annual honour recognises up to 200 outstanding young leaders from around the world for their professional accomplishments, commitment to society and potential to contribute to shaping the future of the world.
Herlihy’s role in helping to bring high-speed Internet access to more of Africa’s people through the SEACOM high-capacity submarine cable system earned him a place on the prestigious list. He is the founder of SEACOM and was the Chief Executive Officer of the company at launch, and now focuses on strategic projects essential for SEACOM’s continued growth and success.
SEACOM's official launch in July 2009 marked the beginning of positive changes in numerous African countries via the spread of access to wholesale broadband internet. Over 17,000km of undersea fibre optic cable was laid, connecting Africa to the rest of the world via India and Europe.
This helped to bring fast, reliable and affordable international bandwidth into many African nations for the first time. Low-cost, high-quality Internet access is critical to feeding African nations with the information and communications infrastructure they need to grow prosperous, connected and competitive economies.
Says Herlihy: “SEACOM believes in an interconnected African experience that is characterised by abundant local content, minimal latency and fast download and streaming speeds. I am honoured that the WEF has seen fit to recognise and reward this vision with this award. I look forward to playing a role in making the Internet more accessible to more people in Africa in the years to come.”
“The management and employees of SEACOM congratulate Brian on this well-deserved achievement,” says SEACOM CEO, Mark Simpson. “His work has already had a profound impact on African societies and economies by helping the continent to get more affordably connected to the rest of the world. This WEF honour is a fitting tribute to Brian’s vision for a more connected Africa.”
As one of the 2012 honourees, Herlihy will become part of the broader Forum of Young Global Leaders community that currently comprises 713 outstanding individuals. The YGLs convene at an Annual Summit, which will be held this year in Puerto Vallarta, Mexico, on 14 to 18 April.
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