Zotera Leadership

Zotera is led by a seasoned team of innovators, technologists, and industry strategists with decades of experience driving transformation across critical sectors including aerospace, telecommunications, manufacturing, energy, water, and enterprise IT. Together, they bring a rare blend of deep technical expertise and executive leadership, uniting visionary thinking with real-world execution.

 

Their work has powered mission-critical systems for NASA, IBM, Intel, Cisco, Boeing, global telecommunications carriers, and leading government agencies  now focused on redefining the future of industrial operations through IIoT, edge intelligence, and autonomous analytics.

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Jamal Shareef

Chief Executive Officer

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Jamal Shareef is an accomplished technology leader with a career spanning global telecommunications, high-tech manufacturing, data infrastructure, and enterprise transformation. At Hitachi Data Systems, he led a $4B enterprise solutions portfolio including enterprise servers, storage subsystems, and systems management software, and helped position the company as a leader in intelligent infrastructure.

 

Earlier at EMC and Candle Corporation, he pioneered advanced performance analytics frameworks that laid the groundwork for real-time monitoring and industrial data intelligence. He also led the development of Vodafone’s Global Service Delivery Platform, scaling operations across 30 countries and over 200 million subscribers. Jamal has delivered strategic solutions for IBM, Intel, Cisco, Disney, Lockheed Martin, and U.S. defense agencies. At Zotera, he guides the company’s mission to merge IT and OT through IIoT, edge analytics, and autonomous operational intelligence.

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Mo Kotaiche, PH.D.,

Chief Technology Officer

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Dr. Mo Kotaiche began his career at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center, designing electronic monitoring and control systems for the Space Shuttle program   earning patents and industry recognition for mission-critical innovation. He has served as CIO of South Florida Water Management District and held senior leadership roles at Fidelity National Information Services and SunTech Consulting.

 

A specialist in complex program delivery, he has led enterprise modernization using Agile, Six Sigma, CMMI, and ISO frameworks. At Zotera, Dr. Kotaiche architects the core IIoT and Edge Intelligence platforms, ensuring the integration of AI, machine vision, and industrial automation into scalable, secure infrastructure.

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Marek Kaszubski

Chief Operating Officer​

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Marek Kaszubski brings extensive international expertise in project finance, technology transfer, and regulatory strategy. He began his career at the U.S. Federal Energy Regulatory Commission and later advised global enterprises on M&A and infrastructure deals at Stroock & Stroock & Lavan and Mott & Associates.

 

His clients include Cisco, AT&T, IBM, Motorola, European Space Agency, and the World Bank. Marek has also served as an investment advisor to the Polish Ministry of Privatization. At Zotera, he leads operational governance, global partnerships, and market expansion efforts across energy, utilities, and emerging markets.

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Steve Burns

Director - Product Management, Edge Computing Platforms

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Steve Burns is an expert in mission-critical communications and industrial control systems, with career experience spanning emergency radio infrastructure, cellular systems, and national operations centers. He previously managed real-time flood control networks covering 18,000 square miles for the South Florida Water Management District and led network and database practices for Digital Equipment Corporation.

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Steve has delivered complex systems for global clients including NTT Docomo, GM, Ford, Alcoa, Wright-Patterson AFB, and Hong Kong Government. At Zotera, he leads the Radius™ Edge platform portfolio, ensuring industrial-grade reliability, remote automation, and edge-based AI performance.

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Lonnie Jones

Director - Product Management, Cloud Platforms & Applications

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Lonnie Jones brings deep experience in enterprise architecture, R&D, and cloud platform integration. He has held leadership positions at Scientific Games International, Watson Wyatt, and Candle Corporation, deploying large-scale applications for IBM, Bell South, Volvo, and multiple U.S. state agencies.

 

His international projects include data platforms for government lottery systems in Mexico, Spain, Panama, and the Philippines. At Zotera, Lonnie oversees cloud orchestration, application frameworks, and analytics integration, enabling seamless edge-to-cloud intelligence for industrial ecosystems.

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Mark Felberg

Director - Systems Engineering & Visual Technologies

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Mark Felberg is a pioneer in machine vision and edge-based surveillance technologies. As founder of IPVision Software, he developed award-winning visual analytics platforms, earning “Best of Show in Software Integration” at ISC West. His efforts led to advanced deployments across the world’s first 4G Super Switch in Florida and partnerships with Cisco, Verizon Wireless, Intel, Microsoft, and Avigilon.

 

At Zotera, Mark leads the development of Aegis™ Visual Analytics, integrating computer vision, AI, and IIoT telemetry to deliver real-time situational awareness across critical infrastructure and industrial operations.

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Regional Leadership – Africa & Middle East

 

Dayo Abiodun

Managing Partner

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Dayo Abiodun is a strategic leader in telecommunications and ICT innovation, with experience spanning Lucent, Nortel Networks, Syniverse, and Citicorp. He has managed large-scale digital initiatives across the United States and, Africa focusing on infrastructure modernization and wireless expansion.

 

Dayo has advised governments and private operators on connectivity, spectrum, and mobile services deployment. At Zotera, he leads strategic partnerships and market development across Sub-Saharan Africa, advancing industrial modernization through IIoT adoption and smart infrastructure solutions.

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Peter Hlapolosa

Managing Partner

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Peter Hlapolosa is a distinguished leader in telecommunications governance and regulatory strategy, with many years of executive experience shaping policy and infrastructure development across Africa. As former General Manager of Telecommunications at the Independent Communications Authority of South Africa (ICASA), he played a pivotal role in the liberalization and modernization of national networks.

 

He also led economic regulation at Vodacom Group, supporting market expansion across South Africa and emerging markets. At Zotera, Peter drives strategic engagement with governments, public utilities, and operators to accelerate Industrial IoT adoption and digital infrastructure transformation across the African continent.

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Thabo Makhakhe

Managing Partner

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Thabo Makhakhe brings deep expertise in regulatory economics, market liberalization, and telecom infrastructure strategy. He previously led the Economic and Financial Analysis Division at ICASA and later served on its Executive Council, where he oversaw national communications policy, licensing, and competition frameworks.

 

Thabo also played a key role in managing South Africa’s third national mobile license awards and consulted on major telecom and infrastructure ventures for Telkom SA and MTN. At Zotera, he supports regional policy alignment, industry partnerships, and the deployment of IIoT-enabled industrial modernization programs across the public and private sectors.

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Ben Machoga

Managing Partner

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Ben Machoga is a seasoned infrastructure and telecommunications executive with leadership experience across network operations, field deployment, and ICT modernization. He served as National Operations Centre Manager at Telkom SA and led global capacity initiatives at Multi-links Nigeria, managing mission-critical infrastructure across West Africa. His career also includes operational oversight in water management and enterprise communications.

 

At Zotera, Ben leads on-the-ground execution of IIoT and edge infrastructure deployments, ensuring resilient implementation for utilities, logistics networks, and industrial corridors across Africa and the Middle East.

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Advisors

 

Tomas Isaksson

Global Telecom & Infrastructure Advisor

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Tomas Isaksson is a former Group CEO at Vodafone Global Services and a leader in international telecommunications infrastructure. He has overseen large-scale network deployments across Europe, Africa, and the Middle East, supporting operations that serve hundreds of millions of users. At Zotera, Tomas advises on telecom partnerships, private 5G strategy, and large-scale IIoT integrations across emerging and developed markets.

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Adam Hashem

Global Economics & Emerging Markets Advisor

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Adam Hashem is an international economics advisor with decades of experience guiding digital infrastructure investment, policy reform, and industry modernization across emerging markets. He has worked with multilateral institutions and global development agencies to build frameworks for national digital transformation. At Zotera, Adam supports geopolitical strategy, investment planning, and expansion initiatives across high-growth industrial regions.

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Partnerships & Ecosystem

Delivering Industrial Transformation Through Strategic Alliances

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Industrial IoT success depends on unifying a vast technology stack, from the management of on-premise Edge Computing Platforms, network connectivity & telemetry, end-to-end security, cloud applications advanced machine learning, predictive models, and analytics. No single company owns the entire stack of technologies to deliver a comprehensive end-to-end IIoT solution. That’s why Zotera collaborates with the world’s leading technology providers to deliver interoperable, scalable, and future-ready IIoT solutions.

 

 

Zotera’s ecosystem includes pioneers in computing, networking, automation, and digital platforms  working together to modernize global industries such as water management, manufacturing, oil & gas, energy, smart cities, and public safety.​​​​​