4 Questions with Michele Marius
Director of ICT Pulse Consulting Limited
An experienced Consultant, Manager, Regulator, and Engineer, Michele Marius (she/her) has 20 years’ experience in Information and Communications Technology (ICT) and telecommunications, in areas such as policy and regulation, regulatory administration, technology, and governance. She has worked in both the private and public sectors, both in developed and developing countries in the Caribbean, Southeast Asia, and the South Pacific.
Currently, Michele is the Director of ICT Pulse Consulting Limited, a research and advisory firm that specializes in a broad range of ICT and telecommunications issues, and is based in Jamaica. She also serves as the Publisher, Editor, and Primary Contributor of ICT Pulse, a well-respected online publication that discusses topical telecommunications and ICT issues from a Caribbean perspective, which has wide readership across the region and internationally. Michele hosts and produces the ICT Pulse Podcast, through which she deep dives into important ICT issues occurring in the Caribbean.
Lastly, Michele is the Founder of Project Calls, an online platform that collates Caribbean tender opportunities. Michele has an LLB from the University of London, an MSc in Communications, Controls, and Digital Signal Processing from the University of Strathclyde, and a BSc in Electrical and Computer Engineering from the University of the West Indies.
1. Where’s your hometown?
Kingston, Jamaica.
2. How did you get into STEM?
It was a natural progress based on the subjects that I studied in high school. I liked problem-solving, so I applied to study electrical engineering. Technically, I only worked as an engineer for a relatively short period of time, but I am thrilled that I have stayed in STEM throughout my career to date.
3. What’s a challenge you’ve faced, and how did you get through it?
I think my biggest challenge was more personal than professional. I am innately shy and quiet, but telecommunications and ICT tend to be very male-dominated. As a result, in my younger days, I would have internal battles about whether to speak up when I had a question or something to say. With age and experience, I have gotten a lot better. But more importantly, what helped me a lot was recognizing that when I did speak or seek clarification, I was prompting thought about other points of view that had not been considered — or, my questions made other people realize they didn’t truly understand the issue!
4. What’s something you’ve done that you are immensely proud of?
I am really proud of launching ICT Pulse, which I think has changed the trajectory of my professional life and my perspective about telecommunications and ICT in the Caribbean region. Through ICT Pulse, I, the shy introvert, have become an advocate for the region: to become more knowledgeable about telecommunications and ICT generally and what is happening in our backyard; to use our voices on the issues that affect us — be it locally, regionally or internationally; and to move past anecdotal observations when we need to make informed decisions.
