FCC Chairman Announces Staff Change

FCC Chairman Tom Wheeler today announced his intention to appoint Paul de Sa as chief of the Office of Strategic Planning and Policy Analysis starting later this month. Mr. de Sa will be returning to a leadership position he held under former FCC Chairman Julius Genachowski.

“Paul has a rare combination of business insight, technical expertise, and policy experience that will make him an invaluable addition to our team.” said Chairman Wheeler. “Paul is the ideal person to lead OSP as we pursue our agenda of promoting innovation and competition and protecting consumers.” 

The Office of Strategic Planning and Policy Analysis (“OSP”) – which includes economists, technologists, and lawyers – advises the Commissioners on policy initiatives, develops strategic plans, and helps identify the agency's policy objectives. It also provides research and analysis regarding emerging communications issues. 

From 2012 to 2016, Mr. de Sa was the senior analyst covering U.S. telecommunications at Bernstein Research, where he published research on topics relevant for telecom and cable investors, including fixed and mobile broadband, spectrum, corporate strategy and competition. Mr. de Sa was OSP chief from 2009 to 2012 and prior to that was a partner in McKinsey & Company’s Washington, D.C. and Seoul offices, where he worked in the telecom/media, private equity and corporate finance practices.

Mr. de Sa holds an undergraduate degree in Natural Sciences from Cambridge, 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.

Mr. de Sa will take over for Elizabeth Biley Andrion who has been serving as acting chief of OSP since January and plans to leave the Commission later this month. Jay Schwarz will continue as acting deputy chief. Ms. Andrion has served in a variety of positions throughout the Commission. She has led OSP under four different Chairmen, and served as a senior legal advisor for Chairman Kevin Martin and as chief counsel for Chairman Genachowski. FCC Chief of Staff Ruth Milkman noted, “We thank Elizabeth for her outstanding work at the Commission.  She is an extraordinary manager, as well as an astute policymaker, and has brought those considerable skills to bear across several administrations.”

Source: FCC release