Insights

Uncovering the Next Big Telecom Breakthrough with Somos Advisory Board Member Mark Bilton-Smith

From shaping strategic telecom product direction, as Alla Reznik, Executive Director, Product for Verizon Business Group does, to reimaging, reinventing and redefining mobile communications platforms like Gene Lew, VP & Principal Architect (Mobile) at Salesforce, members of the Somos Advisory Board meet regularly to exchange thought leadership and help drive the future of global communications.

In the latest installment of our Advisory Board Member spotlight series, we are excited to introduce readers to Mark Bilton-Smith, CEO, ATL Communications, Inc. With over 35 years in telecommunications and Software as a Service (SaaS), Mark has long been at the forefront of technological advancement and forward-thinking innovation.  


If ever there were a modern Renaissance man, Mark Bilton-Smith would be him. Whether it’s running one of Portland Business Journal’s 2019 Fastest-Growing Private 100 Companies, metal-working and weldinMBS Photo 1g – yes, welding! – or serving his country as a member of the U.S. Navy, Mark’s career journey has been full of many adventures. Not only has he seen it all – including yesteryear’s floppy drives, pagers and dial-up modems as well as today’s 5G network technology and quantum computing – he’s also watched telecom come full circle with centralized telecom solutions moving to decentralized solutions and back to centralized cloud solutions – all in less than 40 years!

As most members of the Responsible Organization community would agree, one of Mark’s most notable career accomplishments has been joining ATL Communications in 2016. While he was originally recruited to help grow the family-owned business’ service offerings, he’s since risen the ranks to serve as ATL Communication’s CEO. From spearheading the launch of the local number porting platform, PortControl, to leading the development and growth of the company's ATLaaS Toll-Free Number Management platform, Mark’s leadership and guidance have helped empower telecommunication service providers and non-telecommunication companies alike to make local number porting and Toll-Free Number management fast, secure and, most importantly, always available.

“The ability to influence and contribute to professional and personal growth for both myself as well as those around me is one of my biggest motivators,” says Mark. “I’ve often been told that I am a perfectionist and that can be hard to live up to my high standards. While some may see this as a curse, I consider it a compliment – it means that I never stop challenging myself, nor let those around me settle on anything less than the best.”

When reflecting upon Mark’s many career achievements, one of his most challenging – but likewise rewarding – efforts was getting Local Number Portability added to ATL Communication’s portfolio MBS Photo 2while at the same time contributing to the release of the first AWS and Azure cloud-based NPAC SaaS portability solution the U.S. With a small but mighty workforce (never more than eighteen team members!), together, they’ve worked – and continue to work! – collaboratively to surmount feats that would leave even the largest of billion-dollar enterprises amazed.

“One of Mark’s most impressive qualities is his entrepreneurship,” shares David Stewart, SVP and Chief Business Development Officer at Somos. “I am impressed with his determination and commitment to growing both the Toll-Free ecosystem and the greater telecom industry. His input and insights have added tremendous value as Somos continues to grow and innovate.”

To learn more about how Mark Bilton-Smith and his peers on the Somos Advisory Board are shaping the future of Toll-Free, visit www.somos.com/about/our-team 

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