Brian Herlihy is a pioneering telecoms entrepreneur and the founder of SEACOM, the first privately funded submarine fiber-optic cable system connecting Africa to Europe and Asia. Launched in 2009, SEACOM transformed Africa’s connectivity landscape by providing affordable, high-capacity international bandwidth through landing stations in Mozambique, Kenya, Djibouti, and Egypt. The project broke the monopoly of satellite and state-owned systems, reducing internet costs and unlocking a wave of innovation, investment, and access across East and Southern Africa.

Before SEACOM, Herlihy held senior roles in the global telecommunications industry, including Chief Operating Officer and Chief Technology Officer at Asian Netcom (now Pacnet) and CEO of the C2C submarine cable network in Asia. After leading SEACOM’s market entry, he founded Black Rhino Group, an Africa-focused infrastructure investment platform developing large-scale energy and utility projects. He later joined QTS Data Centers as Chief Utility Innovation Officer, driving energy and connectivity solutions globally. Herlihy’s work has had a lasting impact on Africa’s digital transformation, democratizing bandwidth and laying the groundwork for the continent’s broadband and data center revolutions.