The GSMA has elected 26 new members of the GSMA Board of Directors for a two-year term beginning 1 January 2025 through 31 December 2026.
The new board includes, President and CEO of the MTN Group, Ralph Mupita. The also include senior representatives from global mobile operators as well as smaller independent operators.
The new Board has also re-elected José María Álvarez-Pallete López, as Chair, and Gopal Vittal as Deputy Chair. As GSMA Chair, Mr Álvarez-Pallete López will oversee the strategic direction of the organisation, which represents the world’s mobile operators and companies in the broader mobile ecosystem.
“I am honored and excited to be re-appointed as Chair. I look forward to another term of working together with our talented team to achieve our goals and continue to make a lasting impact. Together, we will continue to stay at the forefront of trends and make a positive impact in our industry,” said José María Álvarez-Pallete López.
Director General of the GSMA, Mats Granryd commented; “The industry is going through rapid change, driven by advances in technology, digital transformation, and the rise of AI. It is a very exciting time to be part of this transformation, and I am confident that with the leadership of the Chair and our Board, the GSMA is well-positioned to successfully continue to advocate for our members and achieve our goals”. He added that “we are excited to welcome the new and re-elected Board members, and we thank the outgoing Board members for their outstanding support.”
Meanwhile, a statement from MTN Group said Ralph Mupita’s appointment to the GSMA Board underscores MTN’s commitment to being a key player in connecting the continent as well as advancing Africa’s economic, social and digital transformation aspirations.
“As an advocate for leveraging technology to drive economic growth and inclusion, Ralph’s focus on the Board will be on driving the African agenda, particularly in relation to the G6 commitments of closing the usage and coverage gaps; increasing investments; and securing a climate-smart future,” it said. “His participation on the Board will be instrumental in harnessing the potential of mobile technology to support sustainable development and economic growth.”
Find the full list of the new board members in alphabetical order below:
- America Movil, Carlos M. Jarque, Executive Director of Corporate, Government and International Relations
- AT&T, F. Thaddeus Arroyo, Chief Strategy and Development Officer
- Bharti Airtel, Gopal Vittal, Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer
- BT (EE Ltd.), Allison Kirkby, Group CEO
- China Mobile, Gao Tongqing, Executive Vice President
- China Telecom, Li Jun, Executive Vice President
- China Unicom[1]
- Deutsche Telekom, Dominique Leroy, Board Member for Europe
- e&, Hatem Dowidar, Group CEO
- Ethio Telecom, Frehiwot Tamru, CEO
- Globe, Ernest Lawrence Cu, President and CEO
- GSMA, Mats Granryd, Director General
- KDDI, Makoto Takahashi, Group CEO
- KT, Young Shub Kim, Group CEO
- Liberty Global, Mike Fries, CEO
- MTN, Ralph Mupita, Group President and CEO
- Orange, Bruno Zerbib, Chief Technology and Innovation Officer
- Reliance Jio, Mathew Oommen, President and Member of the Board
- Telecom Argentina, Roberto Nobile, CEO
- Telefonica, Jose Maria Álvarez-Pallete, Chairman & CEO
- Telenor, Benedicte Fasmer, President and Group CEO Elect
- TIM, Pietro Labriola, Group CEO and General Manager
- Turkcell, Ali Taha Koc, CEO
- Veon, Kaan Terzioglu, Group CEO & Board member of VEON Group
- Verizon, Joe Russo, EVP & President of Global Networks and Technology
- Vodafone, Margherita Della Valle, Group CEO
