The GSMAthe organization in charge among other things of organizing the Mobile World Congress, has chosen as Chairman of its Board of Directors to the Chairman and CEO of Telefónica, Jose María Álvarez Palleteafter the one who has held the position in the organization for the last three years, Stéphane Richard, from the Orange Group, has left it.
Pallete, who will occupy the position for which he was just elected until 2024, will be in charge of supervising the strategic direction of the GSMA, which includes both the largest operators in the world and other smaller and independent ones, although with a global reach. This has not been the only change in the leadership of the organization’s board, as Rima Qureshi, CSO and Vice President of Verizon, has also been named Vice President.
The GSMA focuses on three areas of action: knowledge of the sector, technological advances and human progress thanks to the possibility of bringing people together and sharing experiences. His Managing Director, Mats Granyrdthanked Granyrd for his work, pointing out that «we appreciate the support and guidance that Stéphane has offered during his tenure«. Granyrd also recalls that they continue “committed» with his vision «to unleash the power of connectivity to move people, industry and society forward. It is with great pleasure that we welcome Jose Maria, who joins us in supporting this vision for the coming year.«.
For his part, Álvarez-Pallete stressed that he is «very proud to join the GSMA as Chairman of the Board, representing the global mobile ecosystem. Technologies such as 5G, edge computing, the cloud, cybersecurity, Artificial Intelligence and the Internet of Things have redefined the way society operates and interacts online, paving the way to the metaverse, the web3 and a new digital age. However, increasing digitization must include responsible leadership to drive growth, job creation, sustainability and accelerate digital inclusion. I look forward to supporting the GSMA in addressing these critical issues, among many others, with the GSMA Board.«.
