Gopal Vittal, Vice Chairman and Managing Director of Bharti Airtel, and Deputy Chair of the Global System of Mobile Communication or GSMA, an industry body representing the interests of mobile network operators worldwide, has been appointed as the Acting Chair of the Board. The elevation was following the resignation of José María Álvarez-Pallete, Chairman & CEO of Telefónica, from the post.
Gopal Vittal, who was recently re-elected as Deputy Chair of the GSMA Board, has previously served as a key member during the 2019-2020 term.
“Following the announcement that José Maria Álvares-Pallete resigned from his position as Chairman & CEO of Telefónica, he is no longer able to continue in the position of Chair of the GSMA Board of Directors. The GSMA is grateful for his contribution to the organisation and to the industry overall. Gopal Vittal, CEO of Bharti Airtel Group and GSMA’s Deputy Chair, will be Acting Chair of the GSMA Board until the Board elects a new chair after MWC Barcelona,” said GSMA in a press note.
Additionally, the GSMA confirmed that Marc Murtra, the newly appointed Chairman & CEO of Telefónica, will represent the company on the GSMA Board effective immediately. The GSMA, which represents the global telecommunications industry, encompasses over 1,100 member companies from across the telecom ecosystem.
This includes telecom service providers, device manufacturers, software companies, equipment suppliers, internet firms, and organizations from adjacent industries.
The GSMA Board comprises 26 members, including notable figures such as Carlos M. Jarque, Executive Director of Corporate, Government, and International Relations at América Móvil; Mathew Oommen, President and Board Member at Reliance Jio; F. Thaddeus Arroyo, Chief Strategy and Development Officer at AT&T; Allison Kirkby, Group CEO at BT; Margherita Della Valle, Group CEO at Vodafone; and Joe Russo, EVP & President of Global Networks and Technology at Verizon, among others.