Sunil Bharti Mittal (pictured), founder and chairman of India’s Bharti Enterprises, has been named as GSMA chairman from January 2017 to December 2018.
Mittal, the first Indian to be elected as chair of GSMA, will oversee the strategic direction of the organization, which represents nearly 800 of the world’s mobile operators, as well as more than 300 companies in the broader mobile ecosystem.
Mittal will succeed Jon Fredrik Baksaas, who will step down from the board at the end of 2016, after holding this position for the past three years. He was elected as a member of the GSMA board in 2008.
“I am delighted to be elected as chairman of the GSMA, and look forward to working closely with the rest of the board, the GSMA leadership team and our entire membership to address the critical issues facing our industry and our customers,” said Mittal.
“I am excited about what the next chapter holds for us, as we work to connect everyone and everything to a better future. In my new global role, I am also excited to support the ongoing mobile broadband revolution in India to boost the Government’s Digital India Program and its vision of broadband access for all.”
The GSMA has also elected the new members of the board and re-elected Mari-Noëlle Jego-Laveissiere, executive vice president, Innovation, Orange Group as a deputy chair for a two-year period.