Airtel’s Gopal Vittal Re-Elected as Deputy Chair of GSMA for Another Term

Bharti Airtel’s Managing Director and CEO, Gopal Vittal, has been re-elected as Deputy Chair of the GSMA Board for the 2025-2026 term, beginning January 1, 2025. This election comes as the GSMA announces its newly elected Board of Directors, which includes 26 members representing major global telecommunications companies for a two-year term.

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The GSMA Board has also elected Joss Maria Alvarez-Pallete Lopez as Chair. As GSMA Chair, Alvarez-Pallete Lopez will oversee the strategic direction of the organisation, which represents the world’s mobile operators and companies in the broader mobile ecosystem, the organisation said.

GSMA Board Members for the 2025-2026 Term

There are 26 members of the GSMA Board, including senior representatives from global mobile operators as well as smaller independent operators. The GSMA Board for the 2025-2026 term includes, in alphabetical order:

1. America Movil, Carlos M. Jarque, Executive Director of Corporate, Government, and International Relations
2. AT&T, F Thaddeus Arroyo, Chief Strategy and Development Officer
3. Bharti Airtel, Gopal Vittal, Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer
4. BT (EE Ltd.), Allison Kirkby, Group CEO
5. China Mobile, Gao Tongqing, Executive Vice President
6. China Telecom, Li Jun, Executive Vice President
7. China Unicom
8. Deutsche Telekom, Dominique Leroy, Board Member for Europe
9. e&, Hatem Dowidar, Group CEO
10. Ethio Telecom, Frehiwot Tamru, CEO
11. Globe, Ernest Lawrence Cu, President and CEO
12. GSMA, Mats Granryd, Director General
13. KDDI, Makoto Takahashi, Group CEO
14. KT, Young Shub Kim, Group CEO
15. Liberty Global, Mike Fries, CEO
16. MTN, Ralph Mupita, Group President and CEO
17. Orange, Bruno Zerbib, Chief Technology and Innovation Officer
18. Reliance Jio, Mathew Oommen, President and Member of the Board
19. Telecom Argentina, Roberto Nobile, CEO
20. Telefonica, Jose Maria Alvarez-Pallete, Chairman & CEO
21. Telenor, Benedicte Fasmer, President and Group CEO Elect
22. TIM, Pietro Labriola, Group CEO and General Manager
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Turkcell, Ali Taha Koc, CEO
Veon, Kaan Terzioglu, Group CEO and Board member of VEON Group
Verizon, Joe Russo, EVP & President of Global Networks and Technology
Vodafone, Margherita Della Valle, Group CEO

As Deputy Chair, Gopal Vittal will play a crucial role in steering the GSMA’s strategic initiatives and addressing the evolving challenges in the mobile landscape.

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GSMA Association

The GSMA (GSM Association) is a global organisation that represents the interests of mobile operators worldwide. Representing mobile operators and organisations across the mobile ecosystem and adjacent industries, the GSMA says it delivers for its members across three broad pillars: Connectivity for Good, Industry Services and Solutions, and Outreach.