The GSMA appointed Anne Bouverot, previously executive vice president of mobile services with France Telecom (FT) Orange, as its director general following the sudden departure in June of former CEO Rob Conway.
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The unexpected resignation of Conway has given the giant trade body a chance to review and overhaul the organisation, including the decision to drop the CEO title. While Bouverot will be a direct replacement for Conway, the GSMA's chairman and CEO of Telecom Italia, Franco Bernabe, believes "director general" sounds more relevant for an association with many members. Bouverot will take over effective Sept. 1.
In a statement, Bernabe said Bouverot "has a deep understanding of the opportunities and the challenges facing mobile operators today, and will leverage this as she leads the GSMA in driving strategic programmes and initiatives for the benefit of its membership."
Bouverot has been closely involved with the NFC trials conducted by FT. She has also represented FT on the GSMA board for the last two years. While her experience with FT Orange and the workings of the GSMA will be significant, managing the expectations of the individual GSMA members and its board could prove challenging.
The downfall of Conway was rumoured to have been due to a clash of opinions over the strategic direction and initiatives that were being pushed forward by the CEO and his supporters. While the director general is being labelled as a direct replacement for the CEO position, the change perhaps indicates a reshaping of the power base within the London-based establishment.
For more:
- see this release
- see this Total Telecom article
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