GSMA Names Anne Bouverot Director General

LONDON, August 11, 2011 -

The GSMA today announced the appointment of Anne Bouverot as Director General and Member of the GSMA Board. Ms. Bouverot, who served most recently as Executive Vice President of Mobile Services for France Telecom Orange, will assume leadership of the GSMA effective September 1.

“Anne brings to the GSMA a wealth of experience and a proven track record of success in the highly dynamic mobile industry,” said Franco Bernabe, Chairman of the GSMA Board and CEO and Chairman of Telecom Italia Group. “She 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. I’m very proud to welcome Anne as the new leader for the GSMA.”

Ms. Bouverot was previously Executive Vice President of Mobile Services for France Telecom Orange. She holds M.S. and Ph.D. degrees in mathematics and computer science from the Ecole Normale Superieure and an M.S. degree from Telecom Paris. She has served on the Board of the GSMA, representing France Telecom Orange, for the past two years. She also serves as a non-executive director of Groupama, a major French insurance company, and as a non-executive director of Edenred, the world leader of prepaid corporate services.

“I am deeply honoured by the trust placed in me by the GSMA Board. The GSMA has played an important role in the development of the mobile industry, uniting the world behind a standard technology and ensuring seamless and interoperable mobile services for billions of users globally,” commented Ms. Bouverot. “We are now entering a new phase, where virtually everyone and everything is connected by mobile, and with many new challenges facing the industry. I am looking forward to leading the GSMA to help and support its operator members to face these challenges and continue their development.”

About the GSMA

The GSMA represents the interests of mobile operators worldwide. Spanning 219 countries, the GSMA unites nearly 800 of the world’s mobile operators, as well as more than 200 companies in the broader mobile ecosystem, including handset makers, software companies, equipment providers, Internet companies, and media and entertainment organisations. The GSMA also produces industry-leading events such as the Mobile World Congress and Mobile Asia Congress.

For more information, please visit Mobile World Live, the online portal for the mobile communications industry, at www.mobileworldlive.com or the GSMA corporate website at www.gsmworld.com.

Claire Cranton, +44-7885-839427, ccranton at gsm.org or press at gsm.org