Anne Bouverot from France Telecom Orange is new GSMA leader.

WorldWide Tech and Science. Francisco DeJesus.

The GSMA has announced that Anne Bouverot (pictured) from France Telecom Orange is to become the association’s new head, effective September 1. Bouverot was most recently executive vice president of mobile services for the Paris-headquartered operator and has served on the board of the GSMA for the past two years.

Bouverot replaces long-standing CEO Rob Conway, who announced his resignation in June. However, Bouverot will not assume the label of CEO, instead taking the title of the GSMA’s Director General.

The reason for this switch, says the GSMA, is because the association’s board and its chairman (Franco Bernabè) wanted the GSMA's new leader’s title to “fully reflect the GSMA’s role as an association representing the interests of its members.” The association noted that the ‘Director General’ title is widely used as the highest executive officer within many industry associations and other organisations. “This is the case for IATA, the body which represents the airline industry, for example,” it stated.

Prior to her most recent role at France Telecom Orange Bouverot was responsible for international business development at the carrier, and her achievements include the privatisation of Telkom Kenya, new mobile licences in Armenia and Tunisia, and partnerships in Portugal and UAE.  Before France Telecom Orange, she led a 600-person business unit of Equant and was responsible for developing IT services for Equant’s multinational business customers. She began her career in telecommunications as project manager for Telmex in Mexico in 1991.

“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 in a prepared statement. “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.”