Two African telco CEOs join GSMA board

The CEOs of two African mobile operators have been elected to the GSMA's board for 2025 and 2026.

Ethio Telecom CEO Frehiwot Tamru was re-elected to serve a second term on the GSMA board and MTN Group President and CEO, Ralph Mupita, will also join the board next year.

The full board, consisting of 26 members, was announced this week and Telefonica Chairman and CEO, Jose Maria Álvarez-Pallete, was re-elected as the chairperson Bharti Airtel MD and CEO, Gopal Vittal, will continue as deputy chair for another two years.

The new board members will serve a two-year term beginning January 1, 2025 through to December 31, 2026.

MTN has 288 million subscribers across 18 markets in Africa and the Middle East while state-owned Ethio Telecom is the biggest operator in Africa's second most populous nation of Ethiopia, with around 78.3 million subscribers.

MTN said that Mupita's focus on the board will be on driving the African agenda, particularly in relation closing mobile usage and coverage gaps, increasing investments, and securing a climate-smart future.

"Mobile technology will play a critical role to address the pressing challenges facing our communities and unlock the full potential of Africa, and ensuring that no one is left behind in this journey toward a more connected future," Mupita said in a statement about his appointment to the GSMA board.

MTN Group President and CEO Ralph Mupita plans to use his position on the GSMA board to drive the African agenda. (Source: MTN Group)

Ethio Telecom also acknowledged its CEO's re-election to the board and said she looks forward to working together with the other members "to drive positive change and innovation in the industry."

Mupita was a member of the board between 2021 and 2022 and former MTN Group COO Jens Schulte-Bockum has been a member of the board for 2023 - 2024 alongside Tamru. Former MTN Group CEO Rob Shuter was also a previous board member.

For 2025 and 2026 there are also representatives from global telecoms companies that have operations in Africa including Orange, Vodafone, e& (Etisalat) and Airtel.

Ethio Telecom CEO Frehiwot Tamru was re-elected to serve a second term on the GSMA board. (Source: Ethio Telecom)

"The industry is going through rapid change, driven by advances in technology, digital transformation, and the rise of AI [artificial intelligence]. It is a very exciting time to be part of this transformation, and I am confident that with the leadership of the Chair and our Board, the GSMA is well-positioned to successfully continue to advocate for our members and achieve our goals," GSMA Director General Mats Granryd said in a statement.

Last week the GSMA announced that it was postponing its Mobile World Congress (MWC) Kigali 2024 event, less than two weeks before the conference was due to take place in Rwanda.

New GSMA board

The GSMA Board for the 2025 - 2026 term includes: