Airtel's Gopal Vittal Appointed Acting Chair of GSMA Board
Gopal Vittal, Vice Chairman and Managing Director of Bharti Airtel, has been appointed as the acting chair of the GSMA board, following the resignation of Jose Maria Alvarez-Pallete, Chairman and CEO of Telefonica. Vittal, who also serves as the Deputy Chair of GSMA, will take on the role temporarily, as announced in a statement by Airtel.
Alvarez-Pallete stepped down from Telefonica, making him ineligible to continue as Chair of the GSMA, which represents the global telecom industry. Vittal, who was recently re-elected as Deputy Chair, has been a key member of the GSMA board, having previously served during 2019-2020.
GSMA is an influential industry body comprising over 1,100 companies from across the global telecom ecosystem. Its members include telecom operators, handset manufacturers, software firms, equipment providers, and internet companies, along with businesses from adjacent industries.
With Vittal at the helm in an acting capacity, GSMA is expected to continue its mission of advancing the global mobile industry, addressing key challenges, and shaping the future of telecommunications.
