GSMA re-elects Gopal Vittal as chair, names Vodafone CEO

The GSMA Board has re-elected Gopal Vittal as Chair for the 2027-2028 term and elected Margherita Della Valle as co-Deputy Chair alongside Ralph Mupita.

Vittal will serve until the end of 2028, extending a tenure that began in 2025. He has served on the GSMA Board for 10 years and remains in the top role as the mobile industry body focuses on network development, artificial intelligence, digital platforms and security.

The GSMA represents mobile operators and companies across the wider mobile sector. Its board appointments are closely watched because the organisation plays a central role in industry policy, interoperability and common positions across telecoms markets.

Vittal is Executive Vice Chairman of Bharti Airtel, where he oversees the company and its subsidiaries and leads group strategy and synergies across digital and technology, network strategy, procurement and talent. He also serves as Non-Executive Chair of Airtel Africa and Airtel Payments Bank, and as a Non-Executive Director on the BT Group board.

In the deputy roles, the board has paired two major telecoms executives from different regions. Mupita, Group President and CEO of MTN Group, has been a Deputy Chair since 2025 and has been re-elected. Della Valle, Chief Executive Officer of Vodafone Group, joins him as co-Deputy Chair.

The appointments keep senior representation from operators with large footprints across Asia, Africa and Europe at the top of the GSMA's board structure. That geographical spread reflects the organisation's role in bringing together operators and other companies from across the mobile ecosystem.

Vittal said the sector was entering a new phase shaped by advanced networks, AI and digital platforms, but placed security at the centre of the agenda.

"I am honoured to be re-elected as Chair of the GSMA Board for a second time. As an industry, we are entering a new era in which advanced networks, AI and open digital platforms can create significant economic and societal value. Our top priority is security. Securing nations given the increased threats today, securing customers given the rising menace of scams and securing the industry by making it sustainable so it can continue to make forward leaning investments in technology and build the best infrastructure in all parts of the world. I look forward to continuing this important work with the GSMA team and my fellow Board members. I also look forward to working alongside our co-Deputy Chairs, Ralph Mupita and Margherita Della Valle. Their experience, geographical scope and insight will be a great strength as we take this agenda forward," said Gopal Vittal, Chair of the GSMA Board.

Industry roles

At Bharti Airtel, Vittal is one of the most senior executives in a group that ranks among the world's largest mobile operators by customer numbers. He oversees operations across the group and its subsidiaries, with responsibility for strategic alignment across several corporate functions.

Mupita brings the perspective of another large emerging-market operator to the deputy chair position. He has led MTN Group since 2020, after previously serving as Group Chief Financial Officer. He also holds wider industry roles as a Commissioner on the Broadband Commission for Sustainable Development and a founding Commissioner of the International Telecommunication Union's AI for Good Global Commission.

At MTN, his leadership has centred on the company's Ambition 2030 strategy, focused on connectivity, financial technology and digital infrastructure opportunities across Africa. That background gives the GSMA Board continuity in one of its deputy positions while maintaining input from a major operator active across multiple African markets.

Della Valle's appointment adds one of Europe's highest-profile telecoms leaders to the deputy chair ranks. She has served as Chief Executive Officer of Vodafone Group since 2023, after previously holding the role of Group Chief Financial Officer, and has led efforts to simplify the business and improve its financial and operational position.

Board direction

The Chair oversees the strategic direction of the organisation, which represents mobile operators and businesses across the broader mobile ecosystem. That remit gives the board a significant role in shaping how the industry approaches policy questions, standards, security concerns and wider sector coordination.

The emphasis on security in Vittal's remarks points to an agenda that stretches beyond network investment and commercial growth. It also reflects mounting concern across telecoms groups about cyber threats, fraud and scams, as well as pressure to sustain investment in infrastructure while maintaining business resilience.

Vittal, Mupita and Della Valle together place three serving telecoms chiefs or senior leaders from major multinational groups at the top of the board. Their combined experience spans consumer mobile, digital services, infrastructure strategy and financial oversight across developed and emerging markets.

The GSMA represents mobile operators and organisations across the mobile ecosystem and adjacent industries. Its work includes policy development, industry services, and the technology and interoperability that support mobile networks and services worldwide.