GSMA has appointed Vivek Badrinath as its director general, effective April 1, 2025.
Badrinath is a seasoned executive having previously served as a board member at AXIAN Telecom and Atos.
He’s held roles at several major telcos, most notably as Vodafone’s regional CEO for Africa, the Middle East, and Asia Pacific, as well as a non-executive director at Nokia, and the deputy CEO of Orange.
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Badrinath was most recently the CEO of infrastructure solutions provider Vantage Towers.
He has previously served as a non-executive director at the GSMA, representing Vodafone on the association’s board, as well as chairing its policy committee.
Announcing the appointment, the GSMA said Badrinath’s leadership style and accomplishments “made him a respected figure in the global technology community.”
“I am delighted to announce Vivek Badrinath’s appointment,” said José María Álvarez-Pallete López, chair of the GSMA. “During our selection process, it was clear that Vivek’s deep understanding of the industry and its potential make him the ideal individual to lead the GSMA into the next phase of its evolution.
“I am confident that Badrinath will work, together with the board and our excellent GSMA leadership team, to drive change and innovation, creating value for both the industry and society.”
Badrinath will replace Mats Granryd after it was announced in June that he would be stepping down after MWC Barcelona 2025.
Granryd will remain as director general until the end of March 2025 and then take on the new role of special advisor to the board for the remainder of 2025.
“I’m proud and honoured to be joining the GSMA at such an exciting time in the industry’s development,” Badrinath said. “I look forward to working with the GSMA board, its members, and the leadership team to extend and amplify the positive impact of the mobile ecosystem for people, industry, and society globally.”
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