LONDON: The GSMA today announced that Franco Bernabe has resigned as the Chairman of the GSMA. As defined in the GSMA governance regulations, Jon Fredrik Baksaas, President and CEO of Telenor Group and current Deputy Chairman of the GSMA, will take on the role of Acting Chairman effective immediately. The GSMA will hold an election amongst its Board members and will announce a new Chairman in November. 

"On behalf of the entire GSMA Board, I would like to express our deep gratitude to Franco for his leadership and commitment over the last three years," said Anne Bouverot, Director General and Member of the Board, GSMA. "Franco has been a passionate advocate for a forward-looking and collaborative approach in addressing the challenges facing our industry, and it has been a privilege to work with him. I am now looking forward to working with Jon Fredrik, our Board and our membership to enable simple and secure digital services for men and women around the world."

About the GSMA

The GSMA represents the interests of mobile operators worldwide. Spanning more than 220 countries, the GSMA unites nearly 800 of the world's mobile operators with 250 companies in the broader mobile ecosystem, including handset and device makers, software companies, equipment providers and Internet companies, as well as organisations in industry sectors such as financial services, healthcare, media, transport and utilities. The GSMA also produces industry-leading events such as Mobile World Congress and Mobile Asia Expo. 

For more information, please visit the GSMA corporate website at www.gsma.com. Follow the GSMA on Twitter: @GSMA.