He will assume the role on 1 April next year, taking over from Mats Granyrd who will become Special Advisor to the board for the rest of 2025
Vivek Badrinath will become the next Director General of the GSMA from 1 April 2025, replacing Mats Granyrd who has been in the role since January 2016. Granyrd announced he would step down after MWC 2025 earlier this year. In the event, he will stay in post until the end of March next year.
Badrinath was CEO and Chair of the management board of Vantage Towers (spun out of Vodafone Group) from its inception in April 2020 until May 2023.
Prior to that, in 2016, he became Regional CEO of Africa, Middle East and Asia Pacific at Vodafone and a member of Vodafone’s Executive Committee. During this time he was also a non-exec director at the GSMA representing Vodafone as well as chair of the Association’s policy committee.
Before Vodafone, Badrinath held key positions at Orange, culminating in his appointment as Deputy CEO, Innovation, Marketing, and Technology, where, “he played a crucial part in driving digital transformation, expanding market reach and improving customer experience”. From there he did a two-year, eight month stint at Nokia as a non-exec director and then spent almost five years at the Accor hospitality group.
Proud and honoured
Badrinath said in a press statement, “I’m proud and honoured to be joining the GSMA at such an exciting time in the industry’s development. 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.”
José María Álvarez-Pallete López, Chairman of the GSMA and CEO of Telefonica group, said, “I am delighted to announce Vivek Badrinath’s appointment. 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 Vivek 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.”