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Press Release:
MTN’s Phuthuma Nhleko appointed to the GSM Association Board
Press Release
News Article November 2006
30 November 2006
The MTN Group is pleased to announce that Group President and CEO, Mr Phuthuma Nhleko, has been appointed to the new Board of Directors of the GSM Association (GSMA), the global trade association for mobile phone operators. The new board will serve a two-year term from January 2007.
GSMA board members are typically CEOs or board-level representatives of mobile operator groups. Nhleko joins other senior representatives of the world’s top mobile phone operators, including China Mobile, Orascom, Orange, Telefonica and Vodafone, on the 25-member GSMA board.
Said GSMA CEO and board member, Mr Rob Conway: “I am extremely pleased with the composition of the new board, which is well-placed to ensure that the Association continues to make a major contribution to the development and growth of the mobile ecosystem to the benefit of both end-users and the industry itself.”
The GSMA represents 700 GSM mobile phone operators across 215 countries of the world. In addition, more than 180 manufacturers and suppliers support the Association's initiatives as key partners.
Congratulating Nhleko, MTN Group Limited Chairman, Mr Cyril Ramaphosa, said: “We are pleased with this landmark recognition from the GSMA, which is the industry’s eminent body. This is a significant acknowledgement of South Africa’s 12-year-old mobile industry and of the MTN Group as a multinational with its roots firmly in Africa.”
Nhleko assumed the position of Chief Executive Officer, MTN Group Limited on 1 July 2002. Under his leadership, the MTN Group accelerated its expansion programme in line with the company’s vision to be the leader in telecommunication in developing markets.
In July this year, the MTN Group concluded the acquisition of Investcom LLC, expanding its footprint to 21 countries in Africa and the Middle East with over 34 million subscribers (as at 30 September 2006). In 2002, Nhleko led the management buyout of Transnet's 18,71% interest in MTN in a deal valued at R4,3 billion.
Those appointed to serve for a two-year term from January 1, 2007 are:
Bharti Sunil Bharti Mittal
Cable & Wireless International Harris Jones
Cingular William W. Hague
China Mobile Lu Xiangdong
China Unicom Zhang Fan
GSM Association Rob Conway
GSMA EMC (Telenor) Stein Hansen
Hutchison Craig Ehrlich
KTF Cho Young Chu
Mobilkom Boris Nemsic
MTN Phuthuma F Nhleko
NTT DoCoMo Takanori Utano
Orange To be confirmed
Orascom Naguib Sawiris
SFR Frank Esser
Smart Napoleon Nazareno
Softbank Tetsuzo Matsumoto
Telecom Italia Mobile Mauro Sentinelli
Vimpelcom Alexander Izosimov
Vodafone Alan Harper
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