GSMA appoints Laxmi Akkaraju as Chief Strategy Officer

BENGALURU: London-based telecom company GSMA has appointed Laxmi Akkaraju as Chief Strategy Officer.

Akkaraju, who was most recently Senior Vice President, Global Delivery at EVRY, will join the GSMA effective September 1, 2017 and will report to GSMA Director General Mats Granryd.

As Chief Strategy Officer, Akkaraju will work with the GSMA’s operator members in identifying opportunities that will advance the development of the mobile communications industry.

“Laxmi brings to the GSMA a combination of strong international leadership and broad experience in the technology sector, both of which will be critical as she works with GSMA members in defining global strategies and initiatives that will offer collective benefit for mobile operators and the wider mobile industry,” said Mats Granryd, Director General, GSMA. “She brings more than 20 years of experience in the IT industry across India, Norway and the US, and was recently recognized as one of the top 10 women leaders in technology in Norway. I am excited to have Laxmi as part of the GSMA leadership team.”

“I am thrilled to be joining the GSMA, particularly as we look to further extend the reach of mobile technology around the world and amplify the impact that it can have for individuals, businesses and societies,” commented Akkaraju. “Although the mobile industry already has more than 5 billion customers, we are still in the early phases of a very long technology cycle as mobile becomes central to practically everything in our lives. I look forward to working with our members to define our path forward in this new world.”

Akkaraju joins the GSMA from EVRY, a leading IT company providing business-critical solutions to a wide range of enterprises and public-sector organizations. As Senior Vice President, Global Delivery, she oversaw the offshoring services for EVRY and EVRY clients. She also spent two years as Country Manager for EVRY’s operation in Bangalore, India.

Prior to EVRY, Akkaraju was Director of Operations and Professional Services for Mu Dynamics, a Silicon Valley-based provider of network security solutions for Fortune 500 clients including communications providers, government agencies and network infrastructure companies. She has also held various positions in consulting and management training at HolteConsulting. Akkaraju holds an M.S degree in Engineering from the University of Colorado and a B.S. degree in Civil Engineering from the University of New Mexico.