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New leadership joins the Mobile Ecosystem Forum to guide strategy in messaging, security, and anti-fraud initiatives.
 The Mobile Ecosystem Forum (MEF), the leading global trade association representing the mobile industry, today unveiled the results of its 2026 Board elections, appointing five new Directors to steer the organisation’s strategic direction. The announcement was made during the MEF Global Forum, held at the historic Casa Llotja de Mar in Barcelona.
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Following a three-week voting period, MEF members have elected a diverse group of leaders from across the mobile ecosystem. The newly elected Directors bring deep expertise in messaging, payments, connectivity, and digital infrastructure:
- Dr Marco Lafrentz, VP Business & Market Development, netnumber
- Amelia Newsom-Davis, Director – Payment, Messaging and Identity, Orange
- Robert Gerstmann, Chief Evangelist & Co-Founder, Sinch
- Claudine Bell, Partner Business Manager – Messaging & Payments, Telefonica
- Dr Andreas Mann, Senior Portfolio Manager, Messaging, Vodafone
New Leadership Joins Experienced Board
The incoming Directors will join the continuing members of the MEF Board, ensuring continuity and strong governance:
- Dario Betti – CEO, Mobile Ecosystem Forum
- Rafael Pellon – Partner, Pellon de Lima Advogados
- Stephanie Lashley, VP Messaging Strategic Alliances & Infrastructure, Bandwidth Inc.
- Ramy Riad, Director, Innovation & Messaging Strategy, Cisco
- Matthew Bisoffi, Head of Business Management, Operations & Insights, CKH IOD
- Rajiv Singla, CEO Global Messaging, Globe TeleServices (GTS)
- Brian Darcy, Director Global Telecoms Business Development, Infobip
- Waheed Adam, Executive Chairman, iTouch Messaging Services
- Tim Ward, Fellow, Xconnect
Strategic Priorities: Innovation, Trust, and Growth
The newly constituted Board will focus on three core pillars over the coming year: advancing innovation across messaging services, strengthening industry-wide anti-fraud initiatives, and promoting privacy, trust, and sustainable growth throughout the mobile ecosystem.
The election process was designed to be transparent and engaging. Each candidate submitted a short video outlining their vision for the industry and what they could contribute to the Board. All full MEF members were eligible to vote via an online platform.
Industry Reaction
Commenting on the election results, Dario Betti, CEO of the Mobile Ecosystem Forum, stated:
Betti CEO of MEF
“MEF’s Board attracts some of the brightest talent in the mobile ecosystem, who work together to set the strategy for the organisation and ensure good governance. As a global organisation, covering the entire mobile ecosystem, I am pleased once again to see our Board reflect this range of expertise.”
The Mobile Ecosystem Forum
Founded in 2000 and headquartered in the UK, the Mobile Ecosystem Forum (MEF) is the voice of the mobile ecosystem worldwide.
The organisation brings together stakeholders from across the value chain to focus on cross-industry best practices, anti-fraud measures, and monetisation strategies. MEF provides its global membership with platforms for networking, collaboration, and advancing industry solutions.
