Mar 4: The Mobile Ecosystem Forum (MEF), the global trade association for the mobile ecosystem, has announced the results of its 2026 Board elections, appointing five newly elected Directors to help guide the organisation’s global strategy.
Elections took place over the last three weeks, and the new Board members were announced today at the MEF Global Forum in Casa Llotja de Mar in Barcelona.
There were five positions up for election, and the newly elected Directors are:
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
They will join existing Board members:
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
The newly elected Directors represent a diverse range of companies and expertise across messaging, connectivity, security, and digital infrastructure, reinforcing MEF’s leadership across the global mobile ecosystem.
Over the coming year, the Board will focus on advancing innovation across messaging, strengthening anti-fraud initiatives, and promoting privacy, trust, and sustainable growth across the mobile ecosystem.
Each candidate was required to submit a short video outlining what they can offer the Board, and MEF members voted for their preferred candidates. Voting took place online and all full members of MEF were eligible to vote.
“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.” said MEF CEO Dario Betti.
The Mobile Ecosystem Forum (MEF) is a global trade body established in 2000 and headquartered in the UK with members across the world. As the voice of the mobile ecosystem, it focuses on cross-industry best practices, anti-fraud and monetisation. The Forum provides its members with global and cross-sector platforms for networking, collaboration and advancing industry solutions.
