GSMA ANNOUNCES ADDITIONAL KEYNOTE SPEAKERS FOR MOBILE WORLD CONGRESS 2016

CEOs of AT&T, BT, Cisco, Huawei, Roshan, Stripe, TeliaSonera, Vodafone and WPP Confirmed to Speak at Mobile World Congress

London: The GSMA today announced the addition of several speakers for the 2016 GSMA Mobile World Congress keynote programme, including CEOs of leading companies in mobile and adjacent industry sectors. The GSMA also provided further updates on events and partner programmes at Mobile World Congress. Mobile World Congress will be held 22-25 February 2016 at Fira Gran Via in Barcelona, with events also taking place at Fira Montjuïc.

“We have an outstanding line-up of chief executives confirmed for this year’s Mobile World Congress, including several who are first-time keynotes at Barcelona,” said Michael O’Hara, Chief Marketing Officer, GSMA. “This year’s speakers will share insights on a range of hot topics in mobile, from mobile identity to the Internet of Things, from digital inclusion to industry disruption, from network evolution to entertainment, among others."  

The GSMA has added the following executives to the roster of keynote speakers at Mobile World Congress:

  • Ralph de la Vega, President and CEO, AT&T Mobile & Business Solutions
  • Gavin Patterson, CEO, BT Group
  • Chuck Robbins, CEO, Cisco
  • Guo Ping, Deputy Chairman and Rotating CEO, Huawei
  • Karim Khoja, CEO, Roshan
  • Patrick Collison, Co-Founder and CEO, Stripe
  • Johan Dennelind, President and CEO, TeliaSonera
  • Vittorio Colao, Chief Executive, Vodafone
  • Sir Martin Sorrell, Chief Executive, WPP

Previously announced keynote speakers include:

  • Simon Segars, CEO, ARM
  • Jonah Peretti, Founder and CEO, BuzzFeed
  • Hans Vestberg, President and CEO, Ericsson
  • Mats Granryd, Director General Designate, GSMA
  • Dr. Nadia Shouraboura, Founder and CEO, Hointer
  • Kate Unsworth, Founder and CEO, Kovert Designs
  • Anne Bouverot, Chair and CEO, Morpho (Safran)
  • Dan Schulman, President and CEO, PayPal
  • Richard Fain, Chairman and CEO, Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd.
  • Anthony Lake, Executive Director, UNICEF

In addition to the keynotes, the conference will include nearly 50 in-depth track sessions over the course of the four-day event. For more information on the conference, including the agenda and speakers, visit www.mobileworldcongress.com/conference/conference-overview/.

New Developments at 4 Years From Now
4 Years From Now (4YFN) announced further updates, including new speakers and event partners. Taking place 22-25 February 2016 at Fira Montjuïc, 4YFN will occupy 18,000 square meters, more than double the 2015 space, and will encompass a wide range of activities designed to generate new business opportunities for the entrepreneurial community worldwide.

The 4YFN 2016 programme will revolve around three core themes – ‘Disrupted by Mobile’, ‘The Internet of Things’ and ‘Digital Media’ – bringing together the most innovative professionals and ideas in the digital sphere. The first confirmed speakers for 4YFN include John O’Donovan, CTO, Consumer Products and Platforms of Dow Jones; Nicola Mendelsohn, Vice President, EMEA at Facebook; Israel Ruiz, Executive Vice President and Treasurer of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT); Zack Weisfeld, Managing Director of Microsoft Ventures; and Jimmy Wales, Founder of Wikipedia and Chairman of the social network TPO. BStartup de Banc Sabadell and Telefónica Open Future have been confirmed as Gold Partners and IBM has signed on as a Lab Partner for 4YFN. For more information on 4YFN, visit http://www.mobileworldcongress.com/events/4yfn-event/.

New Companies Participating in Partner Programmes in Theatre District
The GSMA announced several new Partner Programmes taking place in the Theatre District at Fira Gran Via. On Tuesday, 23 February, Tail-f and Tropo will each hold half-day Partner Events, while Visa will host its “Visa Ready Summit 2016” on Wednesday, 24 February. Additionally, icar Vision Systems and Infineon Technologies have joined the Power Hour sessions taking place on Thursday, 25 February. For more information on Partner Programmes at Mobile World Congress, visit www.mobileworldcongress.com/events/partner-programmes/.

Deadline for the Glomo Awards Extended to 4 December
The GSMA has extended the deadline for entries to the Glomo Awards 2016 by one week, with submissions accepted through 5:00 pm GMT on Friday, 4 December 2015. The Glomo Awards highlight the greatest achievements and innovations across the mobile industry and include more than 40 awards over eight categories. The GSMA will announce the shortlist of nominations for each category by late January 2016 and winners will announced in February 2016 at Mobile World Congress. The Glomo Awards are open to companies across the entire mobile ecosystem and may be entered online; a full list of categories, award criteria and deadlines can be found at www.globalmobileawards.com/categories2016.

Get Involved at Mobile World Congress 2016
For more information on the 2016 Mobile World Congress including how to attend, exhibit or sponsor, visit www.mobileworldcongress.com. Follow developments and updates on Mobile World Congress on Twitter @GSMA using #MWC16, on our LinkedIn company page http://gsma.at/GSMALinkedIn or on Facebook at www.facebook.com/gsma. For additional information on GSMA social channels, visit www.mobileworldcongress.com/register-plan/networking/social-media/.

The Mobile World Congress is the cornerstone of the Mobile World Capital, which will be hosted in Barcelona through 2023. The Mobile World Capital encompasses programmes and activities that span the entire year and will benefit not only the citizens of Barcelona, Catalonia and Spain, but also the worldwide mobile industry. For more information on the Mobile World Capital, visit www.mobileworldcapital.com.

-ENDS-

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Spanish

About the GSMA
The GSMA represents the interests of mobile operators worldwide, uniting nearly 800 operators with more than 250 companies in the broader mobile ecosystem, including handset and device makers, software companies, equipment providers and internet companies, as well as organisations in adjacent industry sectors. The GSMA also produces industry-leading events such as Mobile World Congress, Mobile World Congress Shanghai and the Mobile 360 Series conferences. 

For more information, please visit the GSMA corporate website at www.gsma.com. Follow the GSMA on Twitter: @GSMA.

Media Contacts:
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Núria Picas
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GSMA Press Office
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