Lawrence Yanovitch
President of the GSMA Foundation, GSMA
Lawrence Yanovitch
Lawrence Yanovitch is the President of the GSMA Foundation. He formulates and implements goals and objectives to advance the Foundation’s long term plans. Lawrence was previously an officer at the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation where he managed a portfolio of investments in financial services for the unbanked. Prior to that, Lawrence has a long career in microfinance and philanthropy. He is a former member of the management team at FINCA and of the faculty of Georgetown University in Washington, D.C.
Lorena Ferro
Head of Finance & Compliance, GSMA
Lorena Ferro
Lorena joined the GSMA in 2012 and is currently leading the Finance and Compliance team for the Foundation. Lorena and her team manage a portfolio of ten programmes funded by seven donors including the US, UK and Swedish government in addition to from public and private Foundations. In her previous role, Lorena was the Chief Business Officer at EARTH University Foundation Inc. where she handled the compliance of the whole portfolio of donors including US Government, Public and Private Foundations. Originally from Caracas Venezuela, Lorena moved to the US and into the Not for Profit world focusing on Finance and Compliance of grants with a significant focus on US government grants from USAID, ASHA and Department of Energy. Lorena has a bachelor degree in Business & Social Sciences – Finance / Accounting from The Andrés Bello Catholic University in Caracas Venezuela. Lorena enjoys volunteering in her spare time and she recently accepted to be part of the Board of Directors at The Children’s Heart Foundation – Georgia Chapter as Treasurer.
Elizabeth Bookout
Finance and Compliance Business Partner, GSMA
Elizabeth Bookout
As Finance & Compliance Business Partner, Elizabeth supports the GSMA Mobile for Development programmes, providing advisory and compliance oversight in areas of procurement, grant and budget management, and donor reporting. Prior to joining the GSMA in 2015, Elizabeth worked for Fountain Gate, a not-for-profit mental health clinic and therapeutic agricultural centre in Atlanta, where she was responsible for leading the organization in areas of finance, HR, development, and compliance. She brings over 10 years of experience in finance and compliance leadership for non-profit and social service agencies. Elizabeth has a Bachelor of Science in Human Services with a concentration in International Affairs from Kennesaw State University in Kennesaw, Georgia and a Master of Business Administration from Shorter University in Rome, Georgia.
Chad Tyson
Finance and Compliance Business Partner, GSMA
Chad Tyson
As Finance and Compliance Business Partner, Chad provides advisory and compliance oversight to the mAgri, mHealth and Mobile for Humanitarian Innovation programmes, as well as the National Dialogues initiative. Chad has a background in financial management and accounting in the public, private and non-profit sectors. This includes serving as a Senior Business Advisor in the U.S. Military and as Habitat for Humanity’s Senior Grants Accounting Manager over International Operations. Chad holds an Associate of Applied Science in Intelligence Operations, a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration and a Master of Business Administration with a concentration in Accounting. He also holds several professional certificates.
Michael McBride
Finance & Compliance Analyst, GSMA
Michael McBride
Michael joined the GSMA Foundation in 2016 with 5+ years of state government and private sector experience, specialising in financial reporting, budgeting, comprehensive accounting analysis, and finance. In his previous role, Michael was a Financial Reporting Analyst at the State Accounting Office where he assisted in the preparation of the financial statements/footnotes of the Comprehensive Annual Report (CAFR) and provided analytical support for key financial reporting decision making. Michael holds a Bachelor’s degree in Accounting from the University of Georgia.
Emma Hart
GSMA Foundation Department Manager, GSMA
Emma Hart
As the Foundation’s department manager, Emma provides a critical link between the Foundation and other teams at the GSMA, allowing co-ordination of common goals and activities. She also provides support to Foundation stakeholders at industry events. Emma joined the GSMA in 2013, having previously worked in private equity, specialising in sustainable, green energy projects in Europe, and investment banking. Prior to this, she had a long career in sports journalism and marketing.
Nicola Cullen
Project Manager for the GSMA Foundation , GSMA
Nicola Cullen
Nicki is a Project Manager for the GSMA Foundation, working to drive some of the strategic initiatives and partnerships which support the Foundation’s long term goals. In a deliberate shift from a lengthy career in IT in Investment Banking, Nicki graduated with a masters in Inequalities and Social Sciences in 2018 and joined the GSMA shortly after. She has a keen interest in sustainability issues and provides a bridge from the Foundation to sustainability related projects in GSMA Mutual.
Nicki is a Project Manager for the GSMA Foundation, working to drive some of the strategic initiatives and partnerships which support the Foundation’s long term goals. In a deliberate shift from a lengthy career in IT in Investment Banking, Nicki graduated with a masters in Inequalities and Social Sciences in 2018 and joined the GSMA shortly after. She has a keen interest in sustainability issues and provides a bridge from the Foundation to sustainability related projects in GSMA Mutual.