Meet the Team

John Giusti

President of the GSMA Foundation, GSMA

As Chief Regulatory Officer for the GSMA, John Giusti is responsible for leading the organisation’s public policy and industry advocacy agenda with governments, regulators and international institutions, as well as overseeing the work of the GSMA Mobile for Development Foundation and engaging with key development organisations worldwide.

Prior to joining the GSMA in 2011, John spent 17 years at the US Federal Communications Commission (FCC), working in a variety of capacities. Most recently, he served as chief of staff and senior policy advisor to Commissioner Michael Copps, where he provided legal, strategic and policy support to the Commissioner on all major agency actions, including the implementation of the National Broadband Plan.

He also previously ran the FCC’s International Bureau, where he managed the agency’s relationships with its foreign counterparts and served as its chief negotiator at meetings of the International Telecommunication Union, the Inter-American Telecommunications Commission and other multilateral organisations.

John was educated in the United States, earning a Juris Doctorate from Boston University School of Law and a Bachelor of Science in Telecommunications from the University of Florida. He has been a member of the Massachusetts bar since 1994.

Louise Easterbrook

Foundation Treasurer, GSMA

Max Cuvellier

Head of Mobile for Development, GSMA

Oonagh Stein

Finance Director, GSMA

Compliance Team

Lorena Ferro

Head of Finance & Compliance

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

Head of Subgrants Compliance

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.

Michael McBride

Senior Financial Accountant, GSMA

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.

Oduntan Gordon

Finance & Compliance Business Partner, GSMA

Oduntan joined the GSMA team in 2018 and is currently the Foundation’s Grant Reporting Specialist. His primary responsibility includes the reviewing of all Grants to ensure reporting compliance standards are maintained. Oduntan’s portfolio of Grants ranges from various private and Government donors, which funds for over 10 international programs. In addition, he is a member of the GSMA Financial Reporting system developer team.

Originally from Grenada, (West Indies), Oduntan came to the US and received his Bachelor’s degree in Accounting from DeVry University. For over 10 years before GSMA, his professional focus has been in humanitarian causes. He was the Private Revenue Accounting Analyst for C.A.R.E (Cooperative for Assistance and Relieve Everywhere), Senor Accountant for The Martin Luther King Center, and Regional Accountant for the Salvation Army Georgia Headquarters.

In his spare time, Oduntan heads a local chapter of The Columbian Squires Youth Organization, a regional, non-profit organization for young men ages 10-18.

Pooja Gupta

Senior Finance & Compliance Business Partner, GSMA

Robin Alexander

Finance & Compliance Business Partner, GSMA

Jasmine Leatherberry

Subgrant Compliance Manager, GSMA