Meet the Team

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

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

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

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

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

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.

Donte Perkins

Donte joined GSMA as the Finance and Compliance Business Partner supporting the Mobile for Development Programmes. In his role, he supports the foundation in areas of financial planning, and procurement, donor compliance, grant and budget management. Donte has over 9 years of accounting and finance experience with 7+ years in the non-profit sector. Prior to joining GSMA, he was the Financial Manager for IANPHI at Emory University’s Global Health Institute supporting several programs around financial analysis, managing grants, and budget management with partnerships such as the CDC, Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation and USAID. Donte has bachelor degree of Sport Management from Siena Heights University’s Business and Management Division in Adrian, MI. He later earned a Masters of Business Administration from Liberty University in Lynchburg, VA.

Oduntan Gordon

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.

Stephani Britt

Stephani joined the GSMA Foundation November 2018 as Finance & Compliance Business Partner supporting GSMA Mobile for Development programmes. She brings over 10 years of experience providing financial support in the non-profit, public and private sectors. Most recently, she worked at Emory University in Atlanta in the role of Post Award Research Administrator, providing financial project management and oversight to grant funded projects. She has also worked for Turner Broadcasting System where she provided financial support and analysis to CNN’s Global Technology Operation areas for strategic business decisions and cost savings initiatives. Stephani holds an associate’s degree in Business Administration and Bachelors in Finance from Strayer University.