BAAR, SWITZERLAND. 10 OCTOBER 2023 – Global Message Services (GMS), the trusted communications service provider for Enterprises and Mobile Operators worldwide, today announced three CXO appointments to support the company’s global growth plans. Kateryna Nakonechna has been promoted to Chief Commercial Officer Carrier and Wholesale Business; Lisa Goodenough has been appointed as Chief Legal and Compliance Officer and Ayesha Rashid takes on the role of Chief Strategy Officer.
With 16+ years of experience in Carrier Relations, Chief Commercial Officer Kateryna Nakonechna is a seasoned telecommunications professional who has consistently delivered outstanding results for GMS. Her expertise in legal, financial, billing, technical issues, hubbing, and regulation issues resolution and consulting has been instrumental in attracting new clients and managing the needs of current ones across Europe and the CIS regions.
Promoted internally from the role of Senior Regional Director, Kateryna will report directly to Amer Siraj, Chief Revenue Officer, Carrier and Wholesale Business, and will oversee all facets of MNO sales operations, wielding her expertise to propel GMS towards unprecedented growth.
Chief Legal and Compliance Officer, Lisa Goodenough, is an accomplished legal executive with over 15 years of experience as a national and international Head of Legal and General Counsel. She brings a wealth of telecommunications and technology experience from Vodafone UK and IHS Towers. Amongst other leadership roles, she has led legal teams in the UK and South Africa specialising in carrier services, wholesale, and enterprise.
Lisa will report directly to GMS CEO Charles Upchurch, and is responsible for providing overall vision, direction, and collaborative leadership for GMS’s legal and compliance team who manage all legal matters affecting the company. Lisa will also be acting as the Company Secretary of the Board of Directors.
Newly appointed Chief Strategy Officer Ayesha Rashid is an accomplished international business strategist who excels in aligning brands and technology to create valuable customer engagement. This has enabled her to drive significant commercial growth across diverse industries. Ayesha has led multi-stakeholder telecoms transformation programmes and delivered award winning work for luminary brands such as Ooredoo, Virgin Mobile, and Miral Asset Management. As a former business consulting Managing Director, Ayesha led strategic business growth across telco, tech, retail, and financial services by executing practical go to market plans, integrating new services, and leading client relationships. In her new role, Ayesha will shape the strategic direction of GMS, refining corporate goals, developing strategic alliances and nurturing partnerships for continued growth and success.
Former Chief Strategy Officer Robert Rose will remain a Board Member with responsibility for Corporate M&A going forward.
Charles Upchurch, CEO, GMS, said; “I’d like to officially welcome Kateryna, Lisa and Ayesha to their new positions as part of the GMS executive team. As a Group, we are expanding globally at a rapid pace and we need talented people that are dedicated to delivering success. I look forward to working closely with all of our new CXOs on our exciting opportunities.”
Kateryna Nakonechna, Chief Commercial Officer Carrier and Wholesale Business, said: “I am excited to continue my journey at GMS, and look forward to deepening our industry partnerships, driving successful revenue growth and delivering enhanced value to our customers.”
Commenting on her appointment, Lisa Goodenough, Chief Legal and Compliance Officer, said: “GMS is a global leader that plays a critical role in advancing the future of communications. I am thrilled to be joining and look forward to working with the Executive Chairman, Iurii Makarenko, the CEO, Charles Upchurch, and the entire organisation on delivering results whilst operating with the highest standards of corporate governance and compliance.”
“I am thrilled to embark on this journey of strategic transformation. GMS has a vision of purposeful disruption, leveraging emerging technologies and unwavering commitment. Together we look forward to leading and positioning our customers at the forefront of their industries,” added Ayesha Rashid, Chief Strategy Officer.
For more information about GMS, visit www.gms-worldwide.com.
About GMS
Global Message Services (GMS) is the trusted communications service provider for Enterprises and Mobile Operators worldwide.
Established in 2006, GMS is the leader and industry ambassador for secure, legitimate, and transparent messaging.
Our CPaaS solution enables brands to unify multichannel customer communications via a single API and self-service platform. Complementing this is its AI-driven Chatbots and CCaaS platform – a comprehensive solution enabling brands to build engaging, two-way, 24/7 communication at any touch point, significantly enhancing the customer experience.
As a trusted partner of Mobile Operators, we also enable their messaging business by optimising A2P, P2P and P2A interworking while enhancing enterprise A2P messaging traffic management for revenue growth.
GMS is headquartered in Baar, Switzerland, with regional offices worldwide.
To learn more, visit gms-worldwide.com and connect with us on LinkedIn and Facebook.