Mats Granryd on Monday announced plans to leave his post as Tele2 CEO to become the new director general of the GSMA, but the Sweden-based telco already had his replacement waiting in the wings.
Tele2’s chief financial officer Allison Kirkby will step up to the top job on 1 September.
"Allison Kirkby had already been identified as the next CEO in the event that Mats Granryd would step down," said Tele2 chairman Mike Parton, in a statement.
Kirkby joined Tele2 in March 2014, having previously held senior finance roles in companies including Shine Group, Virgin Media and Procter & Gamble.
Kirkby said she is "delighted" to become chief executive of Tele2.
"Together with my leadership team we will continue to challenge the industry and ensure that the success of Tele2 will continue," she said.
Granryd will stay with the company until the end of the year to aid with the transition process. He will start his new role at the GSMA on 1 January 2016.
"After five incredible and transformational years as CEO for Tele2, I feel the time is right to move on to new opportunities," Granryd said.
Looking ahead to his new post, he noted that "we have significant opportunities ahead of us as we look to not only connect the unconnected, but also deliver a vast range of new technologies, products and services that will improve our lives and allow us to engage more effectively with our environments."
Jon Fredrik Baksaas, chairman of the GSMA and former Telenor CEO, welcomed Granryd to the company. The industry body highlighted his experience in telecoms, having spent 15 years at Ericsson prior to joining Tele2 and served as a management consultant in telecom strategies at ARRIGO and Andersen Consulting.
"Mats is ideally positioned to lead the GSMA as we move forward in connecting the world," Baksaas said.
He replaces Anne Bouverot as GSMA director general.
A former Orange executive, Bouverot announced her resignation in March and left the GSMA at the end of July after almost four years as its leader.
