Franco Bernabe has resigned as chairman of mobile operator association GSMA, with a replacement set to be announced in November 2013.

Bernabe’s departure follows shortly after his resignation from Telecom Italia, where he was chairman and CEO.

Jon Fredrik Baksaas, president and CEO of Telenor, is taking on the role of GSMA chairman on an acting basis – he is deputy chairman of the body.

Anne Bouverot, director general and board member of the GSMA, said in a statement: “Franco has been a passionate advocate for a forward-looking and collaborative approach in addressing the challenges facing our industry, and it has been a privilege to work with him. I am now looking forward to working with Jon Fredrik, our board and our membership to enable simple and secure digital services for men and women around the world.”