Executive thought leaders from Deloitte, Oracle and Telenor strengthen Board of Directors’ digital transformation know-how and increase diversity

London, UK — January 8, 2020 — TM Forum, the industry association driving digital transformation through collaboration, today announced three additions to its Board of Directors: Jason Rutherford, Senior Vice President, and General Manager, Oracle Communications; Ruza Sabanovic, Executive Vice President and Chief Technology Officer, Telenor Group; and Craig Wigginton, Global Telecommunications Section Leader, Deloitte.

These three individuals bring new perspectives and diversity to TM Forum’s Board which has overall responsibility for the organization on behalf of its members. The Board determines how the Forum serves its members and the broader industry by setting strategy, direction and priorities, and guiding strategic initiatives. The Board aims to have a representative balance of member industry sectors and geographies though various types of service providers, software companies, equipment suppliers and systems integrators.

Specifically, Rutherford, Sabanovic and Wigginton add to the Board’s knowledgebase in autonomous, software-based networks, and cross-industry business and technical opportunities, noted Nik Willetts, CEO, TM Forum. “Craig, Ruza and Jason bring a wealth of varied experience and energy to the Board,” he said. “As a leading consultant, a cutting-edge connectivity and service provider and one of the top vendor partners serving multiple verticals, their wide-ranging understanding of the industry provides a balance of skills that TM Forum needs to help guide its members to success in the 5G-based, digital decade ahead.”

“I’m delighted to welcome Jason, Ruza and Craig to TM Forum’s Board of Directors,” said Steffen Roehn, Chairman, TM Forum. “In today’s hyper-competitive market, industry convergence and new business models are fueling the widespread need for collaboration to enable growth and help reduce the costs and risks of running a digital business. Jason, Ruza and Craig’s combined understanding and hands-on industry experience in driving digital transformation projects make them ideal additions to the Forum’s Board which focuses on helping its members transform for success in the digital economy.”

Biographies

“I’m thrilled to join TM Forum’s Board of Directors,” said Rutherford. “As leader of Oracle’s telecommunications applications global business unit, I look forward to offering TM Forum my experience in strategic planning, product development, services, cloud and B/OSS digitization initiatives.”

Jason recently returned to Oracle Communications after two years as Executive Vice President and Chief Revenue Officer for KORE Telematics where he was responsible for customer acquisition and revenue growth across KORE Wireless’ IOT/M2M connectivity platforms, advanced applications, technology solutions and global services. Jason brings over 20 years of experience in the B/OSS space as a previous Group Vice President, Global Sales, Oracle Communications, and as a senior leader in sales, pre-sales, alliances and consulting at Convergys and Accenture.

“As Executive Vice President and Chief Technology Officer at Telenor Group, I am honored to join TM Forum’s Board of Directors and bring to the table a wealth of CTO-level leadership experience in network strategy, IT, procurement and operations,” Sabanovic said.

Ruza joined the greenfield operations in Telenor Montenegro in 1996. In October 2015, she became head of Group Technology (Group CTO); and in 2017, Executive Vice President, Technologies and Services and Group Chief Technology Officer, responsible for global network, IT, procurement, business security, and IT shared services, covering strategy, governance, demand, development and operations in these areas. Prior to this, in 2014, Ruza was appointed Senior Vice President, Technology and Industrialization projects, part of the Group Industrialization Development Unit. She previously served as Chief Operating Officer in Telenor India and was head of the Group Network Function and Group Chief Technology Officer Forum.

“I am excited to join TM Forum’s board of directors and offer my experience providing services to many of the largest global telecom carriers and broader TMT ecosystem, including manufacturers, cloud/data centers, infrastructure, and digital transformation and convergence.” said Wigginton.

Craig brings more than 30 years of experience leading large, complex accounts across the TMT industry, with particular emphasis in the telecommunications sector. He serves as a key advisor to senior executives to address their critical issues, especially as it relates to the challenges and opportunities brought forward by the changing role of connectivity as well as the expansion of wireless as a hub into other industries.

About TM Forum

TM Forum is an association of over 850 member companies that generate a combined US$2 trillion in revenue and serve five billion customers across 180 countries. We drive collaboration and collective problem-solving to maximize the business success of communication and digital service providers and their ecosystem of suppliers around the world. Today, our focus is on supporting members as they navigate their unique digital transformation journeys, providing practical and proven assets and tools to accelerate execution and platforms to facilitate collaborative problem solving and innovation. Follow us on LinkedIn, Twitter and Facebook. Learn more at www.tmforum.org.

Media Contact:

Elizabeth Coyne
Vice President, Communications
TM Forum
[email protected]