TM Forum, the leading global alliance of telco and tech companies, has appointed Willie Stegmann as Executive Vice President, Composable IT and Ecosystems, and Rachel Yoxen as Chief Financial Officer. These strategic leadership appointments are part of the Forum’s bold ambition to accelerate AI-powered transformation across the global telco industry, delivering new growth opportunities and lasting change.
Willie Stegmann brings deep IT leadership experience to his role as Executive Vice President, Composable IT and Ecosystems. He previously held senior posts at Vodafone and Vodacom, including Group CIO and member of the Vodafone Senior Leadership Team, and now moves to this pivotal role in driving industry-wide transformation in software velocity, agility and cost. Willie will help members overcome the legacy constraints and adopt AI-native, composable software architectures that unlock agility, efficiency, and growth.
Composable IT and Ecosystems is one of TM Forum’s three industry missions. Paired with Autonomous Networks and AI and Data, these initiatives are driving a step-change in service provider business agility and growth. Each of the missions builds contributes to Open Digital Architecture (ODA) – the industry’s blueprint for modular, interoperable AI-native software and operating models.
Rachel Yoxen is a seasoned finance leader, bringing over 25 years’ experience across the UK and US, spanning commercial and non-profit sectors including Diageo plc, Kao Corporation, Cambridge University and, most recently, C40 Cities. She is CIMA qualified and currently serves as a board member and trustee for two charities. As CFO, Rachel will lead TM Forum in legal, compliance, financial strategy and operations – driving strong financial stewardship and supporting growth of the Forum’s capabilities to deliver even greater value to members.
Nik Willetts, CEO, TM Forum, said: “I am delighted to welcome Willie and Rachel to our leadership team. Their wealth of expertise and industry insights will be instrumental to helping us accelerate the telco industry’s transformation for an AI-native future; unlocking new customer experiences, reimagining business models, and shaping the next era of hyper-secure and personalized connectivity, available to all.”
