GMS appoints Janis Kemers as Deputy Chief Executive Officer

• BAAR, Switzerland; August 20th, 2026 – GMS, the trusted communications partner for mobile network operators and enterprises, is pleased to announce that Janis Kemers assumes the role of Deputy Chief Executive Officer, strengthening its executive leadership team as the company enters its next phase of growth. 
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Janis Kemers returns to GMS, where he previously served as Chief Operating Officer, bringing the extensive international leadership experience needed to strengthen GMS’s operational and commercial direction. Across technology distribution, IT services and telecommunications, Janis has a remarkable track record of guiding established businesses through periods of market transition, building high-performing teams, fostering lasting client partnerships, identifying growth opportunities, and translating ambitious plans into measurable results. Throughout his career, he has led pan-European service businesses, held P&L responsibility at multi-billion-euro scale, and headed large international organisations. 

In his new position, Janis will oversee GMS’s day-to-day operations, ensuring effective coordination across the organisation while advancing the company’s strategic priorities and expanding its portfolio and commercial reach. This appointment comes at a pivotal moment for the business, as GMS builds on its established position in Network Protection to pursue its next commercial frontier-Network APIs, connecting operator infrastructure directly to enterprise demand for identity verification and fraud prevention. 

Charles Upchurch, Chief Executive Officer at GMS commented: “We are delighted to welcome Janis back to GMS at an important moment in our evolution. Over the past 20 years, GMS has grown from its roots in P2P messaging into a global communications partner with a strong position in A2P messaging, network protection and monetization. As our industry continues to evolve, so do the opportunities ahead of us. Network APIs represent an important part of that opportunity, enabling us to build on our strong operator relationships and network expertise to address growing enterprise needs around identity, authentication and fraud prevention. We are building on our heritage, expertise and customer relationships to create greater value for operators and enterprises, and Janis will play an important role in helping us turn that ambition into our next chapter of growth.” 

Janis Kemers as Deputy Chief Executive Officer at GMS mentioned: “I am proud to return to GMS at a pivotal point in the company’s journey. Our industry is evolving. Messaging remains the universal reach layer, and Network APIs are becoming the trust layer built on top of it, turning operator capabilities into services that enterprises can build on. GMS brings two decades of operator and enterprise relationships to that, which is a unique foundation to grow from. I look forward to working with Charles and the wider team to create new services and new markets together with our customers, and bridging strategy to disciplined execution.”

About GMS 

GMS is the trusted communications partner for mobile network operators and enterprises, with two decades of carrier-grade expertise and 275+ direct MNO connections worldwide. By partnering with GMS, operators gain network protection and monetization, while enterprises benefit from customer communications, identity verification, and fraud prevention. Operating between the carriers who own the network and the brands who rely on it, GMS drives commercial outcomes across both sides of the communication value chain. This is how GMS greenlights the next generation of secure and frictionless customer experiences.