KT said Thursday that the firm’s executive Yang Hyun-mi became the first Asian seated as chief strategy officer for the Global System for Mobile Communications Association.

The nomination indicates that Yang, executive vice president of the customer strategy business unit at KT, will be leaving KT to serve in the GSMA position in London beginning June 15.

Yang, 49, will focus on cooperating with operator members of GSMA to identify opportunities which will upgrade the mobile communications industry, GSMA said in a statement.

The GSMA is an organization composed of about 800 telecom firms and 200 electronics manufacturers from 220 nations worldwide. It is also the organizer for the world’s biggest mobile show called the Mobile World Congress in Barcelona and the Mobile Asia Expo.

“Her experience in Korea, one of the most innovative mobile markets in the world, combined with her experiences from the financial sector, will be invaluable as she works with the GSMA members in defining global strategies, initiatives and programs that will offer collective benefit for our operator members and the broad mobile industry,” said GSMA director general Anne Bouverot.

In response, Yang said she will work towards creating a new paradigm in the telecom industry through the opportunity.

“I look forward to working with the GSMA’s members in exploring and maximizing these new opportunities and extending the reach of mobile technology in the coming years,” she said.

Yang, who started her career at American Express, worked in the marketing strategy unit at Shinhan Bank before joining the country’s top fixed-line service operator in 2009.

By Cho Ji-hyun (sharon@heraldcorp.com)