The Mobile Marketing Association (MMA) has today announced that its Board of Directors has named mobile industry veteran Mike Wehrs as President and Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the association, with immediate effect.
In his previous role as Vice President of Industry Affairs and Evangelism at Nuance Communications, Wehrs was responsible for the company's overall mobile business strategy, product strategy, industry and public policy and a key member of the mergers and acquisitions team. As President and CEO of the MMA, Mr. Wehrs will continue to promote its charter to build a sustainable ecosystem for the mobile marketing industry globally, focusing on delivering benefits to MMA members, establishing guidelines and best practices for future growth, and driving mobile adoption worldwide.
"The MMA has grown tremendously in recent years in terms of membership and our geographic footprint, so we needed a person with world-class leadership skills combined with relevant experience and business acumen to continue to drive our success. After an extensive search, we found Mike to be the best person to lead the association's activities going forward," said Russell Buckley, MMA Global Chairman and Vice President of Global Alliances at AdMob. "Mike is a proven leader with extensive international executive experience and an established track record within the global mobile industry."
Appointed to lead MMA activities worldwide, Mr. Wehrs has a range of industry association experience, having served on the Board of Directors and Executive Committees for organisations such as CTIA – The Wireless Association, Open Mobile Alliance (OMA), Bluetooth Special Interest Group (SIG) and dotMobi Advisory Group, as well as being an active participant as board member or committee chair for many other industry bodies.
"The MMA is thriving — representing the entire mobile ecosystem, experiencing a more than 15-fold membership increase and firmly establishing itself as the leading association for the mobile marketing industry worldwide," said Tom Daly, MMA North American Chairman and Group Manager, The Coca-Cola Company. "Mike's record of achievements is impressive. Under his leadership, we're confident that the MMA will continue to lead and implement yet more positive industry advances, maintaining the MMA's position at the forefront of mobile marketing education and guidelines."
Prior to Nuance Communications, Wehrs served as Vice President, Product Management and Global Marketing for Tegic Communications, an AOL company. As the product management visionary for Tegic's wireless platform and embedded products, and global marketing group leader, he also served as industry standards and public policy representative within a number of industry bodies. Prior to Tegic Communications, Wehrs worked for Microsoft Corporation, where he was responsible for driving industry adoption and business development opportunities in support of many of Microsoft's Windows products. During his tenure at Microsoft, Wehrs held various senior roles, working on technology and standards, as well as directing market research and product planning for Microsoft's Mobile and Embedded Devices division.
"I am honoured and excited to lead the MMA at such an important time in its history," said Mike Wehrs, President and CEO of the MMA. "The mobile channel has been experiencing tremendous growth, and marketers worldwide are embracing mobile marketing as an essential component of their global advertising strategies, capitalizing on its capability to establish a direct link with consumers on a global scale. I look forward to working together with MMA member companies, MMA Board of Directors and other industry leaders to ensure a vibrant and healthy mobile marketing ecosystem for all."