At Mobilesquared our people are our business, and this series of Team Spotlight blogs aims to introduce our people in more depth, give an insight into their perception of the industry, and find out what makes them tick.
Today we’re spotlighting Gilbert Relou, Head of Consultancy, about his journey in telecoms, his views on current industry shifts, and what sets Mobilesquared apart as the number one provider of specialist messaging intelligence to the business messaging ecosystem.
Meet Gilbert Relou, Head of Consultancy across Mobilesquared and Kaleido Intelligence
Q: Hi Gilbert! Could you please introduce yourself and your role?
I am responsible for strategic advisory projects within Mobilesquared’s consulting services, along with consulting services at our partner brand, Kaleido Intelligence. I help clients align their internal strengths with the right market opportunities and guide them through strategic decision-making. I enjoy working in international, innovation-driven environments, which very much describes the messaging landscape, and my experience combined with Mobilesquared’s specialist data and forecasts, puts me in a perfect position to provide advisory services to industry partners.
Q: As we’re in the messaging industry, let’s go old school! Describe yourself in 160 characters
Enthusiastic and energetic when talking about things that I like. Besides the telecoms market, that includes sport and travel. Responsible and serious too, but always balanced with fun
Q: Can you tell us a little bit about your professional journey within the telecom industry?
I rolled into the international telecom space in 1999 while writing my Master’s thesis on the liberalisation of the wholesale voice market for KPN. That experience shaped my early career – I started at KPN as a Product Manager and quickly found that international business development was what energised me most. From there, I spent almost two decades working in voice, data services, messaging, roaming, and mobile connectivity for iBASIS before joining Kaleido in 2022, and Mobilesquared in April 2025, after Kaleido Intelligence and Mobilesquared completed a merger.
More about working at Mobilesquared
Q: What is unique about working at Mobilesquared?
It’s the combination of neutrality and depth. We’ve been immersed in messaging since phones were the size of bricks, and were the authors of the very first dedicated report on messaging (Conversational Advertising, 2010), and the people behind probably the most referenced stat in mobile advertising (google “90% of SMS are read within 3 minutes”).
It gives us a very unusual platform in that we’re independent and channel agnostic, but we have earned the trust of the industry and frequently help shape the conversations and strategic decision making at the very highest levels. We don’t do vanity forecasts to keep shareholders happy, we give the unbiased truth. Our forecasts don’t always please everyone, but the fact that our numbers can be trusted is what’s really important to us and what adds the most value to our customers. We regularly collaborate with trade bodies, regulators and industry working groups.
Short answer – it’s great to be part of a team that carries such weight in their industry!
Navigating Business Messaging Market Challenges & Opportunities
Q: In your view, what is the biggest challenge facing the industry today?
The speed of technological change and the fact that it’s opening the industry up to new players. That brings opportunity, but it also means that established players need to adapt quickly.
Q: How do you think Mobilesquared’s expertise can help businesses navigate these challenges and make strategic decisions?
We provide a broader market perspective, which helps clients see where their strengths and opportunities really lie. We help clients take a strategic lens to their operations, supported by robust insights and market data.
Q: You recently attended GSMA WAS #21, do you have any key takeaways from this event?
This year at WAS #21 the discussions on AIT and messaging fraud of course remained high on everyone’s agenda, including the decline in global A2P messaging volumes. Certainly, a good momentum for some messaging health checks. There’s also a clear interest in looking to future solutions, with discussion on telco API’s as alternative solution for authentication and whether RBM/RCS can finally live up the promise
Ending on a Personal Note
Q What has been the most surprising thing about working in the telecoms industry?
The loyalty of the people working within telecom.
Q: What difference would you like to make in the industry?
I believe in the value of connectivity. Stimulating collaboration and evangelising solutions that improve the connectivity experience is how I contribute.
Q: Finally, outside of work, what do you enjoy in your free time?
Sports! I actively play hockey, padel, riding MTB and skiing. I also enjoy watching my kids play football, and my local Dutch team Willem II.
