At Kaleido Intelligence, our strength lies in the expertise of our team. In this edition of our Kaleido Spotlight series, we speak with Gilbert Relou, Head of Consultancy and Strategic Development, about his journey to Kaleido, views on current industry shifts, and what sets Kaleido apart as a strategic advisory partner.
Meet Gilbert Relou, Head of Consultancy and Strategic Development
Q: Hi Gilbert! Could you please introduce yourself and your role at Kaleido Intelligence?
I lead Kaleido’s consulting services, helping clients align their internal strengths with the right market opportunities and guiding them through strategic decision-making. I enjoy working in international, innovation-driven environments, and my experience, combined with Kaleido’s research, puts me in a perfect position to provide advisory services to industry partners.
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.
What Makes Kaleido Different?
Q: What is something unique about working at Kaleido?
It’s the combination of neutrality and depth. We’re often at the forefront of industry developments, supporting companies through strategic decisions with unbiased research and data. It’s not always easy – players and complexity are growing – but working collaboratively with clients and colleagues, you learn something new every day.
Q: What sets Kaleido apart from other research companies in the roaming and connectivity space?
It starts with the people, of course, but it’s also about the integrity of the research. Our insights are grounded in real data and fact-finding within the community. There are no awards or fluff, but rankings based on detailed, transparent assessments. That gives our clients confidence in the guidance we provide.
Navigating 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 Kaleido’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, I noticed a clear momentum behind eSIM with wholesale roaming teams becoming increasingly open to collaboration with new aggregators, in a way that’s very similar to earlier developments in messaging. At the same time, there’s concern that the retail response to travel eSIM adoption is too slow.
Ending on a Personal Note
Q: Finally, outside of work, what do you enjoy in your free time?
Sports! Actively playing hockey, padel, riding MTB and skiing. I also enjoy watching my kids and my local Dutch team Willem II play football.
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