Global Brands Magazine Interview with Mrs. Selma Avdagic Tisljar – General Manager at Freemove Alliance

Global Brands Magazine recently had the privilege of interviewing Mrs. Selma Avdagic Tisljar, General Manager of Freemove Alliance. She provided valuable insights into the strategies that have propelled Freemove Alliance’s success under her leadership.

1. Can you share your vision for Freemove Alliance and how it aligns with the current trends in mobile connectivity?

Our vision at the FreeMove Alliance is to provide seamless, high-quality mobile connectivity across borders for multinational enterprises. We aim to eliminate the complexities that companies face when managing mobile communications across multiple countries and networks. As the digital world evolves, businesses are becoming increasingly reliant on mobile technologies to drive productivity, innovation, and collaboration. We see mobile connectivity as a crucial enabler of these trends, especially with the growing adoption of IoT, 5G, and cloud-based services. Our goal is to align with these trends by providing consistent, reliable, and secure connectivity solutions. Additionally, as remote and hybrid work models become more well-established, the demand for mobile solutions that ensure uninterrupted connectivity across countries has surged stronger than ever, and we are well-positioned to support this shift. In essence, we aim to simplify global mobile management, allowing businesses to focus on growth and innovation while we take care of their connectivity needs across borders.

2. What are the biggest challenges facing the mobile connectivity industry today, and how is Freemove Alliance addressing them?

One of the main challenges in the mobile connectivity landscape is navigating the complexities of global operations while ensuring security, scalability, and smooth performance. Multinational enterprises often encounter fragmented services and inconsistent standards, which can complicate management and elevate costs. At the FreeMove Alliance, we tackle this challenge by partnering with top mobile operators to provide seamless global connectivity backed by local expertise. Our unified approach ensures that customers have a single point of contact for all support and services. Furthermore, as technologies continue to evolve, we proactively assist businesses in adapting to these changes, continuously refining our services to support their digital transformation initiatives.

3. Freemove Alliance has received the “Best International Mobile Connectivity Brand, Global” award. What strategies have contributed to your success in expanding your global reach?

Our success in expanding globally is driven by strong partnerships with leading mobile operators, allowing us to offer seamless, high-quality connectivity across over 125 countries. Our four founding members: Deutsche Telekom, Orange, TIM and Telia, together with our partners: Swisscom, BT, Bridge Alliance, Turkcell, NOS and Eirevo, focus on customer-centric solutions that simplify global mobile management for multinational enterprise. We have also built a hard-working community with our members and partners who work relentlessly to offer top-notch service to our customers. Our commitment to operational excellence ensures consistent, compliant services, which has been key to building trust and earning recognition like the ‘Best International Mobile Connectivity Brand’ award.

4. Can you elaborate on some of the innovative solutions Freemove Alliance has introduced recently that set you apart from competitors?

Just one year ago, we launched our FreeMove Automation Service (FAS), an automated hub that empowers FreeMove Alliance’s members and partners to provide Mobile Service Automation to multinational customers, extending beyond their own networks. By deploying any member’s mobile management platforms, Mobile Service Automation becomes accessible throughout the FreeMove network. The FreeMove Automation Solution ensures a seamless customer experience across the members’ and partners’ networks. It helps customers digitize the management of their global mobile fleet and provide benefits, including operational efficiency and increased productivity; single, secured, and direct access to customer’s global mobile fleet through their ITSM; full transparency of their global fleet.

5. How does Freemove Alliance prioritize customer feedback in your service offerings, and what measures are in place to ensure customer satisfaction?

Our customers are at the heart of everything we do, guiding our decisions and shaping our services. They are our strongest advocates, and we are dedicated to ensuring they receive the best possible experience and support. We prioritize listening to our customers, making sure their voices are heard and their needs are met in real-time. This is why we established the FreeMove Customer Advisory Board (CAB), where customers share their needs, provide firsthand feedback, and discuss emerging trends in mobile connectivity. Building long-term partnerships with our customers is fundamental to our mission, as we aim to grow together and achieve mutual success.

6. Winning the “Best International Mobile Connectivity Brand, Global” award is a significant achievement. How do you feel this recognition impacts your brand and your team?

Winning the ‘Best International Mobile Connectivity Brand, Global’ award is a tremendous honor and a validation of our team’s hard work and dedication, especially the amazing work of our Marketing team in increasing our brand’s status and recognition. It reinforces our brand’s reputation as a leader in global mobile connectivity and strengthens the trust our customers place in us. For our community, this recognition serves as a motivating force, inspiring us to continue innovating and delivering exceptional service.

7. What future trends do you foresee in mobile connectivity, and how is Freemove Alliance preparing to adapt to these changes?

We are already seeing the emerging trends of mobile business process automation and the transformation from telecom to techno. I believe that service management and workflow automation capabilities, which enhance self-provisioning for all employees, will become even more relevant.. These solutions improve the full overview and management of mobile ecosystems.

In response to this trend, we have launched and continue to invest in the FreeMove Automation Solution, aimed at simplifying global mobile connectivity management through automation. We believe that automating business processes is key to accessing data, which is essential for leveraging other technologies, such as AI, to achieve operational efficiencies.

Additionally, sustainability is a central concern for customers and telecom companies, and our Alliance serves as the perfect hub for sharing ideas and setting common goals.

Finally, 5G is pushing the boundaries of mobile technology. During this transformational time, FreeMove Alliance is evaluating how it can better support the needs of multinational customers requiring multi-country solutions.

8. How important are partnerships in your business model, and can you share any recent collaborations that have significantly enhanced your service offerings?

Partnerships are absolutely essential to our business model—they are the foundation of the FreeMove Alliance. By collaborating with top-tier mobile operators, we ensure that our customers receive consistent, high-quality service across over 120 countries. These partnerships allow us to offer seamless, cross-border connectivity while maintaining local expertise. Moreover, our partners are open to share and discuss ongoing trends relevant to our business.

9. In what ways is Freemove Alliance incorporating sustainability into its operations and services?

Sustainability is of key importance to our members, partners, and customers, and consequently, to the FreeMove Alliance as well. That is why we have launched our own Sustainability Community and defined several common goals, including:

• Net Zero journey – Leading the way to achieve net-zero greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions by 2040 and enabling customers and society to follow this path.
• Sustainable Operations – Becoming fully circular in our technology and devices by 2030, engaging the entire value chain.
• Sustainable portfolio – Providing solutions with a lower environmental impact.

Together with our customers, we held a co-creative workshop where best practices were shared and areas for improvement were identified. The role of the Alliance is to support its members, partners, and customers by approaching these common challenges in a harmonized way.

10. What advice would you give to aspiring leaders in the telecommunications industry based on your experiences and the journey of Freemove Alliance?

My advice is to prioritize adaptability and innovation. The telecom landscape is constantly evolving, driven by technological advancements, and changing customer needs. Embrace new technologies and be open to exploring unconventional solutions that can enhance your offerings.

Building strong relationships is equally important. Collaborate with partners, customers, and even competitors to create a supportive ecosystem that drives mutual growth. Don’t underestimate the value of a diverse team; varied perspectives can lead to innovative ideas and better decision-making.