Pieter de Villiers

Pieter de Villiers is a South African born entrepreneur whom spend +- 10 years in Silicon Valley with a passion for Chat Commerce and the empowerment of people. Pieter is also one of the youngest mobile industry veterans with over 14 years of experience in global telecoms, mobile messaging and mobile payments backed by the likes of Sequoia Capital. As the CEO and co-founder of Clickatell, Inc. a leading Global Provider of Application-2-Person Mobile Messaging and Mobile Transactional Services, Pieter has successfully lead his team to grow a multi million dollar profitable business operating on multiple continents. Since its launch, Clickatell boasts one of the largest messaging-as-a-service footprints globally delivering services for large Fortune 500 brands as well more than 13 000 medium and small business customers and application developers across 224 countries and territories. In August 2013 Pieter launched the SiMODiSA (meaning: "to shepherd/ or lead") initiative in South Africa; focused at accelerating start-up success for South African entrepreneurs. During 2012 Pieter de Villiers, was selected as a SABLE Advisory board member and in 2011 he was named one of the Global Technology Business (GTB) "top 40 under 40" executives who will likely "run the telecoms industry in 2020." Pieter is a familiar face in the mobile industry and an active participant in many leading mobile organizations including: the GSM Association, CTIA, Open Mobile Alliance, Wireless Application Service Provider Association and Mobile Data Association. As an accomplished speaker and has presented his thoughts on mobile at various mobile conferences in the United States, Europe and Africa including: GSM Mobile World Congress - MMU, Mobile Money Africa, International CTIA Wireless Conference and the Rutberg & Co., Wireless Influencers Conference, etc. Specialties: Mobile, Telecoms, Mobile Messaging, Mobile Banking, Mobile Money, Banking the unbanked, Mobile & Chat Commerce.