Max Cuvellier Giacomelli
Chief Ecosystem Engagement Officer

Max leads Co-Develop's partnerships, insights, events and communications, bringing nearly two decades of experience in translating technology into socio-economic and climate impact.

Prior to joining Co-Develop, Max spent over a decade working for the GSMA, at the intersection of the technology industry and international development, first helping mobile operators design strategies to increase women's access to digital services, then leading programmes which provided funding to 85 early-stage ventures tackling development challenges across 40+ African and Asian markets. From 2020, he headed Mobile for Development, GSMA's practice of 130+ experts dedicated to translating digital innovation into socio-economic and climate outcomes, working closely with donors, mobile operators, governments and local entrepreneurs. Before the GSMA, Max worked in Orange's innovation unit across the Middle East and Africa, and as a consultant with operators in Iraq and Afghanistan.

Alongside this, Max co-founded Africa: The Big Deal, an initiative that tracks and analyses start-up funding across the continent; he also advises and invests in early-stage African ventures. He serves on the boards of commercial and not-for-profit organisations dedicated to furthering digital inclusion, including Uniti Networks and Momentous Fund.

Max holds a Master's in Management from HEC Paris and a Master's in International Management from ESADE Barcelona.

He lives in Paris with his husband and enjoys long city walks, baking, reading, and contemporary African art.