Ilana Cohen is the Acting Head of the GSMA Digital Utilities Programme. The GSMA represents the worldwide communications industry. The Digital Utilities programme is part of the GSMA Foundation and enables access to essential utility services for low-income populations through digital solutions. The programme has played a key role in catalysing a range of solutions from pay-as-you-go solar and cooking gas, to pre-paid smart water metering, and digital tools to enable decentralised sanitation supply chains. For the nearly eight years, Ilana has supported the development of these solutions. In her role leading the programme, she oversees the programme’s innovation funding of digital utility solutions, development of industry insights and partnership facilitation. Ilana holds an MSc Water Science, Policy and Management from Oxford University and a Bachelor’s Degree in Biology from Brandeis University.