Muriel Anton, chief executive officer, Vodafone Czech Republic

Originally a music student in her native Canada, Anton switched to a degree in commerce and took a master’s in economics before joining the corporate financial planning team of state owned telecom player AGT Limited in 1988. From there she moved to Telus Communications, where she ended a three-year stint as finance director.

She has been CEO at Vodafone Czech Republich for two years, having worked at the carrier since 2000, before the Vodafone acquisition, when it traded under the Oskar Mobile brand. “I believe that gender balance is one aspect of diversity that should be considered an issue,” Anton says. “If an industry’s customer base is half women and half men then doesn’t it make sense to have women in the position to make decisions within the organisation?”

Role models are essential in helping more women reach senior positions, she says, highlighting a cross-sector mentoring programme that Vodafone has launched in the Czech Republic to aid women in their professional development.