Vodafone reshuffles European operations

UK-based mega-carrier Vodafone moved to reorganise its operating portfolio on Thursday, establishing Northern & Central Europe and Southern Europe as two new regions.

To head up Northern & Central Europe, Vodafone has poached Philipp Humm from T-Mobile USA where he has served as CEO and president since 2010. Humm has also held positions at Amazon, Procter & Gamble and McKinsey. He will join Vodafone on October 1st, and will take control of Germany; UK; the Netherlands; Turkey; Ireland; Hungary; the Czech Republic; and Romania.

Paolo Bertoluzzo will step into the CEO role for Southern Europe on August 1st. Maintaining his existing leadership of Vodafone Italy as well as Spain; Portugal; Greece; Albania; and Malta, Bertoluzzo will have his work cut out with at least a couple of countries in his portfolio facing serious financial problems.

Emeka Obiodu, senior telecoms strategy analyst at Ovum believes this appointment will bring much needed mature European market expertise to Vodafone’s northern European markets: “Over the past three years, differing market developments have led to a divergence in the performance of Vodafone’s operations in northern and southern Europe. A poor economic outlook is weighing down operations in southern Europe whereas, in relative terms, the markets in northern Europe are doing ok.
“It is thus, no surprise that Vodafone has gone for someone who has experience of managing operations in a mature European market. Having run T-Mobile Germany, Philipp Humm would have squared up with Vodafone’s largest market in northern Europe.
“Accordingly, his appeal is not so much for what he did or did not do during his time at T-Mobile USA, rather it is about getting someone who understands Vodafone’s northern European markets well, and someone who can hit the ground running from the start.”

Emeka Obiodu, senior telecoms strategy analyst at Ovum believes this appointment will bring much needed mature European market expertise to Vodafone’s northern European markets:

“Over the past 3 years, differing market developments have led to a divergence in the performance of Vodafone’s operations in northern and southern Europe. A poor economic outlook is weighing down operations in southern Europe whereas, in relative terms, the markets in northern Europe are doing ok.

“It is thus, no surprise that Vodafone has gone for someone who has experience of managing operations in a mature European market. Having run T-Mobile Germany, Philipp Humm would have squared up with Vodafone’s largest market in northern Europe.

“Accordingly, his appeal is not so much for what he did or did not do during his time at T-Mobile USA, rather it is about getting someone who understands Vodafone’s northern European markets well, and someone who can hit the ground running from the start.”