London Daily

Focus on the big picture.
Thursday, Jul 03, 2025

Vodafone closes in on appointment of new chief executive

Vodafone closes in on appointment of new chief executive

The FTSE-100 telecoms giant's board is leaning towards naming Margherita Della Valle as its permanent CEO four months after she took over as interim chief.
Vodafone is closing in on the appointment of a new boss after its interim chief executive won support from key institutional investors for her stewardship of the telecoms giant.

Sky News has learnt that the FTSE-100 group's board is leaning towards naming Margherita Della Valle, who was its finance chief between 2018 and the end of last year, as its permanent CEO.

Telecoms industry sources said on Thursday that an announcement could be made by Vodafone about Nick Read's successor in the coming days.

Ms Della Valle has worked for Vodafone in its various incarnations, based both in Italy and the UK, since 1994.

She took over as interim CEO on 1 January, having been elevated to the role when Mr Read stepped down the previous day.

City insiders said Ms Della Valle had accelerated a number of important strategic initiatives during her four months at the helm, and had impressed leading shareholders with her approach to the job.

One source cautioned on Thursday that Vodafone's board, chaired by the former Heineken chief Jean-Francois van Boxmeer, had yet to take a formal decision about the appointment of its next chief executive.

Several high-quality external candidates are also said to have been in talks with Vodafone in recent months, and it remained possible that an announcement could still be several weeks away.

Growing pressure on the company

Institutional investors have been anticipating an announcement about CEO succession before the company announces its full-year results on 16 May.

The appointment of a new CEO will come amid growing pressure on the company, which was criticised under Mr Read for being too slow to take strategic decisions amid a rapidly shifting telecoms industry landscape.

Vodafone's largest shareholders include the UAE-based telecoms group e&, which this week disclosed that it had increased its stake to 14.6%.

E& has not shown any interest in making an offer for Vodafone, although analysts have speculated that such a move is not implausible in the medium term.

Vodafone shares have slid in the last year

Shares in Vodafone have slid by a quarter during the last year, and the company now has a market value of only £25.5bn - a far cry from its peak valuation of well over £100bn.

Liberty Global, the US-based telecoms company, has also acquired a stake in the British mobile phone network operator - a move described in February by the buyer's chief executive, Mike Fries, as "an opportunistic and financial investment".

Vodafone has also drawn investment from a vehicle headed by Xavier Niel, the French telecoms tycoon, another sign that industry executives from around the world believe that the company is either underperforming or undervalued.

Desire for shake-up

Vodafone's board would be unlikely to name Ms Della Valle as its new CEO without assurances of support from leading investors.

As a long-standing company insider, she was initially regarded as an outside contender to replace Mr Read because of some shareholders' desire to see a shake-up under an externally appointed boss.

Vodafone remains in discussions with the owner of Three UK about a merger of their British operations, while it was also reported this week to be in talks about various deals involving parts of its European operations.

Its business in Germany has stuttered, while the company has also failed to capitalise on M&A opportunities in other markets.

Vodafone declined to comment.
Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
DJI Launches Heavy-Duty Coaxial Quadcopter with 80 kg Lift Capacity
U.S. Senate Approves Major Legislation Dubbed the 'Big Beautiful Bill'
Largest Healthcare Fraud Takedown in U.S. History Announced by DOJ
Poland Implements Border Checks Amid Growing Migration Tensions
Political Dispute Escalates Between Trump and Musk
Emirates Airline Expands Market Share with New $20 Million Campaign
Amazon Reaches Milestone with Deployment of One Millionth Robot
US Senate Votes to Remove AI Regulation Moratorium from Domestic Policy Bill
Yulia Putintseva Calls for Spectator Ejection at Wimbledon Over Safety Concerns
Jury Deliberations in Diddy Trial Yield Partial Verdict in Serious Criminal Charges
House Oversight Committee Subpoenas Former Jill Biden Aide Amid Investigation into Alleged Concealment of President Biden's Cognitive Health
King Charles Plans Significant Role for Prince Harry in Coronation
Two Chinese Nationals Arrested for Espionage Activities Against U.S. Navy
Amazon Reaches Major Automation Milestone with Over One Million Robots
Extreme Heat Wave Sweeps Across Europe, Hitting Record Temperatures
Meta Announces Formation of Ambitious AI Unit, Meta Superintelligence Labs
Robots Compete in Football Tournament in China Amid Injuries
Trump Administration Considers Withdrawal of Funding for Hospitals Providing Gender Treatment to Minors
Texas Enacts Law Allowing Gold and Silver Transactions
China Unveils Miniature Insect-Like Surveillance Drone
OpenAI Secures Multimillion-Dollar AI Contracts with Pentagon, India, and Grab
Marc Marquez Claims Victory at Dutch Grand Prix Amidst Family Misfortune
Germany Votes to Suspend Family Reunification for Asylum Seekers
Elon Musk Critiques Senate Budget Proposal Over Job Losses and Strategic Risks
Los Angeles Riots ended with Federal Investigations into Funding
Budapest Pride Parade Draws 200,000 Participants Amid Government Ban
Southern Europe Experiences Extreme Heat
Xiaomi's YU7 SUV Launch Garners Record Pre-Orders Amid Market Challenges
Jeff Bezos and Lauren Sanchez's Lavish Wedding in Venice
Russia Launches Largest Air Assault on Ukraine Since Invasion
Education Secretary Announces Overhaul of Complaints System Amid Rising Parental Grievances
Massive Anti-Government Protests Erupt in Belgrade
Trump Ends Trade Talks with Canada Over Digital Services Tax
UK Government Softens Welfare Reform Plans Amid Labour Party Rebellion
Labour Faces Rebellion Over Disability Benefit Reforms Ahead of Key Vote
Jeff Bezos and Lauren Sánchez Host Lavish Wedding in Venice Amid Protests
Trump Asserts Readiness for Further Strikes on Iran Amid Nuclear Tensions
North Korea to Open New Beach Resort to Boost Tourism Economy
UK Labour Party Faces Internal Tensions Over Welfare Reforms
Andrew Cuomo Hints at Potential November Comeback Amid Democratic Primary Results
Curtis Sliwa Champions His Vision for New York City Amid Rising Crime Concerns
Federal Reserve Proposes Changes to Capital Rule Affecting Major Banks
EU TO HUNGARY: LET THEM PRIDE OR PREP FOR SHADE. ORBÁN TO EU: STAY IN YOUR LANE AND FIX YOUR OWN MESS.
Trump Escalates Criticism of Media Over Iran Strike Coverage
Trump Announces Upcoming US-Iran Meeting Amid Controversial Airstrikes
Trump Moves to Reshape Middle East Following Israel-Iran Conflict
Big Four Accounting Firms Fined in Exam Cheating Scandal
NATO Members Agree to 5% Defense Spending Target by 2035
Australia's Star Casino Secures $195 Million Rescue Package Amid Challenges
UK to Enhance Nuclear Capabilities with Acquisition of F-35A Fighter Jets
×