Vodafone cuts European CEO job to become more nimble

In a statement to the London Stock Exchange, Vodafone also said that Hannes Ametsreiter in Germany, Aldo Bisio in Italy, Jeroen Hoencamp in the United Kingdom and Antonio Coimbra in Spain would become members of the company’s executive committee.

The changes also mean the exit of Philipp Humm, chief executive for Europe, to whom the country chiefs previously reported.

Rob Shuter, chief executive of Vodafone Netherlands, completes the line-up and will assume additional leadership responsibilities for Vodafone’s smaller markets.

The company said corporate functions operating at a regional level in Europe will be integrated within the respective Group functions.

Humm, a former chief of T-Mobile in the U.S, will “pursue his career ambitions outside Vodafone”, Colao said. The company’s first-quarter results are due to be announced on Friday but changes are not believed to be related to any recent performance problems.

“I would like to thank Philipp for his significant contribution to Vodafone including leading the recovery in our European businesses and the strategic acquisition and integration of large fixed-line businesses in the United Kingdom, Spain and Germany”, said Colao.

The move follows ongoing speculation that Vodafone’s European operations could be broken up if a deal emerges with United States cable operator Liberty Global. A potential announcement is understood to remain some way off, however.

Vodafone has announced a wide-ranging reorganisation of its European leadership structure with a view to streamlining management efficiency and accelerating decision-making in key markets.