Vodafone snaps up new Europe boss from rival group T-Mobile
PHILIPP Humm, who quit the top job at T-Mobile USA on Wednesday, said yesterday he would become chief executive of northern and central Europe for Vodafone from 1 October.
Humm joins Vodafone from his role as president and chief executive of Deutsche Telekom’s T-Mobile USA to oversee the British firm’s presence in such markets as Germany, Britain, Turkey and the Czech Republic.
Vodafone’s operations in northern Europe have held up well in recent years despite the pressures on consumer spending, which has helped to offset the slump in spending in southern Europe.
Vodafone said yesterday it would split its European region into two between northern and central Europe, and southern Europe, with the chief executive of Vodafone Italy Paolo Bertoluzzo taking the top job over the latter.
He will oversee such markets as Italy, Spain, Portugal and Greece.
T-Mobile USA said on Wednesday that Humm was leaving for personal reasons to spend more time with his family, but in a letter to employees Deutsche Telekom chief executive Rene Obermann said Humm was leaving to join a competitor.