The former boss of EE has emerged as a potential frontrunner for the top job at Vodafone.
Dutchman Olaf Swantee is believed to be among the top candidates to replace outgoing chief executive Nick Read, according to City sources.
It was announced last week that Read would step down at the end of December, after a turbulent year during which shares in the FTSE100 firm tumbled to a 20-year low.
All change: Dutchman Olaf Swantee is believed to be among the top candidates to replace outgoing chief executive Nick Read
Shareholders had become increasingly frustrated at the pace of Read’s efforts to revitalise the business. Vodafone chief financial officer Margherita Della Valle has taken the role until a replacement is found.
Swantee, 56, who lives in Switzerland, led EE for five years before its acquisition by BT in 2016. He previously held several top posts at French telecoms group Orange.
After leaving EE, Swantee turned his attention to investing while also serving as chairman of Swiss phone shop chain MobileZone. He was contacted for comment.
Other potential candidates include Stephen Carter, boss of exhibitions organiser Informa, who is a Vodafone non-executive director; Nick Jeffery, former head of Vodafone’s UK business and now boss of US telecoms firm Frontier; and Ronan Dunne, ex-chief executive of O2.
- Tesco chairman John Allan may leave in 2024. The supermarket group will kick off a search for his replacement early next year, Sky News reported. The City veteran is close to serving nine years in the role. At that point, he would no longer be considered independent.
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