Top 10: Telco Leaders in the UK & Europe
As disruptive technologies like 5G and artificial intelligence (AI) continue to surge in demand, telco companies are now having to get to grips with these innovations in order to stay ahead.
Telecommunications companies, or telcos, in the UK and Europe in particular are having to navigate a complex and changing landscape. From fibre broadband expansions, to an evolving regulatory landscape, these telcos are increasingly adopting newer technologies to bolster their network capabilities, improve customer service and boost their overall operational efficiencies.
With this in mind, Mobile Magazine showcases some of the leading telco leaders in the UK and Europe.
10. Anne Boden, Founder & Investor at Starling Bank
Anne Boden is a highly-regarded and vastly experienced investor and CEO, having been at the helm of Starling Bank for nearly a decade until her departure in 2023. She founded the organisation in 2014 after a 30-year career at some of the world’s best known financial institutions, which include Allied Irish Banks, Royal Bank of Scotland, and ABN AMRO.
As the first woman to found a British bank, Anne was awarded a Member of the British Empire (MBE) for services to financial technology.
9. Patrik Hofbauer, President & CEO at Telia Company
Patrik Hofbauer has been the President and CEO at Telia Company since February 2024, bringing with him extensive leadership experience from within telecommunications and media sectors. Based in Sweden, he has worked in several senior positions for companies such as Telenor and Svenska Spel.
With a strong track record of transforming these complex businesses, Patrik is continuing to build highly motivated teams that are focused on customer value creation and growth. With him at the helm, Telia aims to continue its digital transformation efforts.
8. Anne Chow, former CEO at AT&T
Anne Chow has consistently been recognised as a role model for leadership and success across the telco industry. Her 30-plus-year dedication to business technology for more than 30 years sees her honoured as a successful leader who works at the intersection of people, culture and technology.
In September 2019, Anne was appointed CEO of AT&T Business, making her the first woman of colour CEO in AT&T’s 140+ year history. During her time at AT&T Business, she managed more than 35,000 employees who serve three million business customers worldwide. She retired in 2022.
7. Sigve Brekke, President and CEO at Telenor Group
Sigve Brekke joined Telenor in 1998 as an Advisor and became the company’s CEO in 2015. Telenor Group is now one of the world’s major mobile operators with 180 million mobile subscriptions in 9 countries across the Nordic region and Asia. Prior to becoming CEO, Sigve was instrumental in driving the company to become a leading force in key Asian markets.
Prior to joining Telenor, he served as the State Secretary (Deputy Minister) of Defence in Norway in 1993, in addition to holding a position as associate at the Center for Science and International Affairs, John F. Kennedy School of Government at Harvard University.
6. Lutz Schüler, CEO at Virgin Media O2
As CEO of Virgin Media O2, Lutz Schüler’s mission is to help places like the UK stay connected. He has extensive experience in the world of mobile connectivity, working with T-Mobile and Telefónica O2, where he helped lead the company’s acquisition of Hansenet Telekommunication GmbH as its CEO in Hamburg, in the 1990s.
Prior to Virgin Media O2, Lutz served as the CEO of Virgin Media from 2019-2021, after his role as the company’s Chief Operating Officer. He is also a member of the Liberty Global Executive Leadership Team.
5. Christel Heydemann,CEO at Orange
Christel Heydemann was appointed CEO of Orange Group in 2022. She is a high-profile businesswoman that has a strong and long-standing background in French telecommunications. Starting her career in 1997 at Boston Consulting Group (BCG), she then went on to join Alcatel - where she was appointed to Alcatel-Lucent’s Executive Committee as Sales Director for France and promoted in 2011 as Director of Human Resources and Transformation.
She also worked for Schneider Electric from 2014 to 2022, where she held a range of roles, including Director of Strategic Alliances, Senior Vice President Corporate Strategy & Alliances in 2016 and Executive Vice President Europe Operations.
4. Timotheus Höttges, CEO at Deutsche Telekom
Timotheus Höttges has been CEO at Deutsche Telekom for about a decade, in addition to being a member of the board since 2014. His tenure has included the establishment of T-Security as an independent cybersecurity unit, in addition to the merger of T-Mobile US with Sprint in 2020. Under his direction, the company has also pushed ahead with its 5G and fibre optic rollouts.
Prior to Deutsche Telekom, Timotheus worked with VIAG Group where he was responsible for controlling, corporate planning and mergers and acquisitions as chief representative.
3. José María Álvarez-Pallete, Chairman and CEO at Telefónica
José María Álvarez-Pallete López is a Spanish economist and has been CEO of Telefónica since 2016. He has worked for the company for more than 25 years, first working as General Director of Finance with Telefónica International. During that time, he has been a board member or chairman for several organisations, including GSMA, European Round Table for Industry and Portugal Telecom, to name a few.
He has also been the recipient of several awards and accolades, including Best CEO in Spain by Forbes Magazine and Business Leader of the Year by the Spain-US Chamber of Commerce.
2. Margherita Della Valle, CEO at Vodafone
Margherita Della Valle was made interim CEO of Vodafone, in addition to Group Chief Financial Officer, until her appointment as CEO was made permanent in 2023. She has worked with the company for more than 30 years, holding previous positions such as Deputy Group CFO, Group Financial Controller and Europe CFO.
In 1994, she joined Omnitel Pronto Italia, which later became Vodafone Italy and held a range of consumer marketing positions in business analytics and customer management, before transitioning over to finance.
As CEO, one of the most significant aspects of Margherita’s tenure was leading the merger between Vodafone and Three, which subsequently created the largest mobile operator in the UK.
1. Allison Kirkby, CEO at BT Group
With a steadfast commitment to keeping people connected, Allison Kirkby is a leading figure in the current telecommunications space. First appointed as CEO of BT Group in February 2024, succeeding Philip Jansen, Allison is best known for her ability to lead large companies and further transform them in the telecommunications industry.
Allison has worked for BT Group since being appointed to the board as a non-executive director in 2019. In her role as CEO, she is expected to be busy with a responsibility to oversee BT’s pledge to roll out £15bn (US$18.89bn) of fibre broadband to 25 million homes by 2026 - in addition to a range of other connectivity services.
“BT is such an important company for the UK and our many customers both in the UK and internationally and is uniquely placed to help everyone benefit from the rapid advances in digitalisation,” Allison said at the time of her appointment.
“Our products and services have never been more important to how our customers live and work, and thanks to the significant investment BT is putting into digital infrastructure and in the modernisation of its services, I see us playing an even more important role going forward.”
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