Governance (continued) Our Board 76 Vodafone Group Plc Annual Report 2024
Strategic report
Governance
Financials
Other information
Our business is led by our Board of Directors. Biographical details of the Directors as at 14 May 2024 are provided below. Click to find full biographical information for the Directors: vodafone.com/board External appointments listed are only those required to be disclosed pursuant to Listing Rule 9.6. Jean-François was the Chief Executive of Heineken for 15 years, having been with the company for 36 years. Jean-François held a number of senior roles in Africa and Europe before joining Heineken’s Executive Board in 2001 with worldwide responsibility for supply chain and technical services, as well as regional responsibility for the operating businesses in North-West Europe, Central and Eastern Europe and Sub-Saharan Africa. Skills and attributes which support strategy and long-term success: – Extensive international experience in driving growth through both business-to-business and business-to-consumer business models, both of which are integral components of the Company’s strategy and long-term success. – Exposure to overseeing the management of complex and far-reaching transformational projects, including specific hands-on experience of the countries in which the Company operates. – Skilled communicator with a strong track record of developing stakeholder relations and overseeing governance in the context of a large global organisation, which, in his capacity as Chair of the Board, continues to be of great value to the Company. External appointments: – Heineken Holding N.V., non-executive director Margherita Della Valle Group Chief Executive – Executive Director Tenure: 1 year (as Group Chief Executive) Career and experience: Jean-François van Boxmeer N E Chair – Independent on appointment Tenure: 3 years Career and experience: In addition to her role as Group Chief Financial Officer which she held since 2018, Margherita Della Valle was initially appointed Group Chief Executive on an interim basis, effective 1 January 2023. On 27 April 2023, we announced the permanent appointment of Margherita as Group Chief Executive with immediate effect. Margherita continued to serve as Group Chief Financial Officer until Luka Mucic was appointed on 1 September 2023. Margherita’s previous roles within Vodafone were Deputy Chief Financial Officer from 2015 to 2018, Group Financial Controller, Chief Financial Officer for Vodafone’s European region and Chief Financial Officer for Vodafone Italy. She joined Omnitel Pronto Italia – which later became Vodafone Italy – in 1994 and held key senior positions in consumer, marketing, business analytics and customer base management before moving to finance. After moving to a Group finance position in 2007, Margherita established a number of shared operations functions, which now employ over 31,700 people and provides a portfolio of services spanning IT operations, customer care, supply chain management, human resources and finance operations to 28 partners in other markets.
Skills and attributes which support strategy and long-term success: – Strong commercial and operational leadership with expert knowledge of the global telecommunications landscape after close to three decades of direct industry experience. – Considerable corporate finance and accounting experience, translating into expert knowledge of capital allocation, operational efficiency and investment appraisal. – After almost 30 years at Vodafone, Margherita has a strong personal affiliation and understanding of the Company’s culture and values, which help her represent the Company to all stakeholders and develop and implement the strategy. – Proven record of developing the next generation of talent, including senior leadership within Vodafone and more broadly through her founding of NXT GEN Women in Finance, an initiative where European Chief Financial Officers identify, mentor and promote rising female stars in finance. External appointments: – Reckitt Benckiser Group plc, non-executive director and member of the audit committee Luka Mucic Group Chief Financial Officer – Executive Director Tenure: <1 year Career and experience: Luka was appointed Group Chief Financial Officer and a member of the Vodafone Group Plc Board on 1 September 2023. Previously Luka was the Chief Operating Officer of SAP SE from 2014-2017 and its Chief Financial Officer from 2014 until 31 March 2023. During these roles, he was responsible for SAP’s groupwide finance, legal, data protection, procurement, audit, risk management, security, IT, and process management functions. Luka began his career at SAP in 1996 and has held a series of management positions within the global finance and administration division. He assumed responsibility for M&A projects, as well as for the global risk management function of SAP and the legal department of SAP Markets Europe. After serving as CFO of SAP’s DACH region (comprising Germany, Austria and Switzerland) from 2008 to 2012, he became Head of Global Finance and a member of SAP’s Global Managing Board in 2013. Luka also oversaw SAP’s sustainability efforts and was responsible for SAP’s Taulia and SAP Signavio business units. Skills and attributes which support strategy and long-term success: – Strong commercial and operational leadership with expert knowledge of the global finance landscape. – A background in finance, legal, audit, risk management and IT allow Luka to be a balanced and highly knowledgeable Executive Director in technical Board discussions. External appointments: – Heidelberg Materials AG, supervisory board member Stephen A. Carter CBE N T Non-Executive Director Tenure: 1 year Career and experience: Since becoming Group CEO of Informa plc in 2013, Stephen has led Informa plc through a transformation into an international leader in B2B events, digital services and academic markets. Prior to Informa, Stephen was President and Managing Director at Alcatel-Lucent, where he played a key role in restructuring the business, and investing in next-generation mobile network equipment and product development delivery. Stephen also served a term as the founding CEO of Ofcom, the UK’s telecommunication regulator, where he
Committee key A Audit and
Solid background signifies Committee Chair
E ESG Committee N Nominations and
R Remuneration Committee
T Technology Committee
Risk Committee
Governance Committee
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