84 Vodafone Group Plc Annual Report 2026
Strategic report
Governance
Financials
Other information
Board activities and key areas of focus during the year
Board activities during the year focused on overseeing the execution of Vodafone’s strategic transformation, including progress on portfolio simplification, operational performance, and actions to position the Group for sustainable growth.
improved service delivery for local markets and enterprise customers, including the role it played in securing recent commercial wins. The Board also reviewed opportunities to enhance customer experience through standardisation, automation and strengthened partnerships, and emphasised the importance of maintaining service quality, cost discipline and clear accountability as VOIS continues to support the Group’s customer led strategy. Satellites The Board received an update on Vodafone’s satellite connectivity strategy, which aims to enhance customer experience by extending coverage to rural and hard to reach communities. The Board discussed how satellite services complement terrestrial networks, improve service resilience and support digital inclusion. The Board also considered the broader industry landscape and noted the growing importance of satellite enabled mobile services in improving digital inclusion across Europe and Africa. The Board recognised the strategic opportunity satellite connectivity presents in ensuring customers stay connected wherever they live, work or travel. markets. Directors received regular updates on stakeholder expectations, reputation, regulatory developments and the broader external environment, ensuring discussions reflected the perspectives of customers, employees, shareholders, governments and society.
strengthening Vodafone’s ability to deliver reliable, high quality connectivity for UK customers. Vodafone Egypt During the January 2026 Board and Committee meetings in Egypt, Directors gained first hand insight into customer experience across the region and the role Egypt plays in supporting Vodafone’s customer focused priorities. Directors reviewed the competitive dynamics in Egypt and the broader Vodacom footprint, including opportunities to enhance network quality, digital adoption and service differentiation. The Board also visited the Vodafone Intelligent Services (‘VOIS’) Cairo hub, meeting frontline teams who support customer operations for several European markets, including Germany. This provided direct visibility of how VOIS’ scale, talent and service capabilities contribute to improved customer journeys and operational resilience across the Group. Directors noted the strong service culture within the hub and the importance of VOIS in enabling consistent, high quality customer support in multiple markets. VOIS The Board considered how VOIS supports Vodafone’s customer focused priorities, reviewing the quality, resilience and efficiency of the services it provides across technology, customer care, networks and key corporate functions. The Board discussed the contribution of VOIS’ capabilities to The Board remained committed to ensuring that the Group’s mission underpinned decision making throughout the year. This was reflected in the Board’s focus on customer experience, network resilience, digital inclusion, and the Group’s role in supporting national infrastructure across its
The Board engaged closely with management as the business advanced digital transformation, progressed major portfolio transactions and delivered key integration milestones in core markets.
During the year, the Board continued to lead Vodafone through the next phase of its strategic reset, providing clear direction as the Group sharpened its focus on customers, simplified its operating model and pursued disciplined growth.
in the turnaround plan, with evidence of stronger operational discipline and early commercial recovery during the year. Completion of the Vodafone-Three UK Merger Following the formal completion of the Vodafone Three UK merger, the Board maintained close oversight of integration activities throughout FY26. Directors received regular updates on integration readiness across network, technology, commercial and customer operations, including plans for Legal Day 1, Customer Day 1, brand strategy and customer migration sequencing to ensure continuity of service and protect customer experience. The Board also reviewed the regulatory undertakings associated with the merger, including the commitments agreed during the Competition and Markets Authority’s approval process, and monitored progress in meeting network investment and service quality obligations. Directors emphasised the importance of sustaining commercial momentum during the transition, particularly in B2B, and ensuring that the combined business remained focused on maintaining high service standards while progressing synergy delivery and operating model alignment. The merger represents a significant strategic milestone, creating an enhanced national network with long-term investment certainty and
Customers The Board continued to prioritise customer impact in its decision-making, ensuring that implications of major decisions for our customers were fully considered. The Executive Committee and senior leaders regularly provide the Board with information on the evolving needs of our customers. Germany turnaround The Board maintained close oversight of the Germany turnaround programme, a key priority for FY26. Directors monitored progress against the seven point plan covering commercial momentum, brand revitalisation, customer experience and network reliability. A dedicated two day visit to Germany in September enabled Directors to meet the management team, review operational execution and gain deeper insight into customer pain points and competitive dynamics. The Board also reviewed churn performance, NPS progress and the rollout of the Ask Once AI enabled service proposition, noting early improvements in customer journeys and digital service consistency. Directors assessed broader macroeconomic and regulatory developments, including competitive pricing pressure, fixed deregulation proposals and high risk vendor considerations. The Board remains confident
Powered by FlippingBook