Vodafone UK revealed CEO Nick Jeffery (pictured) is to leave the role in mid-February 2021 to take up a new position outside of the company, ending almost five years at the helm.

In a statement, Vodafone said Jeffery would be replaced by current group Chief Commercial Operations and Strategy Officer Ahmed Essam, who will assume the position on 1 February 2021, a fortnight before his predecessor leaves.

Jeffery first joined Vodafone in 2004, serving as CEO of Group Enterprise from 2006 until 2012.

He was then appointed CEO of the company’s UK unit in September 2016.

Shake-up
Essam has held his current role since 2018.

He joined Vodafone in 1999 and occupied several roles across the company, including CEO of its Europe cluster, Egypt chief, and commercial director for Vodafone’s Africa, Middle East and Asia-Pacific region.

Essam’s vacant role will be filled by Alex Froment-Curtil, who will also join the Vodafone Group Executive Committee.

Froment-Curtil joined Vodafone in 2003, serving as CEO in Vodafone Hungary, Egypt and Turkey.

Vodafone Group chief Nick Read thanked Jeffery for his years at the company “and in particular for the achievement in recent years of strengthening Vodafone’s UK’s position”.