Vodafone Germany announced Hannes Ametsreiter (pictured, right) would step down as CEO on 30 June and be replaced by Philippe Rogge, a Microsoft executive.

The operator stated Ametsreiter was leaving to pursue new career opportunities after almost seven years with the company, during which Vodafone Germany claims to have launched the first commercial 5G network the country and integrated Unitymedia.

Rogge will also take Ametsreiter’s position as a member of Vodafone Germany’s group executive committee.

The incoming CEO has spent more than a decade with Microsoft, most recently as president of Central and Eastern Europe.

Vodafone Group CEO Nick Read stated Rogge had a proven track record of commercial, operational and financial success at Microsoft.

The company’s German unit launched a standalone 5G network in 2021, a move it claimed as a first in the region.