Vodafone Group announced its Spain CEO Antonio Coimbra would step down from the role on 1 November, to be replaced by its current chief in Turkey, Colman Deegan.

Coimbra has been with the company for 28 years and served as CEO of its Spanish division for eight. In a statement, Vodafone said he would now become non-executive chairman of the unit.

Deegan also has a long career at Vodafone, joining in 1998 and notably holding senior roles in group finance, merger and acquisitions, and CFO roles in Vodafone India and Vodafone Italy, before taking on the top job in Turkey in 2016.

A successor to Deegan in Turkey is yet to be named.

Interestingly, Vodafone Spain has appointed a specialist in finance and M&A in Deegan, just days after it was rumoured to have begun talks over an acquisition of smaller rival Masmovil.

Such a move would make Vodafone the biggest operator in the country, jumping ahead of Orange and Telefonica.

With the move, Deegan also joins Vodafone Group’s executive committee.