Vittorio colao vodafone biography

Vittorio Amedeo Colao (born 3 October 1961) is an Italian manager who served as Minister for Technological Innovation and Digital Transition.
Vodafone's CEO may come across as a humble man, but behind his soft demeanour is a spirit made of steel, determined to reach new levels of profit.
Vittorio Colao has served as a Director of Verizon since 2019 and is the former Chief Executive of Vodafone Group Plc, a global mobile communications company.

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Ten years at the top of a telco: An interview with Vittorio Colao

Not many CEOs stay in their post for ten years, especially in a demanding and fast-changing sector like telecommunications. But Vittorio Colao did more than guide this European multinational for a decade. He transformed it into a global player with a coherent set of mobile and broadband assets. And he pulled off two of the most ambitious deals in the industry’s recent history—Vodafone’s $130 billion sale of its 45 percent stake in Verizon, in 2013, and last year’s €18.4 billion acquisition of Liberty Global’s German and Eastern European cable-TV operations. He recently sat down with McKinsey’s Guido Frisiani and Tim Dickson to reflect on the state of the industry, what he looks for in people, and some lessons from his M&A playbook.

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The Quarterly: What do you see as the main challenges facing the global telecom industry?

Vittorio Colao: I see three. The first two are self-inflicted—the lack of a genuine customer orientation, which, if you have it

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The MT Interview: Vittorio Colao of Vodafone

Sometimes when I meet people at the top of a major corporation it's not apparent why they are there. They've got no obvious strengths, not ones that make them stand out from the crowd.

Occasionally, it's all too clear: they really are place-men - 'a safe pair of hands', boring. They're neatly turned out and charming, but would I cross flaming coals barefoot for them if I were an employee? Not a chance.

Then, I come across a person who has an easy manner, is direct and funny but also serious and full of charisma, and, I suspect, has no problem at all motivating people. Such a specimen is Vittorio Colao, chief executive of Vodafone.

I don't want to big him up any further - he wouldn't be human if he didn't have some faults. But, on first appearances, there's no doubting his credentials to lead. At 49, he's tall and thin - lanky - so much so that when he sits in a chair, there's fun to be had seeing what he will do with his legs. One minute, he is leaning back and one of them is draped over the arm. Then, his legs are folded under, the

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Vittorio Colao

Italian businessman (born 1961)

Vittorio Amedeo Colao (born 3 October 1961) is an Italian manager who served as Minister for Technological Innovation and Digital Transition in the government of Prime Minister Mario Draghi from 2021 to 2022.^[1] From 2008 until 2018, he was the chief executive officer at Vodafone Group.^[2]

Early life

The son of an officer in the Carabinieri, Colao was born in Brescia.^[3] He received a business economics degree from Bocconi University and an MBA from the Harvard Business School.^[4]

Career in the private sector

Colao started his career at investment bankMorgan Stanley in London.^[5] He joined the Milan office of McKinsey & Co in 1986, where as a Partner he worked on media, telecommunications and industrial goods sectors and was responsible for office recruitment.^[6]

In 1996 Colao joined Omnitel Pronto Italia, rising to chief operating officer before its take over to become Vodafone Italy. He became regional CEO, Southern Europe in 20