Vodafone revealed that the new CEO to replace Paul Donovan, who is embarking upon a new European role within the mobile giant, will be Teresa Elder. She will bring her experience working with US mobile giants AT&T and AirTouch Cellular to bear in the Irish marketplace.
Donovan, who occupied the role for the past three years, is moving to a new role as CEO of Vodafone’s other EMEA region, with responsibility for at least 10 regional markets that include Albania, Egypt, Greece, Hungary, Ireland, Malta, Netherlands, Portugal, Spain and Sweden.
Elder has a track record in leading large scale operations in highly competitive markets. Having held senior executive positions with AT&T Broadband and Media One in the cable industry in the US, she also held a senior general management position with AirTouch Cellular prior to the AirTouch/Vodafone merger in 1999.
For the past two years, Elder has worked on a voluntary basis for the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation and was honoured with their National Volunteer Award in 2003. A recipient in 2000 of the Lifetime Achievement Award, Women in Cable and Telecommunications of Southern California, Elder holds a B.S in Business Administration from Creighton University, Omaha, Nebraska and an M.S in Management from Stanford University.
Commenting on the challenges she faces in her new role in Ireland, Elder said that the Irish have embraced mobility in a manner that leads the world.
She continued: “The marketplace is cutting-edge, pushing operators to innovate and deliver solutions to customers increasingly sophisticated needs. The launch of third-generation services is a major milestone in the future of mobile in Ireland, and I am delighted to be joining Vodafone Ireland at such a chapter in its history. I am greatly looking forward to the tasks ahead.”
By John Kennedy