CEO of the Week: Vodafone Group’s Margherita Della Valle

Vodafone Group Plc, also known as Vodafone, is a provider of telecom services. The business provides data, messaging, and voice services via both fixed and mobile networks.

The business also provides Internet of Things (IoT), cloud and hosting, carrier, unified communications, payment, and cybersecurity services. The company sells hosting equipment, gigaboxes, broadband devices, televisions, and cell phones.

Vodafone provides services to a wide range of industries, including manufacturing, consumer electronics, smart cities, healthcare, public services, banking and financial services, retail, utilities, transportation, and logistics. Operations are conducted through subsidiaries, joint ventures, investment firms and affiliates.

The business has operations in the Middle East, Asia Pacific, Africa, America, and Europe. The headquarters of Vodafone are located in Newbury, Berkshire, UK.

In 2023, Margherita Della Valle was appointed as CEO of the company after being five months as interim boss.

Who is Margherita Della Valle?

1. Margherita Della Valle is a 58-year-old Italian businesswoman, who was born and brought up in Italy’s Veneto city
2. She completed her graduation in 1988 in Economic and Social Disciplines and a master’s degree in economics from Bocconi University
3. During her early career, Della Valle became part of Omnitel Pronto Italia, where she performed various roles, from marketing to customer management and finance, later the company transitioned to Vodafone Italy in 1994
4. Della Valle served as Chief Financial Officer for Vodafone Italia from 2004 to 2007, later she became Deputy Chief Financial Officer of the Vodafone Group from 2015 to 2018
5. She served as Chief Financial Officer of the Vodafone Group in 2018
6. Della Valle is one of 15 female CFOs in FTSE 100 companies, according to The Female FTSE Board Report 2021
7. She has also been elected as Chairman of 100 Group, the association that brings together FTSE 100 CFOs
8. She has been awarded as the 2022 Alumna of the Year by the Bocconi Alumni Community
9. In 2023, Della Valle became the first female Chief Executive Officer of the Vodafone Group
10. According to Forbes, she has a base salary of £1,250,000 per year