Hannes Ametsreiter will become the new chief executive of Vodafone Germany later this year, the mobile operator announced on Friday.
Ametsreiter currently serves as CEO of Telekom Austria, but announced his decision to step down on Monday, a move that appeared to take the Austrian telco by surprise.
Pending the approval of Vodafone’s board, Ametsreiter will take up his new position on 1 October. He replaces Jens Schulte-Bockum, who tendered his resignation last month.
Ametsreiter is a logical choice for Vodafone Germany, which is seeking to establish itself as a multi-service provider in a market that is moving increasingly towards bundled offerings. The mobile operator acquired cableco Kabel Deutschland in 2013 to give it a leg up in the fixed broadband and TV market.
Telekom Austria has made strides in the same direction in recent years, merging its domestic retail fixed and mobile businesses to create A1, and adding fixed assets to the mobile operations elsewhere in its group footprint. Most recently it acquired broadband and IPTV provider Amis, enabling it to add a fixed business in Slovenia. As a result, the telco is able to offer bundled services in six of its eight markets.
As well as being chief executive of Telekom Austria group, Ametsreiter also serves as CEO of the A1 Austrian business, giving him valuable experience to share with Vodafone.
Vodafone on Friday emerged as the biggest spender in Germany’s mobile spectrum auction; it accounted for €2.1 billion of the €5.1 billion raised.
