Vodafone on Thursday announced that chief technology officer Steve Pusey is retiring and will leave the company on 31 July 2015.
The U.K.-based telco giant has already named a successor in the form of Johan Wibergh, who currently serves as head of Ericsson’s network business.
"Vodafone is a great company and it has been a great privilege to share in its journey over the last eight years. I have worked with the best people in the industry and have made friendships that will last a lifetime," Pusey said, in a statement.
Pusey was appointed Vodafone’s CTO in September 2006. Prior to that he held the role of president of Nortel’s EMEA division. During his tenure he led the expansion of Vodafone’s 3G services, the launch of 4G networks in 15 markets, and the development of the company’s IT, procurement, and cyber security operations.
More recently, Pusey led Project Spring – Vodafone’s two-year, £19 billion network investment programme funded in part by the sale of its 45% stake in Verizon Wireless.
"Steve has been an outstanding colleague who has made an immense contribution to Vodafone, and I would like to thank him for his wisdom, focus and commitment. He will leave as his legacy a business strongly placed for success as a result of his efforts, including most recently his leadership of Project Spring which is well on track an d already delivering significant benefits for our customers," said Vodafone CEO Vittorio Colao.
Vodafone’s incoming CTO, Johan Wibergh, will join in May to allow for a transition period ahead of Pusey’s retirement.
Wibergh joined Ericsson in 1996 and has held various roles. He has served as executive vice president and head of networks since July 2008. During his time there, he has overseen the division’s strategy, R&D effort, product management, and sales. The unit employs 27,000 staff worldwide and generated revenues of €13 billion in 2013.
"Under Johan’s leadership we have consolidated our market leadership in mobile networks and taken important steps to drive company transformation in IP, cloud and the evolution towards 5G. I am proud to see that he now takes on another senior position in the industry," said a statement from Ericsson CEO Hans Vestberg.
Wibergh will step down from his role immediately, but will formally leave Ericsson on 30 April. His responsibilities will transfer to Vestberg.
Once Wibergh joins Vodafone, he will report to Colao.
"His background and skills are strongly complementary as we continue our transition to a global data company and I look forward to working with him closely," Colao said.
"I will leave the Vodafone technology community in excellent hands and wish Johan every success," added Pusey.
