By Lilly Vitorovich
LONDON--Vodafone Group PLC (VOD.LN) said Friday that its former
chief executive in Europe, Michel Combes, will stay on with the
mobile operator a few more months to help with its management
transition in Europe.
Mr. Combes was set to leave Vodafone on July 31 after resigning
in May to take the top job at French telecom and media company
Vivendi SA's (VIV.FR) mobile unit SFR. But he is no longer heading
to SFR after Vivendi announced Thursday that its CEO Jean-Bernard
Levy is leaving.
Vodafone Thursday appointed two CEOs to oversee Europe, its
biggest market by revenue.
Mr. Combes will initially help Vodafone's CEO for Italy, Paolo
Bertoluzzo, who has been given additional responsibility as CEO of
its Southern Europe operations. Mr. Bertoluzzo's new position is
effective from Aug. 1.
Mr. Combes will than run Vodafone's Northern & Central
Europe business, which consists of Germany, the U.K., the
Netherlands, Turkey, Ireland, Hungary, the Czech Republic and
Romania. He will hand over the reins to T-Mobile USA's former CEO
Philipp Humm on Oct. 1.
Write to Lilly Vitorovich at lilly.vitorovich@dowjones.com;
Twitter: @LillyVitorovich