Colman Deegan, the chief executive of Vodafone Spain, informed the company of his decision to resign effective March 31. Vodafone Group will maintain its consultancy services for strategic projects through the end of July, after which Deegan will depart permanently. The arrangement ensures continuity as the business transitions, preserving momentum on key initiatives while the leadership transition unfolds.
Vodafone has already begun the process of identifying a successor for its Spain business, a development reported earlier this week. The leadership change marks a pivotal moment for the telecoms operator as it seeks to sustain growth and stability in a highly competitive market. The selection process aims to bring in a leader who can further steer the local organization through a post-pandemic recovery and into a new phase of expansion.
Over the past two years, Deegan has steered Vodafone Spain through critical periods, including the tail end of the global health crisis and the ensuing economic realignment in the Spanish telecommunications sector. Under his leadership, the company pursued profitability through a robust transformation agenda that prioritized operational efficiency, streamlined processes, and an enhanced customer experience. This included adopting a modern business strategy, exploring new lines of business, and expanding market presence, all while maintaining a steady focus on service quality and reliability. The company also strengthened its relations with government and regulatory bodies to create a more favorable environment for investment and competition, supporting a healthier sector overall.
The leadership team notes that Deegan laid down structural and operational foundations essential for improving competitiveness and for making timely strategic decisions that enable growth in a rapidly shifting market landscape. His tenure is described as one of steady modernization, where technology-enabled productivity and customer-centric initiatives were put at the core of Vodafone Spain’s operations, helping the business adapt to evolving consumer needs and the regulatory backdrop.
Deegan began his Vodafone career roughly a quarter of a century ago, rising through roles that included group mergers and acquisitions director, chief financial officer at Vodafone India and Vodafone Italy, and chief executive of Vodafone Turkey, a period in which the entity saw substantial revenue growth driven by a deliberate program of business transformation and digitalization. His broad experience across multiple markets contributed to a strategic outlook that emphasized integration, scalable systems, and a clear pathway to profitability that could be mirrored across the broader Vodafone footprint.
Vodafone Spain, with the announcement dated January 12, confirmed a broader realignment within European operations as part of Vodafone Group’s simplification efforts. The company highlighted that this move would accelerate the return to growth in Spain, supported by a management team led by Serpil Timuray, the current chief executive of Vodafone Europe Cluster. Timuray has guided the European operations since October 2018 and has been a member of the Vodafone Group Executive Board since 2014, bringing a wealth of regional experience to the transitional phase and the ongoing push for efficiency and investment. AMAP (Africa, Middle East and Asia-Pacific) perspectives are also part of the broader governance framework that informs these strategic decisions, ensuring alignment with Vodafone’s global priorities while empowering local leadership to act decisively.