Vodafone shakes up management ahead of Liberty Global joint venture

Vodafone's Jeroen Hoencamp has been appointed chief executive and Liberty's Ritchy Drost as chief financial officer of the proposed joint venture of Vodafone Netherlands and Liberty's Ziggo.

The merger, which was announced in February, remains subject to approval by relevant competition authorities.

Hoencamp, a former officer in the Royal Dutch Marine Corp who has been chief executive of Vodafone UK since September 2013 after a stint at the top of the Ireland business, will become CEO of Vodafone Netherlands on 1 September.

Vodafone's enterprise chief Nick Jeffery has been promoted to succeed the Dutchman as CEO of Vodafone UK.

Vodafone and Liberty bosses Vittorio Colao and Mike Fries said in a joint statement: “We are delighted they will be shaping our companies' shared mission to create a strong and competitive integrated communications provider serving consumers, businesses and public sector customers in the Dutch market."

Vodafone Netherlands CFO Carmen Velthuis will also remain in her current position until the merger has completed.

Vodafone Egypt CEO Ahmed Essam was appointed as chief executive overseeing other European markets including Albania, Czech Republic, Greece, Ireland, Hungary, Malta, Portugal and Romania as well as Vodafone's interest in the proposed Netherlands joint venture, at group executive-level.

He will be succeeded as Vodafone Egypt CEO by Stefano Gestaut, who was previously CEO of Vodafone's partner markets business.

Shares in Vodafone were down 0.69% to 224.15p at 1058 BST.