The First 100 Days as Executive Board Member at VodafoneZiggo

Did it take some getting used to, a line position?
‘It helps that I have extensive experience with consulting in the telecom sector as well as on strategy. Much of what I learned as a consultant now comes in handy on a daily basis. At the same time, I work with completely different people and lead times are much longer. That took some getting used to, but I now have a much better understanding of how large organizations implement plans and what can be complex about it. Also new, but incredibly fun, is that as a member of the Executive team, I am not only involved in my own area, but in everything happening within the organization.’

You joined VodafoneZiggo in October 2021 as Board member for digital transformation. Since last September, the strategy and insights departments have been added. How did that ‘double’ onboarding go?
‘I was in some measure able to align with existing initiatives of the leadership team. The frequent coffee chats everywhere helped. In addition, I regularly visited locations and departments to understand what was going on. In retrospect, it was very good that I was able to first focus solely on digital transformation for several months. The subject reaches into the capillaries of the organization, so it is important to have in-depth discussions on it both internally and with the shareholders. Since the expansion, I have more responsibilities and a different time schedule. Those first months were simultaneously good preparation for that, even if only because our strategy is also strongly focused on our digital transformation.’

What do you want to achieve in terms of digital transformation?
‘On the one hand, it involves things like further developing digital skills and being more agile, which is necessary in a rapidly changing market. On the other hand, on the technical side, we need to make the right choices so that what we develop can actually be an engine for digital transformation. In doing so, we especially want to look at how other sectors are leveraging technology in their digital services. In the telecom sector, we can still learn a lot when it comes to digital services and experiences.’

And how will VodafoneZiggo develop on the entertainment side?
‘We do not want to set up our own Netflix, but we would want to open up the hugely fragmented world of content - streaming, linear, live entertainment, et cetera - for our customers in an accessible way through ordering, personalization and recommendations. Getting access and making choices should become easier and more affordable.’

This short interview was published in Management Scope 04 2023, as part of the regular 'Coming & Going' section.