Vodafone’s EMAPA region changed about

There must be a lot of fun at Vodafone’s Newbury headquarters with the phrase, ‘EMAPA’. We have a lot of Vodafone readers here so I thought it was right and proper that we addressed the news from Big Red this morning. There’s changes afoot. Big chaps are being moved about. Offices are set to be redecorated.

However before we get into that, I have to make a comment about EMAPA. Whilst everyone else on the planet is organised into various regions that correspond with the rather cool sounding, ‘EMEA’ (Europe, Middle East and Africa’), Vodafone seems to use the ‘EMAPA’ term — if their recent press announcement is anything to go by. Europe, M…Middle East? Africa? Pacific? Or is that Europe, Middle East (silent E), Africa and PAcific?

Anyway.

The key players today are:
– Guy Laurence
– Nick Read
– Morten Lundal

Guy Laurence goes first because I heard his name bandied about in good terms when my father worked at Vizzavi. It could have been a contender, Vizzavi. It really could.

Guy was heading up Vodafone NL — he now returns to head up Vodafone UK.

The game of chair swapping continues. Nick Read was Mr Voda UK. He is now looking after the EMAPA region. Asia-Pacific, Middle East, which also includes Australia, China, Egypt, Fiji (that, er, a big market, that one?), India, New Zealand and Qatar.

Morten Lundal is ‘currently CEO Middle East & Africa in EMAPA’ — he is now CEO of Central Europe and Africa. That’s Czech Republic, Ghana, Hungary, Kenya, Poland, Romania, Turkey and Vodacom South Africa.

Nick and Morten report to Mr Coca Colao himself, the CEO of Vodafone Group.

Guy is reporting to Michael Combes, CEO of the Europe Region.

And there we go. Chair swapping reported. Congratulations all!