Vittorio Colao

Infobox Person
name = Vittorio Colao

---

image_size = 150px
caption = Italian businessman
birth_date = birth year and age|1961|mf=y
birth_place = Brescia
residence = United Kingdom
nationality = Italian
known_for = Omnitel Pronto Italia COO
RCS MediaGroup CEO
Vodafone Deputy-CEO
education = Bocconi University
Harvard University
networth =
spouse = Married 1992
children = 2
website = [http://www.vodafone.com/start/about_vodafone/who_we_are/meet_the_board/vittorio_colao.html Bio at Vodafone]
footnotes =

Vittorio Colao (born 1961 in Brescia), is an Italian businessman, the current Chief Executive Designate of Vodafone Group.

The son of an officer in the Carabinieri, Colao was born in 1961 in Brescia.citeweb|url=http://www.guardian.co.uk/business/2008/may/27/vodafonegroup.mobilephones|title=Vittorio Colao: from Brescia to the top of Vodafone|author=Wearden, Graeme|publisher=The Guardian|date=2008-05-27|accessdate=2008-05-27] After studying business at Bocconi University and holding an MBA with Honours from Harvard Business School, he spent time in London at investment bankers Morgan Stanley.citeweb|url=http://business.timesonline.co.uk/tol/business/industry_sectors/telecoms/article4011893.ece|title=Who is Colao?|author=Lindsay, Robert|publisher=The Times|date=2008-05-27|accessdate=2008-05-27] Colao joined the Milan office of McKinsey & Co in 1986, where as a Partner he worked on media, telecommunications and industrial goods sectors and was responsible for office recruitment.

In 1996 he joined Omnitel Pronto Italia, rising to Chief Operating Officer before its take over to become Vodafone Italy. He became Regional CEO, Southern Europe in 2001 and joined the main board of Vodafone Group Plc's in 2002. After missing out on the CEO's job, taken by his friend Arun Sarin, and having a purchase of a Bulgarian mobile company blocked, Colao left Vodafone for Italian publishing company RCS MediaGroup, where he became CEO in July 2004.citeweb|url=https://alumni.mckinsey.com/alumni/default/public/content/jsp/alumni_news/20040623_Vittorio_Colao.jsp|title=Vittorio Colao (86-96 MIL) New CEO of RCS MediaGroup|publisher=McKinsey & Co|date=2004-06-23|accessdate=2008-05-27]

After shareholder criticism of the publishing group's strategy and governance, he resigned from RCS MediaGroup following the company's board meeting of September 12, [citeweb|url=http://www.forbes.com/business/feeds/afx/2006/07/21/afx2894859.html|title=RCS CEO resigns after shareholder criticisms|publisher=Forbes/AFX News|date=2006-07-21|accessdate=2008-05-27] rejoining Vodafone on October 9, 2006 as CEO Europe and succeeding Sir Julian Horn-Smith as Deputy-CEO. [citeweb|url=http://www.cellular-news.com/story/19148.php|title=Vodafone Names Vittorio Colao European Region Ceo|publisher=Dow Jones|date=2006-09-06|accessdate=2008-05-27]

Commenting to the Italian press in 2007 that he had no interest in taking the CEO's job at Telecom Italia, [citeweb|url=http://www.telegraph.co.uk/money/main.jhtml?xml=/money/2008/05/27/ccsarin327.xml|title=Vittorio Colao fends off Vodafone competition|author=Blackden, Richard|publisher=The Telegraph|date=2008-05-27|accessdate=2008-05-27] Colao will succeed Vodafone CEO Arun Sarin from July 29, 2008.citeweb|url=http://www.vodafone.com/start/media_relations/news/group_press_releases/2007/vodafone_announces6.html|title=Vodafone Announces New Chief Executive|publisher=Vodafone|date=2008-05-27|accessdate=2008-05-27]

Married in 1992, his wife and two children reside with him in the United Kingdom. Colao is a reserve officer in the Carabinieri.

References

External links

* [http://www.vodafone.com/start/about_vodafone/who_we_are/meet_the_board/vittorio_colao.html Bio at Vodafone Group]
* [http://www.forbes.com/finance/mktguideapps/personinfo/FromPersonIdPersonTearsheet.jhtml?passedPersonId=1119026 Bio at Forbes.com]