Nick Read

Read’s leadership, vision, and personal commitment to supporting the global community has enabled Vodafone to help society, governments, businesses, and customers when they are most in need. This was evidenced by Vodafone’s unique five-point plan released at the beginning of the pandemic, as well as through the support given to those affected by the war in Ukraine. Local markets where Vodafone operates drive foundation activities, supporting vulnerable customers through social tariffs for connectivity, and helping people live independently, such as with Mencap in the United Kingdom.

He embodied Vodafone’s approach of “Together We Can” and built partnerships and collaborations to create greater impact. This ethos was clear in his role as co-chair of the United Nations Broadband Commission Working Group on Smartphone Access. Vodafone led the mission for this groundbreaking work to address the digital divide in which more than 2.7 billion people could not or did not access the internet, even when it was available, and were at risk of losing out on access to jobs, education, healthcare, financial services, and more. The working group’s report offered a concrete action plan to address affordability and accessibility for universal smart phone access.

Read’s education provided the foundation for a diverse, interesting, and progressively successful career in business, most recently as the former CEO of Vodafone. Beyond providing him with business fundamentals, his alma mater, Manchester Metropolitan University stimulated Read’s curiosity to ask the bigger question, “What if?”. This motivated him to pioneer new ideas and lead in the exploration of solutions that would support society, drive innovation, and in turn create value.

One such example is his work with M-PESA. In his former role as head of Vodafone’s Africa, the Middle East, and Asia Pacific (AMAP) region, Read drove the use and expansion of M-PESA, Vodafone’s fintech platform in Africa that enables 50 million customers across seven countries to benefit from access to mobile financial services. Approximately 17.6 million of these customers did not have a bank account before getting M-PESA. In 2016, the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) published the results of a six-year study it conducted on M-PESA which showed that 194,000 households, or 2 percent of Kenyan households, lifted themselves out of extreme poverty using M-PESA. In addition, an estimated 185,000 women moved from farming to business occupations as the availability of mobile money services increased in their area.

In addition to its work on M-PESA, under Read’s leadership, Vodafone powered its European network entirely with renewable energy since July of 2021 and encouraged a circular economy movement with its customers through the recycling and reuse of mobile phones.

Read believes that leaders must develop talent, create a strong legacy, and ensure diverse and inclusive teams. He has actively nurtured such progression throughout his career, served as a HeForShe Champion for Gender Equality and supported Vodafone’s pioneering family leave policies and support for employees who are victims of domestic violence. Read also led Vodafone’s launch of the Change The Face Alliance in March 2020. The alliance is a multicompany movement that includes some of the biggest companies in technology, such as Ericsson, Nokia, IBM, and UN Women, coming together to take action to increase much-needed diversity and equality in the technology sector.

Beyond ensuring pathways and career progression for the employees of Vodafone worldwide, Read is committed to inspiring and supporting young people in education, particularly those from less privileged backgrounds. Read recently returned to his alma mater, Manchester Metropolitan University, to deliver guest lectures and meet some of the university’s scholarship students. He has also hosted some of the university’s First Generation Scholarship Programme students at Vodafone’s London offices. The First Generation Scholarship Programme provides additional support and guidance to students who are the first in their families to progress to higher education. The students who visited Vodafone received insight into corporate life at Vodafone and were given the opportunity to develop their professional networks.

Read encourages future leaders to dream big, innovate, and create their own paths to achieve their true potential and make the world a better place.