Vodafone Deutschland has appointed Fabrizio Giuseppe Rocchio as its new Managing Director & Network Director, succeeding long-standing technology chief Tanja Richter, who will leave the company on 1 February 2026 after more than 30 years.
Richter, who has held a wide range of positions within Vodafone, has served as Managing Director Technology since 2022, overseeing the operator’s fixed and mobile networks. Under her leadership, Vodafone expanded what it calls Germany’s largest gigabit network, strengthened network resilience, and significantly improved stability. These advances helped the company regain top positions in several national network tests.
She also championed the introduction of Open RAN in Vodafone’s German mobile network. Recent results from four major independent tests show the operator’s mobile performance continued to improve in recent months – even with the addition of 11 million 1&1 customers on Vodafone’s infrastructure.
Before taking the top technology role in Germany, Richter served as CTO of Vodafone Czech Republic and as Consumer Products & Services Director within Vodafone Group Technology. She has also been recognised for her commitment to diversity and for promoting women in technical careers.
Rocchio will step into the role on 1 February 2026. With more than 25 years of industry experience, he has spent much of his career at Vodafone. Since April 2021, he has been Network Development Director, driving innovation in infrastructure and service operations. From 2014 to 2021, he served as CTIO at Vodafone Italy, overseeing the company’s network and IT strategy.
Prior to joining Vodafone, Rocchio held roles at Belgacom, Foster Wheeler and One Austria. He holds an engineering degree from Politecnico di Milano and a Master of Science in telecommunications from the University of Colorado Boulder.
“Tanja Richter has helped write three decades of Vodafone’s technology story. She and her team have brought our networks into top form – underground and over the air – tested and verified by numerous experts. I thank her sincerely and wish her all the best for the future,” said Marcel de Groot, CEO of Vodafone Deutschland.
“With Fabrizio Rocchio, we gain an experienced international leader who has already delivered numerous successful transformations. I look forward to working with him and his team to further advance Vodafone’s networks. For our customers and our growth plans in Germany, the country’s largest gigabit network remains top priority,” de Groot added.
