Nick Read
{{short description|British businessman (born 1964)}}
{{About|the British businessman born in 1964|the British businessman born in 1966|Nick Read (Post Office CEO)|other people with similar names|Nicholas Read (disambiguation)}}
{{Use British English|date=January 2024}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=April 2022}}
{{Infobox person
| name = Nick Read
| image = Nick Read - 2020 (cropped).jpg
| caption = Nick Read in 2020
| birth_name = Nicholas Jonathan Read
| birth_date = {{Birth date and age|1964|09|29|df=y}}
| birth_place =
| death_place =
| death_cause =
| nationality = British
| education = Manchester Metropolitan University
| occupation = Businessman
| known for =
| title = CEO, Vodafone
| term = October 2018 – December 2022
| predecessor = Vittorio Colao
| successor = Margherita Della Valle
| boards =
| spouse =
| children =
| parents =
| relatives =
| website =
}}
Nicholas Jonathan Read (born 29 September 1964){{Cite web |last=Armitage |first=Jim |date=14 November 2021 |title=Vodafone's Nick Read: Telcos must team up to thrive |url=https://www.thetimes.com/business-money/companies/article/vodafone-boss-nick-read-stop-investors-hanging-up-stock-market-37lp0qxsz |work=The Sunday Times |url-access=subscription}} is a British businessman who was the CEO of Vodafone Group plc from October 2018 to December 2022. Read currently works as a senior advisor for Global Infrastructure Partners (GIP) and is chairman of EXA Infrastructure. He is also a non-executive director for Booking.com.
Education
Read attended Manchester Metropolitan University,{{cite web |title=Bloomberg profile: Nicholas Jonathan Read |url=https://www.bloomberg.com/research/stocks/people/person.asp?personId=8975579&privcapId=324490 |website=Bloomberg LP |accessdate=21 July 2018}} where he earned a BA (Hons) degree in Accounting and Finance in 1986.{{cite web |title=Vodafone Group PLC Board Announces Group Chief Executive Succession |url=https://www.vodafone.com/news/corporate-and-financial/group-chief-executive-succession |publisher=Vodafone |date=May 15, 2018}} He is a Fellow Chartered Management Accountant and a Chartered Global Management Accountant (CGMA).
In 2022, Read was the recipient of an Honorary Doctor of Business Administration degree from Manchester Metropolitan University.{{cite web |title=University awards honorary degrees to inspirational business leaders |url=https://www.mmu.ac.uk/news-and-events/news/story/index.php?id=15283 |publisher=Manchester Metropolitan University |date=2022-07-28}}
Career
Read worked for Federal Express Corporation in the UK, Belgium and the United States. He also worked at United Business Media, performing divisional CFO roles in both companies.{{Cite web|date=2018-05-15|title=Nick Read to succeed Vittorio Colao as Vodafone Group CEO|url=https://www.financialexpress.com/industry/nick-read-to-succeed-vittorio-colao-as-vodafone-group-ceo/1168441/|access-date=2020-08-07|website=The Financial Express|language=en-US}}
While Read was serving as CFO for Vizzavi in 2001, Vodafone bought out its joint venture partner, Vivendi Universal, and subsequently merged Vizzavi's operations with Vodafone.{{cite news |last1=Gibson |first1=Owen |title=Vodafone pulls plug on Vizzavi brand |url=https://www.theguardian.com/media/2002/aug/30/newmedia.citynews |work=The Guardian|date=30 August 2002 }} Read became the CFO for Vodafone's UK business in 2002 and then CCO in 2003.{{cite web |last1=Fildes |first1=Nic |title=Business big shot: Nick Read of Vodafone |url=https://www.thetimes.com/world/us-world/article/business-big-shot-nick-read-of-vodafone-thfwlrq2xpv |work=The Times |date=2013-10-04}} On 1 May 2006, he became the CEO of Vodafone UK.
In 2008, Read became the Group's Chief Executive for the Africa, Middle East and Asia region. In this role he became a board member of numerous Vodafone subsidiaries, joint ventures and minority positions. They included China Mobile, Vodacom Group, Safaricom plc, Vodafone Egypt, Vodafone Qatar, Indus Towers, Vodafone India, Vodafone Hutchinson Australia, and VodafoneZiggo.{{cite web |title=Nick Read to succeed Vittorio Colao as Vodafone Group CEO |url=https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/business/india-business/nick-read-to-succeed-vittorio-colao-as-vodafone-group-ceo/articleshow/64172559.cms?from=mdr |publisher=Times of India |date=2018-05-15}}
In 2014, Read became the CFO of Vodafone Group plc and joined the company's main board. He was appointed Group CEO four years later in October 2018. In his role as CEO, he became a United Nations Broadband Commissioner and HeForShe alliance champion.{{Cite news|url=https://www.bbc.com/news/business-44121061|title=Vodafone boss Vittorio Colao to step down|date=15 May 2018 |publisher=BBC News|language=en|access-date=2018-05-16}}{{cite news|last1=Sandle|first1=Paul|last2=Holton|first2=Kate|date=2018-05-15|title=UPDATE 2-Vodafone's Vittorio Colao to step down in October, Nick Read to step up|work=CNBC|url=https://www.cnbc.com/2018/05/15/reuters-america-update-2-vodafones-vittorio-colao-to-step-down-in-october-nick-read-to-step-up.html}} Read also joined the board of Booking Holdings Inc as a non-executive director in 2018 and member of the audit committee.{{cite web |title=Nicholas J. Read - Director |url=https://ir.bookingholdings.com/governance/board-of-directors/person-details/default.aspx?ItemId=131fa24d-8925-404a-808d-5f48bad1f914 |publisher=Booking Holdings}} In December 2022, it was announced that Read would be stepping down as Group CEO of Vodafone; he remained as an advisor to Vodafone's board until 31 March 2023.{{cite web |last1=Williams |first1=Holly |title=Vodafone boss Nick Read to step down at end of year |url=https://www.independent.co.uk/business/vodafone-boss-nick-read-to-step-down-at-end-of-year-b2238864.html |work=The Independent |date=2022-12-05}} Read joined the supervisory board at Manchester Metropolitan University in April 2023.{{cite web |title=Nick Read profile |url=https://www.mmu.ac.uk/individual-profile/nick-read |publisher=Manchester Metropolitan University}}
Since Vodafone, Read has focused on global digital infrastructure investments and in June 2023, was appointed chairman of EXA Infrastructure.{{cite web |last1=Ralph |first1=Alex |title=Ex-Vodafone boss Nick Read picked up £4m before exit |url=https://www.thetimes.com/business-money/companies/article/ex-vodafone-boss-nick-read-picked-up-4m-before-exit-cd7f0nwmd |work=The Times |date=June 23, 2023}} EXA has a fibre network spanning EMEA, across the Atlantic, and on the east coast of the United States, providing connectivity to hyperscalers, telecom operators, governments and large enterprises.{{cite web |last1=Baldock |first1=Harry |title=Former Vodafone CEO Nick Read finds new home at EXA Infrastructure |url=https://totaltele.com/former-vodafone-ceo-nick-read-finds-new-home-at-exa-infrastructure/ |publisher=Total Telecom |date=June 21, 2023}} In September 2023, Read was appointed as a senior advisor to Global Infrastructure Partners, a leading infrastructure fund with $100 billion under management.{{cite web |last1=Nair |first1=Dinesh |title=GIP Targets $25 Billion for Record Infrastructure Fund |url=https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2022-02-08/gip-said-to-target-25-billion-for-world-s-biggest-infra-fund?leadSource=uverify%20wall |publisher=Bloomberg |date=February 8, 2022}} He continues to serve as non-executive director at Booking.com.
References
{{Reflist}}
{{Vodafone}}
{{Authority control}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Read, Nick}}
Category:Alumni of Manchester Metropolitan University
Category:British technology chief executives
Category:British telecommunications industry businesspeople