Liliana Solomon says farewell to Vodafone Romania

Liliana Solomon was promoted as manager of operations for Europe region, a position she will take over starting with December 1.

“I think the timing was right because Vodafone underwent a re-organization in September and I was approaching my 5 years in Romania. I liked what I was doing here but after 5 years you need a new challenge,” said Solomon.

In her new position, Solomon will be based in London and will directly report to Michel Combe, CEO Europe region, Vodafone. “My role will be a strategic and support role for the teams of the 14 markets in Europe. These markets are all in various stages of development and part of my role will be to work with the management teams in each country and to see what works and what doesn’t, based on best practices experience that the company had on other markets. Fortunately, we do not have to reinvent the wheel. The experience is there and all we have to do is tap into it,” she said.

About the 5 year term at the helm of Vodafone Romania, Solomon said: “We managed to generate a strong cash flow so the company has all the options opened. What matters most for a company is the cash flow.”

In the case of many projects, Romania was the pilot in the Vodafone group and many projects that were a first on the local market were also a world first within the group, she said.

About the way Romania was affected by the crisis, Solomon said that it was one of the two markets that were very affected by the financial crisis, the other one being Greece. “By this, I mean that prices are very low and they never pick up. You wonder whether investors will continue to be interested in such a market,” she said.

In the next five years however, Solomon said that undoubtedly Romania will return on growth. She also said that the worst of the financial crisis has passed, but 2011 may still turn out to be challenging.

Solomon will be replaced by Inaki Berroeta, who will take the helm of the local branch after several years spent as CEO of Vodafone Malta. “My message to Inaki: “this is a market where he will not get bored for a moment,” concluded Solomon.

Otilia Haraga