‘Auf Geht's’: Michael Bird Joins as Vodafone Germany CFO

Vodafone Germany sees the appointment of Michael Bird as its new CFO. 

Michael Bird, CFO at Vodafone Germany, shares his enthusiasm for the new role on LinkedIn: “Excited for my first day as CFO of Vodafone Germany!”

His appointment commenced on 1 September 2026. Michael moves from his position as CFO of Vodafone Investments, which he was present at for just over two years. 

A seasoned professional in M&A 

Michael first joined the firm in 2015 as its Executive, Group Mergers and Acquisitions.

During his time at Vodafone Investments, Michael was involved in the formation of VodafoneThree. 

VodafoneThree is the result of the merger of Vodafone UK and Three UK. Group CEO Margherita Della Valle said at the time: “VodafoneThree will transform the UK’s mobile infrastructure. Through our £11bn (US$14.85bn) investment over the next 10 years, we will create one of Europe’s most advanced 5G networks.”

He then moved over to Group Mergers and Acquisitions Director in 2019. 

Michael Bird, CFO for Vodafone Germany says: “Over the last few weeks I’ve had the opportunity to meet a number of colleagues from across the business. Thank you to everyone who has taken the time to share their perspectives, challenges and ambitions. 

“I’ve worked with Vodafone Germany many times over the years, but being here in person has reinforced just how important the market is to Vodafone and how much opportunity lies ahead.”

Skilling up as CFO 

Michael’s next venture involved the first real taste as CFO, as he took charge of Vodafone Investments as CFO. 

Michael continues: “As I start this next chapter, I also want to say a huge thank you to the Vodafone Investments, Ops M&A and GST teams. Over the last two years we’ve achieved so much together, tackled so many complex problems and learned a huge amount along the way.

“I am incredibly grateful for the support, challenge and partnership you have provided. You have played a big part in preparing me for this next role. 

“A particular thank you as well to Carmen Velthuis for your support during the transition and for everything you have contributed to Vodafone over many years. 

“Looking forward to getting started.”

Vodafone Germany is the German branch of telecommunications giant Vodafone. Vodafone was founded in 1984 and is headquartered in London, under current Group CEO Margherita Della Valle, who took the role permanently in 2023. She was previously Interim CEO, stepping up from her role as CEO. The company’s mission is to ensure everyone is connected.

Vodafone partners: 

Google: Google is a major technology company best known for its search engine. It was founded in 1998, and is currently led by CEO Sundar Pichai, who was appointed in 2015. He joined the board of Alphabet, Google’s parent company, in 2017. Google is currently headquartered in tech hub California, US. 

Cisco: Technology leader Cisco, founded in 1984, is based in California, US. It is led by CEO Chuck Robbins, who was appointed in 2015.  It focuses on AI-powered solutions to support its customers, communities and partners, in order to strengthen digital resilience and enhance innovation. The company was founded in California, where it remains. 

Dell EMC: Founded by CEO Michael Dell in 1984, when he was just 19 years old, Dell is one of world’s largest computer distributors. Dell EMC is a subsidiary of Dell, and is focussed on delivering cloud solutions. Dell is based in Texas, US. Michael Dell became the youngest CEO to earn a ranking on the Fortune 500 list in 1992. 

Microsoft: Microsoft is a global technology pioneer founded in 1975 by Bill Gates and Paul Allen. Led by CEO Satya Nadella, the business has grown into an industry giant specialising in software, cloud computing, and hardware solutions. The organisation maintains its corporate headquarters in Washington, US where it continuously drives major technological innovations worldwide

Zscaler: Zscaler is a cloud security vendor established in 2007 to transform enterprise cybersecurity. Co-founded by Jay Chaudhry, who continues to serve as Chief Executive Officer, the company pioneered zero-trust cloud network architecture. Headquartered in California, US, the firm provides secure digital transformation services to thousands of enterprise organisations globally.