Vodafone Board Announces New CEOs for PNG and Fiji

Vodafone Board Announce New CEOs for PNG and Fiji

Vodafone PNG Board has recently announced the appointment of Mr Pradeep Lal as the newly appointed CEO of Vodafone PNG with immediate effect. With this appointment, the Chairperson of Vodafone Fiji, Mr Joe Taoi said, “the ATH Group and Vodafone Fiji with its other equity partners have recently made a substantial US 1 billion-dollar investment in an entire greenfield mobile network in PNG. The project's success requires our best resources and an experienced CEO to lead operations in PNG.

Mr Lal is a seasoned and experienced telecommunications executive serving the industry for over two decades. He began his career with Vodafone Fiji as Chief Financial Officer in 1997 and served in various other capacities as Manager of Strategy and Planning, Head of Sales and Marketing and Corporate Business. Mr Lal rose through the ranks to Chief Operating Officer before being promoted to CEO in 2014. With Vodafone’s expansion into other Pacific Island markets, Mr Lal was promoted to Regional CEO with additional regional responsibility for the strategic oversight of several Pacific Island operations.

Mr Lal will continue to serve as Regional CEO for Pacific operations and CEO at Vodafone PNG.

Mr Lal has been a loyal and dedicated servant of Vodafone Fiji. His industry knowledge, expertise, business acumen and passion for results have created substantial shareholder value and returns in the form of dividends to the ATH Group, FNPF and its members for a number of years.

Mr Lal’s appointment as CEO of Vodafone PNG is the culmination of his involvement with the project since 2019. He has been involved with every stage of the project from initial due diligence to company setup, financing, network rollout and commercial launch of the service. His industry knowledge, expertise, leadership qualities and proven management track record are critical to Vodafone PNG's success.

Mr Lal is a Chartered Accountant and Fellow of CPA Australia, holds an MBA from Aston University, UK, competed in the High-Performance Leadership program from Oxford University, is a Member of the Australian Institute of Company Directors and has received several local and international individual academic and industry awards. In addition, he has served on various boards as a member and chairperson.

The Vodafone Fiji Board thanks Mr Lal for his dedicated services to Vodafone Fiji over the years and is confident he will deliver the same passion and outstanding results for Vodafone PNG and its shareholders.

The appointment of Mr. Lal to Vodafone PNG created a vacancy for CEO at Vodafone Fiji. Having interviewed the shortlisted candidates, the Vodafone Fiji Board is pleased to announce the appointment of Ms Elenoa Biukoto as its new CEO. The appointment comes into effect immediately with the outgoing Mr Lal moving to PNG permanently.

The appointment of Ms Biukoto is a significant milestone for Vodafone and a cause for celebration as she is appointed to the position of company CEO. Ms Biukoto joined Vodafone as Manager of Revenue Assurance and Audit in 2008 and has been with the company for the last 15 years. She has also served as company financial controller and is Chief Financial Officer and Company Secretary.

Prior to joining Vodafone, Ms Biukoto was employed by ANZ Pacific Operations as a Business Analyst and PriceWaterHouseCoopers as an Audit Manager. This has given her over 20 years plus of management experience.

The appointment of the CEO from within the company is a testament to Vodafone’s succession planning and leadership development program. It demonstrates Vodafone's commitment to fostering and nurturing local talents to ensure continued strategic alignment for sound stewardship and business growth. The appointment further reflects Vodafone's commitment to diversity, inclusion and women empowerment as an equal opportunity employer said Mr Taoi.

As the new CEO, Ms Biukoto will lead Vodafone Fiji's future strategic direction, seeking new areas of growth and innovation for the business whilst delivering exceptional value to its customers. The newly appointed CEO’s understanding of local market dynamics and strong leadership skills will play a pivotal role in shaping Vodafone Fiji's future in an increasingly digital economy.

Ms Biukoto holds a Master’s in Business Administration from UNSW and is a chartered accountant and a member of CA ANZ (Chartered Accountants Australia & New Zealand) and has a Bachelor of Commerce (Honours in Accounting) from the University of Otago.

In accepting the position of Vodafone CEO, Ms Biukoto said "I am most honoured and humbled by the trust and faith placed in me by the Board to lead this prestigious organisation. It comes with immense responsibility given the daily impact Vodafone Fiji has on the lives of every Fijian in one way or the other. I am committed to ensuring that the organization is led with humility and in the interests of the organization and its stakeholders, including our valued customers. Vodafone Fiji has a strong reputation for delivering innovative solutions and exceptional service to its customers and I look forward to building on that legacy through the guidance of the Board and the ingenuity of a very dedicated and talented team by leveraging our collective strengths to continue driving the company's growth and success."