Executive Head:Ventures Operations

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Role Purpose/Business Unit:

The Ventures and Business Partnership team is driving the pivot of Vodacom Business into Intelligent Business, with a vision of delivering end-to-end digital transformation solutions to its customers and steadily reducing the % of revenue from connectivity. It is building an ecosystem to deliver this around its in-house capabilities beyond connectivity (IoT, Cloud, Hosting & Security) adding its Ventures’ capabilities (IoT, Managed Services, Payment’s security, Health, Agri and Edutech platforms) and Partners, who are Big Tech to start-ups.
Activities include:

• understanding the enterprise and digital technology and services landscape to identify potential partners or acquisition targets: early-stage companies to Big Tech
• Managing the ventures portfolio to increase value of the businesses standalone and to Vodacom Business as it seeks to add more capabilities to its portfolio
• forming and/or investing in strategic investments that result in significant revenue and operating income growth for Vodacom Business.

Role purpose: The EHOD Ventures Operations and Strategy will develop and drive Overall VSA Ventures Portfolio strategy and ensure alignment, Drive financial performance of Ventures portfolio. Lead the identification, entrepreneurial incubation and commercialising of new sources of growth for Vodacom while building leading edge competencies emerging Technologies. This role will encompass understanding Vodacom South Africa overall strategy and identifying opportunities and understanding how a partnership/acquisition could add significant value to Vodacom, assessing market opportunities, cultivating and/or investing in strategic partnerships, and possible acquisitions of start-up or established companies. In addition, it will drive synergies across all subsidiaries to ensure efficient operations including control and governance framework implementation and monitoring

Your responsibilities will include:

Vodacom Ventures Strategy Formulation and Execution:

• Formulate, own and drive the ventures portfolio strategy in Vodacom Business to ensure alignment with shareholder expectations
• Review and influence Vodacom Ventures (Subsidiaries) strategies to ensure alignment with Vodacom strategic Objectives
• Monitor Ventures strategy execution and provide guidance and support
• Participate in the process surrounding potential investment acquisitions from identification, evaluation, to due diligence application ito legal, tax and finance
• structures concluding in the development and negotiation of formal agreements in conjunction with M&A

Ventures Portfolio Performance management and Monitoring

• Provide business insights to Subsidiaries to ensure awareness and focus towards Vodacom Business performance and delivery
• Stewardship of Company equity in all subsidiaries including identifying opportunities to increase value, assisting on strategic initiatives in subsidiaries eg Funding, forming new companies, etc
• Monitor and drive performance in line with Vodacom Business Revenue and efficiency targets
• Prepare annual/quarterly subsidiary reviews and forecasts and ensure alignment to Vodacom Business Performance objectives.
• Cultivate and maintain positive, strategic long-term relationships with subsidiaries management teams to achieve mutual benefit
• Liaise with VB Partnerships to leverage beneficial partnerships for subsidiaries.

Ventures Governance and Control:

• Ensure implementation of Vodacom / Best Practice governance and compliance frameworks within subsidiaries to mitigate risks
• Co-ordinate governance and Compliance activities/ engagement between Vodacom and Subsidiaries
• Support Ventures Board activities

Stakeholder & Relationship Management:

• Develop and implement a refined engagement and collaboration framework to enable seamless interlock between Vodacom and the subsidiaries
• Establish and maintain strong relationships with key personnel within subsidiaries.
• Establish executive-level relationships with key subsidiaries and ventures stakeholders to advance shared strategic goals.
• Build trust-based engagement models across internal and external stakeholders.
• Act as the executive sponsor in critical partnerships, ensuring escalations are resolved swiftly.

The ideal candidate for this role will have:

• Postgraduate level qualification
• Minimum 8 - 10 years relevant experience - essential
• 5+ years’ experience in related consulting, entrepreneurial and/or business incubation an advantage
• A minimum of 5 years proven experience in Senior Management - essential.
• Working experience in the telecoms/ICT (advantageous)

Core competencies, knowledge and experience:
• Understanding enterprise technology and services landscape, today and looking forward
• Understanding the SA telecommunication and ICT industries and working knowledge of the communication industry, systems, and networks, as well as, current and emerging technologies and standards.
• Interpersonal skills, adaptability and agility to work across all levels of an organisation
• Business planning, inclusive of financial and operational model preparation
• Organizing and leading effective cross-departmental and cross-functional teams.
• Experience creating new routes to market through channel partners, joint-ventures, new startups
• Excited about emerging technologies and passionate about the Next Big Thing
• Previous involvement with Startup(s) and Corporate Ventures is valued
• M&A experience advantageous Experience defining New Business Models
• Adaptable across large global companies and startups
• Delivery focussed with an aptitude to be operationally involved

Closing date for Applications: 21 October 2025.

The base location for this role is Vodacom, Midrand Campus.

The company's approved Employment Equity Plan and Targets will be considered as part of the recruitment process. As an Equal Opportunities employer, we actively encourage and welcome people with various disabilities to apply.

Vodacom is committed to an organisational culture that recognises, appreciates, and values diversity & inclusion.