Vodafone's Australian CTO departs

Vodafone Hutchinson Australia (VHA) chief technology officer Benoit Hanssen will leave the company to join the Hutchinson group.

"While Benoit will be missed by the VHA team, he has been offered a fantastic opportunity and it’s great to see Benoit will be staying in the Hutchison family," said VHA chief executive Inaki Berroeta.

"In his three years as chief technology officer, Benoit has led the transformation of VHA’s network," Berroeta said.

"Among his many achievements, Benoit has overseen the launch and rollout of 4G on the VHA network, the upgrade of VHA’s core network, and the commencement of the fibre transmission network rollout. Benoit has also been a driving force in VHA’s campaign for increased coverage and competition in regional and rural areas, including through our participation in the Mobile Black Spot Programme."

Hanssen's CV includes time at Ericsson in the Netherlands and India where he was director of operations and Ericsson Singapore where he was the director for managed services.

In 2007, he joined Hutchinson CP Telecommunications Indonesia as the chief technology officer prior to join Vodafone in 2013.

Hanssen described his time at Vodafone as a highlight of his career. "The VHA network is the best it has ever been – it's fast and reliable, and I'm confident it will only continue to get even better."

Hanssen's departure is set for the end of August. Vodafone's general manager access network delivery Kevin Millroy will act as CTO until a replacement is named.