19.05.2022
Management Team:Telefónica Deutschland extends contract of Chief Technology & Information Officer Mallik Rao
Mallik Rao, CTIO
Mallik Rao (Yelamate Mallikarjuna Rao) has been confirmed as Chief Technology & Information Officer (CTIO) of O2 Telefónica for an additional three years. The Supervisory Board of Telefónica Deutschland Holding AG has extended his contract, which was originally set to expire at the end of 2022, until Dec. 31st, 2025. Mallik Rao has been a member of the company's seven-member Management Board as Chief Technology Officer since Oct. 15th, 2019. He previously held senior leadership positions at Indian mobile operator Aircel and as CTIO at Vodafone Netherlands and Vodafone Turkey, following stints at TATA Telecom, ERICSSON and Nortel Networks.
Markus Haas, CEO
"Like my fellow board members, I look forward to continuing to work with Mallik Rao. He has shaped the technology division of our company from day one with his telecommunications expertise and strategic vision," said Markus Haas, CEO of O2 Telefónica. "Mallik and his dedicated team are tirelessly driving the network expansion program and the comprehensive transformation of our IT systems. In doing so, the team is securing key foundations for the sustainable economic success of O2 Telefónica."
Under CTIO Mallik Rao, O2 Telefónica's network performance has reached eye level with the competition. For two years in a row, the mobile network was awarded the grade "very good" by the trade magazine connect.1 In the latest network comparison by Stiftung Warentest, O2 Telefónica, like the other network operators, achieved an overall rating of "good".2 The O2 5G network is also growing at a record pace, with around 40 5G antennas being added every day. By the end of 2022, it is expected to supply 50 percent of Germany's population, and by 2025 the entire population. Mallik Rao is also responsible for the current IT transformation program, during which the company is positioning itself for the future with a new, cloud-based IT architecture.
"I would like to thank the Supervisory Board for their trust in me and my work," says Mallik Rao. "I look forward to continuing to work with my fellow board members and my great Technology team to deliver the best technology and service experience to O2 Telefónica customers. We are a key driver of digitalization in Germany. At the same time, we benefit from it. In the future, we will continue to use all the opportunities of digitization for our transformation into a German telecommunications company with the most modern network and IT infrastructure."
| 1 | Connect mobile communications network test, issue 1/2022: "very good" (874 points); a total of three "very good" ratings (944, 913 and 874 points) were awarded. |
| 2 | Stiftung Warentest mobile communications network test, issue 4/2022: "good" (grade 1.9); a total of three "good" ratings (grades 1.6, 1.7, 1.9) were awarded. |
Written by: Klaus Schulze-Löwenberg
Klaus Schulze-Löwenberg ist seit 2016 Leiter Produkt & Technologiekommunikation bei O2 Telefónica. Zuvor seit 2008 Teil des Kommunikationsteams der E-Plus Gruppe und als Teamleiter verantwortlich für die Netz- und Produktkommunikation.