In a move that took the world and the telecom industry by surprise, Arun Sarin, CEO of Vodafone, the world's largest mobile phone company by sales, announced his decision to step down. Having endured some turbulent times during the first half at the helm of Vodafone, including a full-scale shareholder dissent after his reappointment as CEO three years ago, he now seems to have pulled off a rarest of rare feats, even while being at the top. In April 2008, Telegraph, the UK's daily newspaper gave him top slot in a list of UK's 100 most powerful business personalities in the technology and telecom sector. The Italian born deputy Vittorio Colao, who has been playing a vital role in Vodafone's complex and critical European operations since 2006, will takeover the baton from him. The smooth changeover of power from the chaotic boardroom days of 2006 to the present happily united Vodafone board and management more than demonstrates that internal misunderstandings are now sorted out, thanks to Sarin's relentless efforts to deliver results from his strategic global vision.
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