Vittorio Colao

Vittorio Colao is Vice Chairman EMEA and Board member of Growth Equity investor General Atlantic, working with European Technology and Consumer companies. He is a non-Executive Director of Verizon in the US and an Executive Trustee of Bocconi University in Milan. From 2015 until early 2021 he chaired the Remuneration Committee of Unilever PLC.

Vittorio has been Minister for Technology Innovation and Digital transition and Delegate authority for Space for the Italian Government with PM Draghi in 2021-22, where he led the growth of inclusive and efficient digital services across Italy. In 2024 Vittorio contributed to the Draghi Report ‘The Future of Competitiveness in Europe’.

In 2020 he chaired the Italy’s Post Covid recovery committee for Prime Minister Conte.

Vittorio has been the CEO of Vodafone Group from 2008 to 2018, where he led the business's significant growth into one of the largest telecommunications groups globally. He has also been CEO of RCS Media Group in Italy between 2004 and 2006. During his tenure he served as Vice-Chairman of the European Roundtable until 2018. In his early career he served as NED on the Boards of Finmeccanica (Leonardo) and RAS (Allianz Italy) and as advisor to McKinsey&Co and Harvard Business School.

In 2014 Vittorio was awarded Italy’s Knighthood of the Order of Labor and in 2021 the Grand Ufficiale honor by two Presidents of Italy. Vittorio has been a 2015 UN “He4She” champion and the 2015 FT “HERos” top nominee. 

A Carabinieri Lieutenant trained at the Mountain Troops Military School in Italy, Vittorio is a graduate of Bocconi University and holds an MBA from the Harvard Business School. In 2024 he received an Honorary Degree, Doctor of Law, at Bath University. In 2025 he received the Alumni Achievement Award at Harvard Business School.