GOVERNANCE

We are committed to deepening engagement with our customers to develop long-term, valuable and sustainable relationships. We have hundreds of millions of customers across our global footprint, from individual consumers to large multinationals.

How did we engage with them?

• Digital channels including our websites, chatbot, and social media channels.
• Call centres and branded retail stores.
• Account managers, solution specialists and, for large accounts, executive-level engagement.
• Primary research. such as user testing of new product developments, qualitative group interviews and, benchmarking surveys to compare our brand and products versus competitor offerings.
• Regular customer surveys. such as Net Promoter Score ('NPS') surveys to gain frequent insight into our services and customer experiences. For example, just after joining Vodafone. or adding an extra product or line to their account.
  Customer advisory boards to strengthen relationships and understanding of key Business accounts.

What were the key topics raised?

• Fast and reliable fixed internet, and stronger connectivity.
• Better value for customers, and recognition of long-term relationships.
• Wider mobile coverage.
• Transparency and communication around price changes.
• Making complex technology easy to understand. In particular new cloud, security and digital managed services.
• Improving productivity and efficiency for Business customers.

How did we respond?

• Held Customer Experience ('CX') as our top priority, with our 'Ask Once' programme live across four markets, delivering a seamless service guarantee and easier access to support.
• Rolled out SuperTobi and SuperAgent chatbots, enhanced with Generative Al. to empower Front Line Agents with more personalised, comprehensive service.
• Continued our focus on affordability. offering flexible financing, device trade in, and expanding access to second life devices. We also launched 'Vodafone Together' Family plans in the UK.
• Worked to improve fixed internet by successfully trialling a new solution that reduces delays on fibre connections and launching Ultra Hub 7 with the best available Wi-Fi generation for improved speed and reliability.
• Increased coverage across our footprint.
• Launched our Travel eSIM in 200 countries for affordable, reliable connectivity when travelling.
• Invested in additional training for service and support teams to help Business customers make the most of new digital services.
• Ran campaigns to showcase our reliable connectivity, strengthen perceptions, and educate Business customers on using Cloud and Al efficiently.

Our people are critical to the successful delivery of our strategy. Throughout the year we focused on a number of areas to ensure that everyone is highly motivated, including wellbeing, diversity and inclusion, employee engagement and talent acceleration.

How did we engage with them?

• Regular meetings with managers.
• European Employee Consultative Committee.
• Vodacom Group Employee Engagement Forum.
• Executive Committee discussions.
• Internal website, live webinars, newsletters and other communications posted on our internal digital platform called ‘Viva Engage’.
• Employee Speak Up channel.
• Global employee surveys, including onboarding and exit surveys.

What were the key topics raised?

• Changes to our market portfolio and competitor landscape.
• Company strategy.
• Results of employee listening and Spirit Beat survey, including employee engagement.
• Accelerating early and mid-career talent and performance management.
• Ownership and active engagement around safety, health and wellbeing, including mental health.
• Diversity and inclusion, including our UK Race, Ethnicity and Cultural Heritage CREACH) Commitments.
• Customer and frontline experience.

How did we respond?

• Regularly updated employees on business and trading performance.
• Continuous improvement of performance and talent management process.
• Continued to focus on opportunities identified in employee surveys.
• Remained committed to safety, health and wellbeing.
• Continued to embed diversity and inclusion through attraction, retention, development, allyship and education.

Find out more about our People and Culture

We partner with over 8,500 suppliers to deliver the products and services we need to execute our strategy and connect everyone. These range from start-ups and small businesses to large multinational companies.

How did we engage with them?

• Regular collaborative performance review meetings with strategic suppliers.
• Forums, events, conferences, and site visits.
• ESG criteria incorporated into tender process, supplier selection and performance management.
• Supplier audits and assessments.

What were the key topics raised?

• Strategic and commercial delivery and performance.
• Supplier and product innovation.
• Human rights in the supply chain.
• Health and safety standards.
• Diversity and inclusion.

How did we respond?

• Collaborated with industry peers and supplier through the Joint Alliance for CSR (‘JAC’).
• Supply Chain Sustainability Finance Programme for driving environmental progress.
• Quarterly supplier safety forums.
• Identification of Corrective Action Plans (‘CAP’)s to protect human rights at supplier sites.

Find out more about our Suppliers

We believe that the long-term success of our business is closely tied to the success of the communities in which we operate. To achieve this, we engage with local communities and international NGOs across our markets.

How did we engage with them?

• Participation in industry working groups, such as those organised by the GSMA, on policy issues at national and international level (including digital inclusion, biodiversity, net zero).
• Participation in global multi-stakeholder coalitions established by the United Nations including the UN Broadband Commission for Sustainable Development and the ITU Partner2Connect alliance.
• Group and locally led direct NGO engagements and partnerships.

What were the key topics raised?

• Increasing access to connectivity and digital services, by closing the digital divide.
• Environmental topics including net zero, biodiversity and the circular economy.
• Human rights topics.
• Delivery of global and national development goals including the UN Sustainable Development Goals (‘SDGs’).
• Expectations and feedback on our climate transition strategy.

How did we respond?

• Provided affordable and accessible services, technology, and connectivity, through our everyone.connected campaign.
• Advocated for continued action to close the digital divide at UNGA80 and called for more climate-resilient digital development.
• Partnered with industry working groups including Trussell, NSPCC and Good Things Foundation to help provide essential digital skills, connectivity and deliver social value.
• Engaged with working groups covering human rights, network access, digital inclusion, and climate plans.

As a heavily regulated industry and provider of Critical National Infrastructure, our relationships with governments and regulators are crucial. We aim to collaborate on policies that impact our industry and service to customers, while fostering a deeper understanding among governments and regulators of our positive contributions to customers, the economy, the environment,and communities.

How did we engage with them?

• Held meetings with EU institutions, national, regional and local governments, regulators and international organisations.
• Participated in industry bodies, consumer alliances, and public-private initiatives.
• Hosted and attended workshops and events to enhance sector understanding of key issues.
• Our Chair leads the European Round Table for Industrialists, engaging with European and global institutions and governments.

What were the key topics raised?

• The EU regulatory and policy environment on digital connectivity, including spectrum, open internet, and satellite (Digital Networks Act. Mobile Satellite Services).
• The aspects and developments around the EU's tech sovereignty.
• Cybersecurity and the security of critical network infrastructure, from subsea cables to satellites.
• Vodafone's views around merger and competition policy.
• The protection of minors and the issues around online safety/harm.
• The EU-UK and EU-Africa relations.

How did we respond?

• Submitted written contributions to EU consultations and roadmaps on proposals including the Digital Networks Act. Cyber Resilience Act review. and Merger Guidelines review.
• Developed vision papers to support the legislative process.
• Organised workshops with institutional representatives.

Our investors include individual and institutional shareholders as well as debt investors. We maintain an active dialogue with our investors through our extensive investor relations programme.

How did we engage with them?

• Personal meetings, roadshows, conferences.
• Annual and interim reports and presentations.
• Our investor relations website is used as our primary digital communications tool and is available to all shareholders, including 11 hours of dedicated video content covering investor events and interviews with Board Directors.
• Regulatory News Service (‘RNS’) announcements.
• Annual General Meeting (‘AGM’).
• Investor perception study and regular feedback survey.
• Online presentations aimed at retail investors.
• Private Client Fund Management ('PCFM') group conference calls.
• Our Registrar operates a portfolio service which provides shareholders with the ability to manage their holdings.

What were the key topics raised?

• Our strategic roadmap and strategic priorities of Customers, Simplicity and Growth.
• Allocation of capital, including capital investment, leverage and shareholder returns.
• Portfolio right-sizing for growth, market performance, and trading outlook.
• Corporate governance practices.
• Regulatory changes and the geopolitical environment.
• Environmental, Social and Governance (‘ESG’) strategy, targets and reporting.

How did we respond?

• We conducted over 1,100 investor interactions through meetings with major institutional shareholders, debt investors, individual shareholder groups and financial analysts, and attended conferences.
• Meetings were attended by Directors and senior management, including our Chair, Remuneration Committee Chair. Group Chief Executive, Chief Financial Officer. and Executive Committee members.
• Provided comprehensive reports and transparency disclosures on ESG matters.

Contact the Investor Relations team