Vodafone, Telenor Form Procurement Partnership

Norway’s Telenor Group and the UK-based Vodafone Group, the two major telecommunication service providers in Europe, on Wednesday announced a strategic partnership between their global procurement organisations – Telenor Procurement Company and Vodafone Procurement Company.

The aim of the partnership is to leverage their scale and global capabilities across major areas of procurement, the two companies said.

The partnership also aims to create value for its customers and unlock savings through combined purchasing power and complementary geographies and expertise. In addition, it will deepen supplier and partner engagement and strengthen supply chain resilience amid a rapidly changing geopolitical global landscape.

This is driven by a shared commitment to responsible and sustainable business practices and the continued promotion of high standards of environmental and social responsibility within their supply chains, ensuring that economic impact is underpinned by ESG leadership.

Additional benefits include reducing administrative overhead and eliminating duplication while creating new opportunities with suppliers and partners.

Telenor and Vodafone collectively serve more than 550 million customers across 23 countries. Their combined procurement organisation has an annual budget of more than $30.53 billion.

Expanding Reach

Thomas Skjelbred, Group Chief Procurement Officer and CEO Telenor Procurement Company, said that this partnership will strengthen Telenor’s competitiveness, ultimately increasing value for their internal operations, associated companies, external customers, and shareholders.

Collaborating with Vodafone, Telenor will expand its reach, address common challenges, and navigate a reshaped global supplier landscape driven by ongoing geopolitical and technological shifts, he said.

Ninian Wilson, Vodafone Group’s Supply Chain Management Director and CEO of Vodafone Procurement & Connect, said that by combining their scale, complementary footprints and competencies, Vodafone will drive sustainable efficiencies and greater innovation for our customers. At the same time, we will simplify engagement for our partners, reducing administrative burden and duplication.