“Vodafone Albania has always been a pioneer of introducing new technologies in the country”
FIAA: Finally, we have a female Leader for Vodafone Albania, this is a trend applied also to other industries and to the recent Governments. How is your experience in Albania going so far?
Mrs. Stathaki: Albania is a beautiful country to live in. When I was appointed to this role, I knew little about the country. Half a year later, I could not be happier for my appointment as Vodafone Albania CEO. I have not only found a great team here, but I have discovered also a beautiful country with an amazing spirit and hospitality.
My colleagues in Albania are doing a fantastic work to transform Vodafone from a telecommunication to a technology company, and I am glad that the leadership in this journey was trusted to me.
In this view, I would like to refer to female leadership as a global milestone. Females have fought for equal rights for centuries and arriving here, is not a matter of coincidence or a trend, it is a sign of a maturing society that is acknowledging the equal role of us females in leadership and management. And not only that, it acknowledges the different angle that female leadership brings to the table. In Albania, I might say, the high number of females in leadership roles has caught my attention; often it is even higher than some of the other European countries. I am also very lucky to be working for a company which acknowledges and promotes female leadership. Vodafone highly promotes females in leadership positions, this combined with their professional skills and experience can make for a great team building and results. At Vodafone we encourage participation, innovative ideas, diversity and inclusion. Being the CEO of Vodafone Albania is for me a personal and professional achievement, yet an enormous responsibility towards the company, my colleagues, our customers and the society at large where we operate and contribute. Being the very first female CEO of Vodafone in Albania motivates me even more and gives me courage to do better each day.
How is Vodafone performing in Albania? Any new project for our market?
What are your plans for investment in Albania the next 2-3 years?
We will hopefully soon be entering the post pandemic era; the pandemic taught us a new reality and gave us a different perspective on things; it has helped us form a new vision and that vision is strongly connected with technology and digitization, a vision that will put Vodafone Albania in the forefront of this digital transformation. For us at Vodafone it has become apparent since many years ago that digital and the use of technology for the welfare of our society is of huge importance. The pandemic has accelerated what was expected. I would like to stress out at this point that Vodafone Albania has always been a pioneer of introducing new technologies in the country. We were the first in the Albanian market to introduce 3G, 4G and will introduce 5G technology, following the footsteps of the Vodafone Group 5G investments all over Europe. Though we see the introduction of the new technologies not as a goal in itself but as a tool to the benefit of the society and always following the moto that “nobody should be left behind”.
Today we have moved to a fully converged company, and our aim is to invest over 100 million euros in fixed broadband infrastructure, and to bring that to the same high standards as we have brought the mobile network in the country.
We are all aware that the telecommunication sector is vital part of our society; connectivity is a service with almost the same importance as water and electricity. The pandemic made it even more visible to society, to consumers and businesses that we need a network infrastructure, that is inclusive and available in the same way in urban and rural areas of the country, in schools, universities, businesses, hospitals, everywhere. We see the introduction of the new technologies not as a goal in itself but as a tool to bring real benefits to the society and always following the moto that “nobody should be left behind”.
In the next decade we will answer that need!
The next decade will see a major societal change, enabling inclusiveness, strengthening digital education, e-health, e-agriculture, transport and all sectors of our economy, transforming our networks and operations fully green, empowering women, transforming a society to be better, more efficient and sustainable for the generations to come.
Vodafone has been a Member of FIAA for 20 years now. To you personally, what is the significance of this long journey of Vodafone within the Biggest Foreign Investors Network in Albania?
Vodafone has partnered with FIAA since its beginning. We have walked together for almost 20 years, a journey that has been fruitful.
Like FIAA’s mission, Vodafone is always working to offer the best solutions for businesses, making their life easier and their activity more profitable. FIAA provides advocacy, we provide technology solutions.
But our journey has passed borders. FIAA and Vodafone together have achieved to raise awareness about important topics related to business and the social environment that surrounds us. As the largest foreign investor in the country, we have both made our part to promote Albania and invited more foreign businesses to invest in a sustainable manner in this fantastic country with high natural and human potentials.
Finally, as we come near the year finish line, I would like to take the occasion to wish you and all Albanians good health, joy and prosperity in their families for the new year to come!