TowerXchange: The company has changed from public to private and has a new CEO. Have these two developments changed Vantage Towers’ focus?
Christian Hillabrant, CEO, Vantage Towers:
The transition to private ownership and the appointment of a new CEO mark significant milestones for Vantage Towers, paving the way for future success. Our core focus is to prioritise customers, drive sustainable organic growth, and to embrace innovation remains unchanged. Our strategic direction is to deliver with excellence for our customers and to increase shareholder value. We are enhancing our agility and responsiveness to market dynamics while fostering a culture of collaboration and accountability across our 8 markets and 2 strategic investments in Cornerstone (UK) and INWIT (Italy).
TowerXchange: Vantage Towers has focused on organic growth in the past 12 months. Is this going to be your biggest commercial priority growth going forward?
Christian Hillabrant, CEO, Vantage Towers:
Organic growth has been instrumental in solidifying our market presence and expanding our portfolio of ground-based and roof-top towers across Europe. While it remains a cornerstone of our strategy, we recognize the importance of diversifying our future growth opportunities. We are always exploring strategic partnerships and new solutions to strengthen our market position and unlock new value creation. We are extremely proud to empower Europe’s digital transformation.
TowerXchange: Many towercos are exploring or already offering services beyond the traditional towerco business model. Vantage Towers is no different. What are the top two adjacencies for you and how do you see them develop in the short to medium term?
Christian Hillabrant, CEO, Vantage Towers:
Vantage Towers is actively exploring adjacencies that complement our core business. Two focus areas include indoor coverage solutions and smart urban infrastructure solutions for small cells and smart city deployments. Both target the increasing coverage and capacity needs with European MNOs and present significant growth opportunities. Through strategic investments and collaborative initiatives, we will position ourselves as a leading service provider in these areas, contributing to the advancement of digital connectivity and infrastructure.
TowerXchange: As the role of how towercos manage power has started to change, should we expect to see Vantage Towers offering power services, and if so, what would they entail?
Christian Hillabrant, CEO, Vantage Towers:
The evolving landscape of power management presents exciting opportunities for Vantage Towers. We are already offering services to power our customers’ network equipment. We also offer energy efficiency services to our customers helping them to reduce their energy bill as well as on-site generation to power their equipment.
I am proud to say that 100% of our grid electricity is procured from renewable sources. We continue exploring partnerships and technologies to further enhance efficiency, reduce environmental impact and ensure the reliability of our network infrastructure.
TowerXchange: What impact does AI have on Vantage Towers? Do you see it transforming the towerco and helping it achieve any of its objectives?
Christian Hillabrant, CEO, Vantage Towers:
AI holds immense potential to improve the efficiency of our operations at Vantage Towers. From optimizing performance and predictive maintenance, to enhancing customer experiences, AI is unlocking efficiencies and insights across our operations. We are actively leveraging AI-driven analytics to improve network reliability, streamline operations, and drive innovation. Moving forward, AI will play a pivotal role in achieving our objectives. AI empowers us to harness vast amounts of data to inform strategic decision-making, from site selection to capacity planning, enabling us to better serve our customers and stakeholders.
TowerXchange: Do you see the recent MNO consolidation approved in one of your markets (Orange and MasMovil’s merger) and another one looming in a market where you are indirectly present (the UK), as big risks? What impact would this have on your business?
Christian Hillabrant, CEO, Vantage Towers:
MNO consolidation and entry of new market players introduces both challenges and opportunities for towercos. While it may create uncertainties in the short term, we view it as an opportunity to strengthen our partnerships with MNOs, drive efficiency, and expand our service offerings. We are proactively adapting our strategies to align with evolving market dynamics, ensuring that we remain agile and resilient in the face of industry changes. Our focus remains on delivering exceptional value to our customers and stakeholders, a winning combination regardless of market conditions.
TowerXchange: Europe’s towercos are working hard to deploy and upgrade towers to meet Digital Decade goals and customers’ demand which should be no different for Vantage Towers?
Christian Hillabrant, CEO, Vantage Towers:
Vantage Towers is fully committed to supporting Europe's Digital Decade goals and meeting the growing demand for mobile connectivity. We are investing significantly in deploying and upgrading our towers to ensure reliable and high-quality network coverage for society. Our efforts align with our vision of fostering digital transformation and driving socio-economic progress across Europe. Through collaboration with key industry stakeholders and leveraging innovative technologies, we are dedicated to achieving our objectives and empowering Europe's digital transformation journey.
