York’s Cellhire, an international connectivity expert specialising in mobile communications and M2M/IoT services, has appointed former Vodafone France CEO Tony Guerion as its new chief exec.
Guerion will join Cellhire at the start of February, bringing with him over 27 years of experience in business leadership and management in the communications industry. Guerion joined Vodafone in 2010 and rose to become Global Head of Sales for IoT in 2016, and CEO of Vodafone France in 2019.
Tim Williams, Cellhire’s chairman and founder said: “The board and I are delighted to welcome Tony as Cellhire’s new chief executive officer. His extensive experience in the telecoms industry and his knowledge in the IoT space perfectly align with our business ambitions.”
An MBA graduate of the London Business School and fluent in several languages, Guerion has also held the post of CEO of Vodafone France since 2019. He added: “It’s a great privilege to join Cellhire during this exciting phase of the company’s expansion. Cellhire has developed a powerful IoT proposition, powered by its MVNO on Orange France, and I look forward to building on the great success the business has already achieved in its global growth.”
In 2022, mid-market private equity firm LDC made a substantial investment in Cellhire, which has enabled the company to make significant progress in establishing itself in the IoT connectivity marketplace. “Tony’s more than 20 years in IoT will build on that investment and help us grow in Europe, North America, and Asia,” said Williams.
Cellhire recently announced the expansion of its IoT connectivity solutions enabled by a new Framework Agreement with Orange France. Through this agreement, Cellhire is enhancing its IoT proposition through roaming offerings in more than 220 global destinations with 700+ network operators allowing the company to provide seamless connectivity for its customers and indirect channel partners.
Guerion continued: “The significance of IoT devices in 2024 is greater than ever before. It plays a crucial role in improving productivity, streamlining operations, and revolutionising various industries. However, their effectiveness is entirely dependent on consistent connectivity.
“That’s where Cellhire comes in. Its suite of IoT connectivity solutions provides the resilience and cost-effectiveness that customers and partners alike have come to expect.”
Alongside its IoT offering, Cellhire is a full-service provider for Vodafone, O2 and EE providing mobile airtime to direct and indirect channel partners and is also a long-standing connectivity provider in the global events space including FIFA World Cups, Olympic Games – including the Paris Olympics 2024 – and Rugby World Cups.