Elenoa Biukoto is now the new chief executive officer of Vodafone Fiji, the first woman to take on the role and the third CEO since the company’s inception in 1993.
Her appointment follows the permanent relocation to Papua New Guinea of incumbent Pradeep Lal, who has been appointed CEO of Vodafone PNG by the Vodafone PNG board with immediate effect.
“The appointment of Mr Lal to Vodafone PNG created a vacancy at Vodafone Fiji.
Having interviewed the shortlisted candidates, the Vodafone Fiji board is pleased to announce the appointment of Ms Elenoa Biukoto as its new CEO.
The appointment comes into effect immediately with the outgoing Mr Lal moving to PNG permanently,” Vodafone Fiji board chairman Jo Taoi said in a statement this week.
“The appointment of Ms Biukoto is a significant milestone for Vodafone and a cause for celebration. The appointment of the CEO from within the company is a testament to Vodafone’s succession planning and leadership development program.
“It demonstrates Vodafone’s commitment to fostering and nurturing local talents to ensure continued strategic alignment for sound stewardship and business growth. The appointment further reflects Vodafone’s commitment to diversity, inclusion, and women empowerment as an equal opportunity employer,” Mr Taoi added.
In accepting the position, Ms Biukoto said: “I am most honoured and humbled by the trust and faith placed in me by the Board to lead this prestigious organisation.
“It comes with immense responsibility given the daily impact Vodafone Fiji has on the lives of every Fijian in one way or the other.
“I am committed to ensuring that the organisation is led with humility and in the interests of the organisation and its stakeholders, including our valued customers.
“Vodafone Fiji has a strong reputation for delivering innovative solutions and exceptional service to its customers and I look forward to building on that legacy through the guidance of the board and the ingenuity of a very dedicated and talented team by leveraging our collective strengths to continue driving the company’s growth and success.”
As its CEO, Ms Biukoto will lead Vodafone Fiji’s future strategic direction, seeking new areas of growth and innovation for the business whilst delivering value to its customers.
Ms Biukoto joined Vodafone as manager of revenue assurance and audit in 2008 and has been with the company for the last 15 years.
She has also served as company financial controller and is a chief financial officer and company secretary.
Prior to joining Vodafone, Ms Biukoto was employed by ANZ Pacific Operations as a business analyst and PriceWaterHouseCoopers as an audit manager, according to her over 20 years of management experience.
She holds a Master’s in Business Administration from the University of NSW and is a chartered accountant and a member of CA ANZ (Chartered Accountants Australia & New Zealand) and has a Bachelor of Commerce (Honours in Accounting) from the University of Otago.
She is the third Fijian to head Vodafone Fiji, following in the footsteps of the company’s first CEO Aslam Khan (1994–2014) and Pradeep Lal (2014-2017).
