Vodafone has appointed Gerard Kleisterlee, Chief Executive of Philips as the new Chairman of the company when Sir John Bond’s five-year term ends in July.

According to the company, Vodafone’s board chose Mr Kleisterlee for his experience running an international company and dealing with emerging markets. He will leave Philips next month and join Vodafone’s board in April.

Mr Kleisterlee, 64, has spent his entire career at the Dutch electronics group, joining the company in 1974 and becoming president and chief executive in April 2001. He has worked in Taipei for Philips for three years until 1999 and as chief executive has overseen a substantial programme of acquisitions and disposals, diversifying the business.

According to reports, Mr Kleisterlee was frontrunner to succeed Sir John last month, after some of Vodafone’s investors became unhappy with the company’s strategy and acquisitions.

Accordig to Mr Kleisterlee, it is an honor and a privilege to be invited by the board of Vodafone to become its chairman. He is looking forward greatly to this new challenge, to contributing to this company’s record of success, and to building on Sir John’s outstanding achievements.

Vittorio Colao, Vodafone’s chief executive, paid tribute to Sir John’s huge contribution to the company.

According to Mr Colao, they have been fortunate to have benefited from his leadership, experience and wise counsel in a time of evolution for Vodafone.  He personally is very grateful to him for his constant support and personal advice since becoming CEO, during a phase of extraordinary economic and industry changes.

Vodafone’s board began to draw up plans for a successor a year ago, before Ontario Teachers’ Pension Plan, the activist investor, called unsuccessfully for Sir John’s removal at last year’s annual meeting.