Margherita Della Valle, the woman trying to turn Vodafone around

Company insiders joke that Margherita Della Valle’s “blood runs Vodafone red”. Such is the 58-year-old’s passion for the company where she has spent just over half of her life.

But the group’s Italian chief executive is now having to do some bloodletting of her own. She plans to sell Vodafone Italia as part of a sweeping restructuring to streamline company operations that will see 11,000 employees culled. The potential deal to offload its Italian business to Swisscom — announced this week — is like “selling the home she grew up in”, according to a person close to her.

Della Valle, who was appointed CEO last year after three decades climbing the ranks from her initial role as marketing analyst, is seeking to turn around the telecoms company. This comes amid recent criticism from investors and analysts of underperformance and the group’s sprawling portfolio. Her priority? Simplifying the business.

Insiders say she has already brought a very different approach to the last Italian to have helmed the group, Vittorio Colao, or her predecessor Nick Read. Unlike Read, she already looks set to deliver on significant deals.

Silvia Candiani, vice-president of telco and media at Microsoft who worked with Della Valle at the start-up Omnitel Pronto Italia, which later became Vodafone Italia, says she was known internally as “fair and transparent”. Candiani adds that Della Valle has been a “great role model” who shows it is possible to have a “softer style” while remaining “authoritative and decisive”.

A native of Rome, Della Valle graduated from Bocconi University in Milan with a masters in economics. She is married with two sons and now lives in London where she has spoken about enjoying walks along the Thames in her leisure time.

Della Valle is described as direct, but also as someone who is interested in the perspective of others, by multiple people who have worked with her. Under her leadership, individuals at the company are “feeling…