Vittorio Colao Joins General Atlantic as Special Advisor

General Atlantic, a leading global growth equity firm, announced today that Vittorio Colao has joined the firm as a Special Advisor. Mr. Colao, former Group Chief Executive of international communications company Vodafone Group Plc, will advise General Atlantic and its portfolio companies as the firm continues to execute on its global growth investing strategy.

During his over 20-year tenure with Vodafone Group, 10 of which he served as Group Chief Executive, Mr. Colao held numerous executive positions and led its significant growth into one of the largest telecommunications groups in the world. He played a central role in the transition of Vodafone from a consumer-focused mobile operator to an integrated communications company, which saw the company invest €150bn in 10 years. Mr. Colao currently serves as a Non-Executive Director at Unilever in the UK/Netherlands and Verizon in the US.

"Vittorio shares our enduring conviction in the macro trends that are driving growth, including the transition to a digital economy and the transformative effect 5G will have on the tech sector,” said Bill Ford, Chief Executive Officer of General Atlantic. “Vittorio's track record at Vodafone is a testament to his ability to drive major change. His experience and insights will be immensely valuable to our portfolio worldwide and will also help us to uncover new opportunities to invest in innovative businesses.”

Mr. Colao commented, "General Atlantic's singular focus on investing in global growth companies sets it apart in the current phase of technology-driven opportunities. I admire the firm’s approach to working with companies to support and accelerate their growth in a fast digitizing economy, based on commitment to patience and purpose as pillars of its investment philosophy. In both the near and longer term, it will be critical to support and nurture those companies at the forefront of the digital transition in a dynamic – yet sustainable – way, as technology reshapes entire industries, sectors and markets."

"We actively seek partnerships with innovators and entrepreneurs who are looking not only for capital, but for specialist expertise and counsel on how to scale a business at a regional and global level in a rapidly shifting market," said Gabriel Caillaux, Managing Director and Head of EMEA for General Atlantic. "We look forward to working with Vittorio to help navigate the unique set of opportunities and challenges faced by growth companies today."

Mr. Colao is an Executive Trustee of Bocconi University, Italy, an advisor of the Oxford Martin School at University of Oxford - a research and policy unit focused on translating academic excellence into real-world impact for a more sustainable and inclusive future - and chairs the Advisory board of Cometa, in Como, Italy, a charity focused on education of disadvantaged children. He sat on the Dean’s Advisory Board of the Harvard Business School and of McKinsey, and served as a Vice-Chairman of the European Round Table of Industrialists. Vittorio Colao earned his Business Degree at Bocconi University and graduated with an MBA from Harvard Business School.

Drawing from nearly 40 years of experience investing in over 350 global growth companies, General Atlantic partners with entrepreneurs and management teams who are building leading, high-growth businesses. The firm has approximately $31 billion assets under management. General Atlantic focuses on investments across four sectors, including Consumer, Financial Services, Healthcare, and Technology, with support from the firm’s global team of experts.

About General Atlantic

General Atlantic is a leading global growth equity firm providing capital and strategic support for growth companies. Established in 1980, General Atlantic combines a collaborative global approach, sector specific expertise, a long-term investment horizon and a deep understanding of growth drivers to partner with great entrepreneurs and management teams to build exceptional businesses worldwide. General Atlantic has more than 150 investment professionals based in New York, Amsterdam, Beijing, Greenwich, Hong Kong, Jakarta, London, Mexico City, Mumbai, Munich, Palo Alto, São Paulo, Shanghai, and Singapore. For more information on General Atlantic, please visit the website: www.generalatlantic.com

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Contact information

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Charles Harrison
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