Gent, Chris(topher) Charles (1948– )

English business executive. Appointed CEO of Vodafone in 1997, he transformed the company into the world's largest mobile communications group. In 1999 he acquired US rivals AirTouch, a mobile operator with large European holdings, creating a business larger than British Telecom. He then negotiated a $70 billion joint venture with Bell Atlantic (the rival buyer for AirTouch) to merge the mobile operations of both companies, ceding control of the business in exchange for a minority stake. In 2000 Gent made a successful £110 billion hostile bid for the German corporation Mannesmann, a partner in a German (D2) and Italian (Omnitel) mobile operator. Having retired from Vodafone in 2003, he joined the UK pharmaceutical company GlaxoSmithKline in 2004, initially as non-executive deputy chairman and then non-executive chairman from 2005. Gent was honoured with a knighthood in 2001.

Gent's bid for Mannesmann, which had unexpectedly bid for Orange (the UK's third largest wireless operator) was determined by the launch of an Internet portal called Vizzavi, a joint venture between Vodafone and France's Vivendi (which had held friendly merger talks with Mannesmann), and an agreement to sell Vivendi Mannesmann's interest in France's second largest mobile operator. Gent then moved into Asia, taking strategic stakes in China Mobile (2.2% for £1.7 billion) and in Japan Telecom (15% for £1.5 billion). In January 2001 Gent exercised an option to buy Vodafone shares following an earlier dispute with his shareholders about the £10 million bonus he was awarded for completing the Mannesmann transaction.

One of four brothers, Gent was born in India, brought up in England, and educated at Archbishop Tennison Grammar School. Gent's career started as a trainee at National Westminster Bank in 1969, after which he worked for Schroder Computer Services (1971–79) and Baric Computing Services, a joint venture between ICL and Barclays Bank, where he became a managing director. He was subsequently managing director of ICL's Network Services Division from 1983. He joined UK defence contractor Racal in 1985 as operational managing director of its fledgling cellular phone business, which was demerged as Vodafone in 1991.

Gent supports the UK Conservative Party and, as chairman of the Young Conservatives from 1977–79, briefly had ambitions for a career in politics. He follows cricket with friend and former UK prime minister John Major, and was reputed to have launched the bid for AirTouch on his mobile phone while watching a match in Australia.