We’ve learned early this morning that former T-Mobile USA CEO Philip Humm is on his way to a top job at Deutsche Telekom European competitor, Vodafone. A Reuters report says Humm will “oversee the British firm’s presence in such markets as Germany, Britain, Turkey and the Czech Republic.”

For its own part, Vodafone announced on Thursday it was splitting its European region into two parts, Northern/Central and Southern Europe. Humm will being taking over the former with the chief executive of Vodafone Italy taking over the latter.

“Our new regional structure will underpin our strategy focused on meeting our customers’ long-term needs, and Paolo and Philipp will be strong additions to the Vodafone group executive committee,” Vittorio Colao said in a statement.

T-Mobile said on Wednesday through its official statement (down below) that Humm was leaving for personal reasons, however internally, a letter from Deutsche Telekom CEO Rene Obermann said Humm was leaving to join a competitor.

P.S. In case you are wondering, the above image is a picture of interim CEO, Jim Alling.

Reuters

Full T-Mobile USA Statement:

Philipp Humm, resigned as CEO of T-Mobile USA, Deutsche Telekom’s mobile business in the USA. Jim Alling, Chief Operating Officer of T-Mobile USA, will take over the duties of CEO on an interim basis while a search is underway.

Humm is going to pursue a career outside of Deutsche Telekom so as to reunite with his family, which stayed back in Europe.  Humm joined Deutsche Telekom in 2005, and was initially responsible for the company’s mobile business in Germany. In 2008 he took on the responsibility of managing the sales and service activities of the European mobile companies within Deutsche Telekom Group. In May 2010 he moved to T-Mobile USA., taking over as CEO in November of that year.

René Obermann thanked Humm for his contribution over the past seven years saying: “Philipp Humm has given the company some important initiatives over the past years: Under his leadership the cost situation at T-Mobile USA has vastly improved and he led the company during a difficult phase regarding the planned merger with AT&T.” In terms of a potential successor Obermann said: “Now we need somebody who can convert initiatives into market-successes.”