Vodafone's announcement on Thursday came just one day after T-Mobile said Humm had . He is scheduled to start at Vodafone on Oct. 1.

Humm had joined T-Mobile in May 2010 and risen to CEO in November of that year, just a few months before the company agreed to a US$39 billion . That deal was scuttled by regulators who said it would hurt competition, but T-Mobile emerged with a $3 billion and spectrum licenses from AT&T.

Humm has years of experience in the European mobile industry, having been CEO of T-Mobile Germany and chief regional officer in Europe for T-Mobile International. As chief executive of the Northern & Central Europe group, he will oversee Vodafone's businesses in Germany, the Netherlands, the U.K., Ireland, Hungary, the Czech Republic, Romania and Turkey.

At the same time, Vodafone announced a new Southern Europe group to be led by Vodafone Italy Chief Executive Paolo Bertoluzzo. That group will cover Italy, Spain, Portugal, Greece, Albania and Malta. He will start that job on Aug. 1.

Humm and Bertoluzzo each will also join the Vodafone Group Executive Committee when they take on their new jobs.