In a statement Friday Europe's largest mobile telephone operator said it was moving the new businesses and innovation unit "into parts of the organization closer to the customer."
Vodafone said that both sides had agreed to the departure of Geitner, who is a former chief technology officer of the company. He is not to be replaced.
Analysts broadly welcomed the move. Dresdner Kleinwort, which rates the stock buy, said the organizational changes should make Vodafone "more responsive to customers needs" and speed product times to market which was positive for revenue growth.
At 1415 GMT Vodafone's shares were trading 1.5 pence, or 1.4%, at 131.75 pence.
Geitner joined Vodafone in 2000 and was responsible for launching the company's 3G platform Vodafone live! and for creating a global supply chain organization.
The new business and innovation unit was created earlier this year to focus on the company's so-called Mobile Plus strategy.
Mobile Plus, which focuses on initiatives such as interoperability between mobile and landline networks and instant messaging between mobiles and computers, is designed to help reduce the company's reliance on the largely-saturated Western European market and the threats from low-cost voice over Internet protocol services.
The company says it hopes to have 10% of its revenues coming from Mobile Plus initiatives within a three to four year period.
Company Web site: http://www.vodafone.com
-By Jessica Hodgson, Dow Jones Newswires; +44 207 842 92 93; jessica.hodgson@dowjones.com
(END) Dow Jones Newswires"
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