Telecom Infrastructure Partners picks Vodafone veteran Kitapci as CEO

Lutfu Kitapci will become chief executive of Telecom Infrastructure Partners on Dec. 1, 2026, succeeding John Thompson, who has run the London lease aggregator as acting CEO since December last year. Data Center Dynamics first reported the appointment.

Kitapci joins from UK internet service provider Hyperoptic and spent close to 20 years at Vodafone Group, including a stint as chief commercial officer at Vodafone Ireland. Thompson took the acting role after the death of founder and chief executive Eric Overman and continues as chief financial officer.

For allocators underwriting TIP's lease book, the hire puts a telecoms operator with more than 25 years in the industry over contracts whose value rests on tenant credit and remaining term. TIP buys triple-net leases from individual landlords, an arrangement in which tenants cover property costs plus rent and revenue can run for 30 to 50 years. Sadiq Malik, managing director at DigitalBridge and head of InfraBridge, said: "Lutfu brings deep commercial expertise and a track record of building and scaling businesses across the telecom sector." That wording suggests the equity holders are focused on adding sites, not simply collecting on existing ones.

TIP, founded in 2021 and based in London, operates in 16 markets, predominantly across Europe and Latin America. TIP closed a €560 million ($627 million) debt financing last year, and Swiss Life Asset Managers completed the acquisition of a co-controlling equity stake in 2024, joining InfraBridge as an investor.