Arun Sarin, the head of US-based technology-focused venture capital firm Accel-KKR Telecom, will take over as chief executive of Vodafone, Europe's largest mobile phone operator, when Christopher Gent steps down.

Sarin is already a non-executive director of Vodafone and was previously Gent's lieutenant as chief operating officer and president of AirTouch Communications when it was bought by Vodafone, led by Gent, in 1999. Sarin became chief executive of the Americas and Asia region of Vodafone when the firms' US-based mobile businesses were merged to form Verizon Wireless. A spokesman said Gent was not involved in the selection of his successor, which was handled by a committee.