TowerXchange: Vantage Towers just turned 5 years old  – Congratulations! What stands out to you when you look back on these past years?

Christian Hillabrant: Thank you! Five years of Vantage Towers – it’s hard to believe how young this company is when you reflect on how far we’ve already come. Vantage Towers was founded with the clear ambition to create Europe’s leading TowerCo, focused on the Neutral Host model, sustainability, and innovation. Since our carve-out, we’ve written corporate history in fast-forward including an IPO on the Frankfurt stock exchange and a delisting only two years later under our new shareholder structure. Today, we’re a trusted partner for the telco ecosystem with a portfolio of 86,000 ground-based and roof-top towers across Europe and remain on a steady growth trajectory.

And even though such figures are impressive, there is something else that has amazed me most in the two years that I have been leading the company: during this time, we have managed to grow together across all our European markets. This is something that cannot simply be determined, this culture has to grow and be nurtured. We are very proud of this! And, of course, we properly celebrated our anniversary with all our employees from across Europe.

TowerXchange: Vantage Towers has often spoken about being a ‘next-generation TowerCo’. What does that mean in practice?

Christian Hillabrant: Being a next-generation TowerCo means moving beyond traditional capabilities. We carefully redesign our offering and how we work. So, on the one hand it’s about shaping the networks of tomorrow, playing a key role in enabling new technologies like 5G, IoT, and private networks by providing scalable, future-ready infrastructure across Europe. On the other hand it’s about how we operate. We’re leveraging latest technology to transform our business, including remote monitoring, AI-driven maintenance, and smart energy solutions. All of which help us to operate more efficiently, deliver more value, and serve our customers better. Digitalization is a key enabler for our ambitious growth aspirations and superior customer experience.

TowerXchange: Digital trends like AI are transforming industries everywhere – how is Vantage Towers embracing these changes?

Christian Hillabrant: In the TowerCo business it’s about being a trusted and reliable partner for communities, customers, and landlords. We do not chase hypes and trends, but we thoroughly identify how digitalization can help increase our performance. Vantage Towers is taking a holistic approach from end-to-end – embedding smart tools across our business, automating processes, and building a more data-driven and transparent organization. AI is a prime opportunity for improving the way we work across all areas. It helps unlocking new efficiencies and enhancing all our stakeholder’s experiences. Let’s take a look at landlords, for example. We manage tens of thousands of relationships with companies and private individuals from whom we lease land and roof space for our infrastructure. Stable und trusting relationship to this diverse group are key for our success. So, one major milestone on our digital roadmap will be the introduction of a brand-new Landlord Service Management Platform that will be rolled out in the first markets as of autumn. For the first time, we are offering the entire Landlord journey efficiently and conveniently in one application. That’s a game changer for their experience and our business.

TowerXchange: If we look at the broader market, mobile operator consolidation continues to reshape the telecom landscape. How is Vantage Towers responding to this trend?

Christian Hillabrant: Mobile network operator consolidation is an ongoing trend that will also be influenced on EU-level when the existing Merger Guidelines will be revised later this year. Consolidation always represents a source for synergies that can benefit the entire value chain. Vantage Towers takes an individual assessment of each merger to evaluate the multidimensional effects on the markets and its business such as, changes in tenancy dynamics, or new opportunities for us as a Neutral Host. Furthermore, consolidation often drives network integration and modernization, creating demand for colocation or built-to-suit solutions. It also sharpens our focus on cost efficiency and operational excellence.

Strategically, we’re strengthening commercial partnerships, investing in multi-tenant readiness, and keeping our assets attractive to both anchor and new customers. In markets like Spain and Hungary, where consolidation has already occurred, our focus remains on supporting all MNOs with scalable, high-quality infrastructure.

TowerXchange: Looking ahead, what’s your vision for the next five years of Vantage Towers?

Christian Hillabrant: We have positioned Vantage Towers strongly over the past five years. Now we want to take it to the next level. This means that we remain committed to sustainably scaling our core business whilst simultaneously pushing the boundaries of what a TowerCo can do. Whether it’s enabling the next wave of 5G, empowering smart cities, or further developing our product portfolio. Vantage Towers is here to become the backbone of the digital transformation in Europe.