Tony Guerion recently marked his first 12 months as CEO of Cellhire. During that time, Guerion has firmly put his stamp on the global telecoms provider, which specialises in mobile communications, IoT services, eSIM and data connectivity.
The first step he took when taking on the role was to shape a clear strategy for the company moving forward. Central to that new strategy is a focus on product, suppliers, sales, and investing in and making the brand more visible, with a big push towards IoT.
“We started by setting some simple objectives and getting everyone on board to work towards achieving those,” said Guerion. “The most encouraging aspect for me is the way in which my team has embraced the whole project and bought into the vision of where we want to take the business.
“We have also started to build up some real traction in the market, which shows that our brand awareness drive is already yielding some success. Now the focus is on how we continue to do that moving forward.”
Multi-faceted style
Guerion has an extensive track record, notably joining Vodafone in 2010. He was promoted to global head of sales for IoT in 2016 and CEO of Vodafone France in 2019.
Despite his vast experience, having worked for almost 30 years in business leadership and management within the communications industry, Guerion said that he has learnt some key lessons during his relatively short time in post.
These are: the need to communicate clearly with everyone from shareholders to employees; the need to keep challenging himself and have an enquiring mindset; and the need to be resilient in the face of adversity.
Describing his management style as multi-faceted, Guerion said that it ranges from being hands-on to taking a step back and looking at the wider strategy. It’s this adaptability and flexibility that has been behind his success story.
“I’m very transparent and direct in my approach – what you see is what you get,” said Guerion. “I also like to give my team responsibility and work collaboratively with them to find the best way forward, as well as sharing the rewards of their hard work with them.”
Drawing on his IoT expertise, Guerion has been primarily focused on finding and capitalising on opportunities in that market. Having identified 10 key verticals where it can be effectively deployed, he believes that the technology has huge untapped potential, particularly given the current lack of true IoT connectivity resellers and the profit opportunities, as the cost of entry continues to come down.
“IoT managed connected services is fast emerging as one of the biggest growth areas right now,” said Guerion. “There’s clearly demand for and an opportunity to deliver these services for customers looking for such solutions, which the Channel can deliver on.”
MNO links
Over the last year, Guerion has been using his connections at Vodafone to grow both its IoT and voice and data portfolio. The company also leverages relationships it has with 02, EE, Orange France and Verizon to provide mobile airtime to direct and indirect channel partners.
“Over the last 12 months, we have been focused on establishing a long-term partnership with Vodafone,” said Guerion. “At the same time, we have also used Vodafone’s reputation in the market to raise our own profile, as well as leveraging the support and opportunities they provide us with.”
Even during his relatively short stint at Cellhire, Guerion has overseen a steady growth in turnover, rising to £28.8 million in FY24 from £28.2 million in FY23. Yet net profit more than halved to £1 million from £2.7 million over the same period, while adjusted EBITDA was also down at £4.3 million from £4.7 million.
Moving forward, Guerion said that Cellhire is focused on four key strategy areas. These are: product, geography, direct and indirect sales, and digital.
“First of all, we want to have a highly competitive and differentiated product,” said Guerion. “We also want to build on and replicate the successes we have had in the UK and France in our other markets in the US and Japan.
“Then, in terms of sales, our focus is both on selling through our partners indirectly, but also through traditional direct sales methods. We have also been investing in and ramping up our digital online presence, which generates a significant part of our pipeline.”
Delivering the best service
Over the next 12 months, Guerion said that Cellhire will be concentrating on a combination of organic growth and M&A activity. It’s a strategy that has served the company well since its inception in 1987.
During his time in the industry, Guerion has seen some big changes, not least a growth in competition and subsequent consolidation in the mobile network operator (MNO) space. He only sees that trend continuing amid rising inflation and the need to make large network upgrade investments.
Guerion has also noted a sea change in the way MNOs now distribute their product. He said that, in recent years, there has been a shift in channel strategy to sell more through indirect means.
Another big challenge, said Guerion, is attracting and retaining talent. As competition for the brightest and best continues to accelerate, he said that companies are going to have to make themselves stand out as a top employer.
To succeed, Guerion said that channel companies also need to focus on going beyond the traditional services offering and diversifying their product range. But, ultimately, he said that it all comes down to delivering the best possible service to the customer.
“At the end of day, it’s all about delivering for the customer,” said Guerion. “That means supporting them at all times, providing a strong customer experience and always going the extra mile.”
This interview was included in our April 2025 print issue. You can read the magazine in full here.