The Director of External Communications leads VEON’s global media, financial communications and reputation management agenda, protecting and strengthening the Group’s reputation across all markets in which it operates. The role owns the relationship between VEON and the external media, financial and is responsible for ensuring the Group’s strategy, performance, and work with the Investor Relations and Government Relations teams, amplifying the equity and regulatory stories to be communicated consistently, credibly and proactively to external stakeholders.

Media Strategy & Leadership

• Develop and execute the Group's external media relations strategy, aligned with VEON's corporate strategy, AI1440 transformation agenda and investor narrative.
• Serve as a senior advisor to the Group Head of Communications, CEO and VEON leadership Team on media positioning, message development and reputational risk.
• Oversee and maintain the Group's media relations calendar, integrating earnings cycles, strategic announcements, industry events and market-level milestones.
• Establish media relations standards, protocols and playbooks for adoption across all operating companies.

 

Financial & Capital Markets Media

• Lead media engagement around quarterly earnings, annual results, M&A activity, capital markets transactions and other material announcements, working hand-in-hand with Investor Relations, Government Relations, Legal and Finance.
• Ensure all external media activity complies with Nasdaq disclosure requirements, SEC regulations and internal disclosure controls.
• Cultivate and manage relationships with financial journalists and analysts' media channels covering telecommunications and emerging markets.
• Prepare executives for financial media interviews, earnings-related press engagement and investor conference media opportunities.

 

Proactive Storytelling & Thought Leadership

• Position VEON as a leading voice on AI adoption, digital financial services and technology in Tier-1 international technology, finance and business media.
• Identify, shape and place stories drawn from the Group's operating companies and digital assets, coordinating with OpCo communications teams to elevate local successes to international visibility.
• Develop executive visibility programs, including op-eds, keynote media opportunities, podcast placements and profile interviews for the CEO and Group leadership team members.
• Lead media activity around flagship events (e.g., MWC, Davos-adjacent engagements, earnings roadshows etc.) and Group-level campaigns.

 

Crisis & Issues Management

• Own the Group's crisis communications framework for external media, including escalation protocols, holding statements etc.
• Provide rapid-response counsel and hands-on execution during crises, geopolitical developments, regulatory actions, network incidents and reputational events in any operating market.
• Run regular crisis simulations and media training for Group and OpCo spokespeople.
• Monitor emerging issues across all markets and provide early-warning intelligence and scenario planning to Group leadership.

 

Cross-Market Coordination & Team Leadership

• Act as the functional lead for external media relations across the Group, guiding and supporting OpCo communications heads without direct line management and ensuring consistency of narrative and quality of execution.
• Manage HQ media relations resources, including agencies, retainers, monitoring services etc.
• Build a network of trusted media contacts globally.
• Manage the media relations budget and measure effectiveness through share of voice, sentiment, message pull-through, coverage quality metrics etc.

Experience

• 12+ years in media relations, corporate communications or journalism, with at least 5 years in a senior role at a publicly listed multinational, top-tier communications consultancy or major news organization.
• Demonstrable experience supporting a US-listed company (Nasdaq/NYSE) through earnings cycles, material announcements and disclosure-sensitive communications.
• Proven track record of securing and managing tier-one international media coverage (financial wires, global business press, technology media).
• Hands-on crisis communications experience, ideally in complex, multi-jurisdiction or politically sensitive environments.
• Experience in telecommunications, technology, fintech or adjacent sectors strongly preferred; familiarity with emerging and frontier markets (South Asia, Central Asia, Eastern Europe) a significant advantage.
• Experience working in a matrixed, multi-market organization, influencing without direct authority.

 

Skills & Capabilities

• Exceptional written and verbal communication in English, with the ability to draft press releases, statements, Q&As and executive talking points to a publication-ready standard under time pressure.
• Strong grasp of capital markets communications, including disclosure rules and the interplay between media relations and investor relations.
• Established personal network among journalists at international outlets, financial media platforms and technology outlets.
• Composure and decisiveness in crisis situations, including out-of-hours availability across multiple time zones.
• Strong command of media monitoring, measurement and analytics tools; comfort using AI-enabled communications tools in line with VEON's AI-first ways of working.
• Executive presence and the credibility to counsel C-suite leaders, combined with the humility to work as a hands-on operator.