Vodafone is to fiddle with its top brass this summer. Paul Hazen, the firm's deputy chairman and top non-executive member of the board will retire to be replaced by a promoted John Buchanan.

Hazen has been on the operator's board since 1999.

Buchanan, meanwhile, retired as CFO from oil giant BP in 2002. He also serves as a non-exec for drug companies Smith and Nephew and biotech AstraZeneca.

Also departing is another non-exec director, Penny Hughes. Vodafone chairman Lord MacLaurin of Knebworth gushed: "Penny Hughes has been a fine, active non-executive director and did an exceptional job for Vodafone when chairing our Remuneration Committee."

MacLaurin was paid £517,000 last year and will get £125,000 as a consultant when he too steps down, to be succeeded by Sir John Bond.

The changes will all come into effect after the AGM on 25 July. ®