Telecom Infrastructure Partners has named Lutfu Kitapci as its new chief executive officer.

Kitapci will take the helm on December 1, 2026, and joins the company from UK ISP Hyperoptic.

He takes over the role from John Thompson, who has served as acting CEO since December of last year, following the passing of TIP’s founder and former CEO, Eric Overman. Thompson will continue as chief financial officer, a role he also held while overseeing the business.

The company’s new CEO, Kitapci, brings more than 25 years of telecoms industry experience, spending close to 20 years at Vodafone Group, working across the company in several countries. This included a stint as chief commercial officer at Vodafone Ireland.

“The team has built a strong platform and a reputation as a reliable, long-term partner to both property owners and tenants. My thanks to John and the team for the welcome so far — I’m excited about what we will build together,” said Kitapci on his appointment.

Sadiq Malik, managing director at DigitalBridge and head of InfraBridge, said: “Lutfu brings deep commercial expertise and a track record of building and scaling businesses across the telecom sector. We are confident he will build on TIP’s strong foundations and lead the company through its next phase of growth. I also want to recognize John for his exceptional commitment over the past year. His leadership has been instrumental in strengthening TIP’s platform and positioning the business for continued growth and success.”

Founded in 2021, TIP (not to be confused with Telecom Infra Project) is a London-based company that operates within the global lease aggregation market, targeting telecom sites predominantly across Europe and Latin America. The company operates in 16 markets.

TIP’s business model focuses heavily on the acquisition of triple net lease agreements from individual landlords.

A triple net lease is an agreement that holds the tenant of the property responsible for all property costs, plus rent. Such agreements can create long-term revenue streams for periods of 30 to 50 years.

Swiss Life Asset Managers completed the acquisition of a co-controlling equity stake in TIP in 2024, joining InfraBridge as a key investor in the business. The company closed a €560 million ($627m) debt financing last year.