KPN seeks new blood for top job

Dutch telco KPN will follow in Nokia's footsteps by appointing an external candidate as its CEO, with the heads of Deutsche Telekom and Telenet hotly tipped for the post.
 
The recruitment firm hired to find a replacement for Ad Scheepbouwer has flagged Deutsche Telekom’s German boss Niek Jan van Damme and Telenet’s chief Duco Sickinghe as the top candidates for the role, Dutch daily Financieele Dagblad reported.
 
KPN is seeking a more charismatic CEO as it switches its focus away from financial performance towards growth through expansion into new markets, the newspaper said.
 
It also hopes an external candidate will unite the boardroom, where a culture of rivalry has developed after Scheepbouwer said his replacement should come from within the company.
 
While Telenet’s Sickinghe is tipped as the favorite to succeed Scheepbouwer, the Belgian cable operator has flatly denied he is heading for the door, Bloomberg said.
 
Scheepbouwer extended his tenure as KPN’s boss in 2007, but is due to retire in 2011.
 
A decision in his replacement is due to be made by the end of the month.