Tele2 has appointed former Virgin Media marketing chief Jeff Dodds as the new CEO of its Netherlands-based unit, the Swedish group announced on Monday.
The Dutch unit, which operates as a mobile virtual network operator (MVNO), said Dodds takes over the duties of Ernst Jan van Rooijen, who in recent months has combined his duties as chief financial officer with the role of acting CEO, on April 14.
Tele2 is placing increased emphasis on growth at its Dutch unit following the Norwegian unit's failure to win an LTE licence and additional 3G spectrum during an auction in December. Tele2 Netherlands is the group's second-largest business, accounting for 18 per cent of its group sales in 2013.
When the group presented its 2013 results in February, Tele2 president and CEO Mats Granryd said the "Netherlands and Kazakhstan need to maintain their momentum within mobile" during 2014.
In the Netherlands, Tele2 is a challenger on the mobile market and competes with KPN, Vodafone NL and T-Mobile NL. It also offers triple-play packages of fixed voice, broadband and TV services. In 2013, growth in Tele2 NL's mobile revenues in 2013 offset declines in fixed sales.
"I'm a huge fan of challenger brands and the advantage that they offer customers," commented Dodds. "They're the ones with smart innovations for businesses and consumers…and really give customers value for money."
Crucially, Dodds will oversee Tele2 NL's launch of LTE services to compete with those already offered by its rivals. "We only have one bullet in the chamber, we only have one chance to get this right," Granryd told Reuters.
For more:
- see this Tele2 release
- see this Reuters article
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