Amsterdam-based VimpelCom, a leading global provider of telecommunications services with operations in 14 countries has named Jean-Yves Charlier, the former head of French telecom giant SFR as its new Group Chief Executive Officer, taking over from Jo Lunder, who has resigned from his position effective from the 13th April.
Jean-Yves’ who holds an M.B.A. from the Wharton Business School was the Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of SFR, the second largest telecom operator in France with EUR 10 billion in revenues and over 20 million customers. Jean-Yves was responsible for repositioning SFR in one of the most competitive markets in Europe, whilst completing the demerger of the company from Vivendi, at the end of last year, in a EUR 17 billion transaction with cable operator, Numericable.
Prior to SFR, Jean-Yves was the Chief Executive Officer for Promethean, a global leader in interactive learning technologies and Colt, a leading alternative carrier, where he was credited with the successful turnaround of the company across Europe. He started his career with Wang in France and has held senior executive positions with Equant and BT Global Services.
Commenting on the appointment, industry analysts predict Jean-Yves to be challenged by the economic crises in Russia, which is a major contributor to the group's revenues; and a similar situation in Ukraine, another large market for its Beeline brand.
We are delighted to welcome Jean-Yves, a proven leader with an excellent track record of driving business performance. He steps onto a global platform with 222 million customers and VimpelCom will benefit immensely from his strong experience of delivering customers’ digital, entertainment and communications needs wherever they live and work.
