S&P Global Market Intelligence presents a biweekly rundown of executive and board changes in the European media and communications industries.
TOP MOVES
* Former Google Inc. executive Alexandar Vassilev has been appointed CEO of ProSiebenSat.1 Media SE and Discovery Communications Inc.'s joint streaming service 7TV, ProSiebenSat.1 announced Feb. 2. Vassilev will take over his new role immediately and will be in charge of the growth and development of the service in Germany. Alphabet Inc. owns Google.
* Telecom Italia SpA Chairman Arnaud de Puyfontaine confirmed that Giuseppe Recchi is stepping down as deputy chairman to join a private equity firm, Telecompaper reported Jan. 26, citing La Repubblica. Recchi, who has given up operational powers in Telecom Italia, would stay on the telco's board, subject to talks with the executive chairman and the board itself, Reuters separately reported, citing sources.
MEDIA INDUSTRY MOVES
* Kelly Webb-Lamb is joining Channel 4 (UK) as its deputy director of programmes and head of popular factual, TBI Vision reported Feb. 2. C4's factual entertainment, features and daytime commissioning teams will report to Webb-Lamb.
* RTL Group CEO Bert Habets and Bertelsmann Printing Group CEO Axel Hentrei are joining Bertelsmann SE & Co. KGaA's group management committee, with immediate effect, Bertelsmann announced Feb. 2. Guillaume de Posch, who has been a member of the committee since 2012, is stepping down following his resignation as RTL Group's co-CEO. Bertelsmann owns RTL Group.
* France Télévisions SA President and CEO Delphine Ernotte appointed Takis Candilis to replace Xavier Couture as deputy CEO, effective Feb 26. Candilis will be in charge of channels, programming and editorial strategy for the group, the company said Jan. 31.
COMMUNICATIONS INDUSTRY MOVES
* Vodafone UK named Scott Petty as its chief technology officer, taking over from Jorge Fernandes. Scott was formerly Vodafone Group Plc's technology enterprise director. In addition, Vodafone UK added the fixed networks portfolio to the responsibilities held by its head of mobile networks, Kye Prigg, the company announced Feb. 7.
* Telenor ASA said Feb. 6 that it will cut 115 positions in its technology division. The cuts coincide with Telenor's reorganization of its IT operations.
* Sonetel AB named Peter Montgomery CFO, replacing Kristina Elfström Mackintosh, who will leave the international telephone services company by end-February, Dagens Industri reported Feb. 6.
* Huawei Technologies Co. Ltd.'s Italian unit appointed Thomas Miao CEO, replacing Edward Chan, Telecompaper reported Feb. 6. Chan will become the vice president of marketing and sales for Huawei's operations in western Europe.
* Natalya Chumachenko has been appointed as a member of MegaFon's board and will also be joining USM Holdings, Telecompaper reported Feb. 6. Alexander Sobolev will replace Chumachenko in her current role as MegaFon's managing director for strategy and organizational development.
* The SFR Group management team appointed Arthur Dreyfuss as secretary general and Michel Matas as general counsel, replacing Régis Turrini and Emmanuelle Lévine, respectively. Dreyfuss will retain his position as communications director of Altice NV, SFR announced Feb. 5.
* Telenor will cut about 6,000 full-time positions over the next three years, the company said when presenting its financial report for 2017. The cuts are part of an ambition to cut costs by between 1% and 3% per year by the end of 2020.
* Telefónica SA announced Jan. 30 its proposal for a major organizational shakeup, which includes the appointment of Emilio Gayo as the new executive chairman of its Telefónica España unit, replacing Luis Miguel Gilpérez. Other proposed changes include splitting Telefónica's Latin American division Telefónica Hispanoamérica into two new units, as well as the appointment of María Jesús Almazor as Telefónica España's COO and Mario Martin as CEO of Telefónica's infrastructure unit Telxius Telecom S.A. All changes are subject to approval by Telefónica's board.
* NOS said Jan. 25 that it appointed Gerard Timmer as its new general director, starting May 1. Timmer, who is currently director at broadcaster BNNVARA, will succeed Jan de Jong, who recently moved to a management post at the Feyenoord soccer club.
* MegaFon selected Yevgeniy Bystrykh as the new chairman of the company's management board, Telecompaper reported Jan. 25. Bystrykh currently serves as deputy CEO for economy and finance at UCM Management, MegaFon's controlling shareholder.
