S&P Global Market Intelligence presents a weekly rundown of executive and board changes in the European technology, media and communications industries.
TOP MOVES
* Former British Telecom CEO Gavin Patterson will join Salesforce.com Inc. to take the newly created role of chairman for Europe, the Middle East and Africa. Patterson served as BT's CEO until January after company Chairman Jan du Plessis found "a need for a change of leadership." A Salesforce spokesperson confirmed the appointment, London's The Daily Telegraph reported.
* British operator TalkTalk Telecom Group PLC appointed Jonathan Kini as the new managing director of its unit, TalkTalk Business, replacing Kristine Olsen-Chapman who has left the company. Kini most recently worked for electrical power generation company Drax Group PLC as CEO of the customer business.
MEDIA INDUSTRY MOVES
* Nordic Entertainment Group AB will shake up its organizational and operations model, effective Oct. 1. As part of the move, NENT Studios, the company's production business, will be split into three units covering the Nordic region and central and eastern Europe, the U.K. and the U.S., according to a Sept. 5 news release. Nordic Entertainment is also forming a NENT Studios U.S. unit, following its recent investment in U.S. production company Picturestart. The company's executive management team will be reduced to eight members from 15 members. The new management team will include, among others, President and CEO Anders Jensen, and Executive Vice President and CFO Gabriel Catrina. The company will also have an extended management team with the addition of Senior Vice President and NENT Studios Nordics and CEE Head Morten Mogensen, NENT Studios U.K. CEO Jakob Mejlhede Andersen, NENT Sport Head Kim Mikkelsen, and Senior Vice President and Viasat Consumer CEO Jonas Gustafsson.
* LDC (Managers) Ltd. acquired a majority stake in Instinctif Partners Ltd., a London-based global business communications consultancy. Following the deal, LDC investment director Lawrence Dean will join Instinctif Partners' board as a nonexecutive director. Tim Trotter will become the company's nonexecutive chairman. LDC is the private equity arm of Lloyds Banking Group PLC.
* Australia-based content distributor Beyond Distribution Pty. Ltd. appointed Anne-Marie Pardoe senior vice president of sales for German-speaking Europe, Scandinavia and Iberia, TBI Vision reported. Pardoe was most recently sales manager for the U.K. and Ireland at Walt Disney Co. unit Disney Media Distribution.
* Dutch live event streaming platform On Air BV appointed Marco Verhoek COO, Broadband TV News reported Sept. 1. Verhoek has previous operations and leadership experience in the broadcasting and broadcasting technology and equipment sectors.
* ProSiebenSat.1 Media SE's head of acquisitions, Rüdiger Böss, joined production company Constantin Film AG as a producer, according to an Aug. 30 statement. Böss is also expected to strengthen the company's management team.
* French media group Mediawan SA named Edouard Benadava chief digital officer, according to an Aug. 29 news release. Benadava previously worked for Alphabet Inc. unit Google LLC, where he managed media content partnerships for online video platform YouTube.
COMMUNICATIONS INDUSTRY MOVES
* Joao Sousa is stepping down as Altice Portugal's director to join CTT- Correios de Portugal SA, Telecompaper reported Sept. 4, citing Jornal Economico. The Altice Europe unit has chosen a replacement for Sousa, which will be announced shortly.
* Russia's Mobile TeleSystems PJSC appointed Aleksey Barsegyan vice president for corporate and legal issues, Telecompaper reported Sept. 4. Barsegyan is replacing Ruslan Ibragimov, who is the company's vice president for relations with state institutions and PR.
* Vodafone Group PLC executives Elisabetta Caldera and Carmen Maria Velthuis are joining Vodafone Romania SA's board following the completion of the U.K.-based company's acquisition of UPC, Telecompaper reported Sept. 3, citing Ziarul Financiar. The executives will have a four-year term on Vodafone Romania's board.
* Eddie Buxton is stepping down as CEO of managed communications services provider Maintel Holdings PLC by year-end, Telecompaper reported Sept. 2. Maintel is looking for Buxton's successor.
* Luxembourg-based communications satellite owner and operator SES SA said Sept. 2 that company CFO Andrew Browne will step down in October due to personal reasons. The search for Browne's successor is underway.
* Belgian operator Proximus named Sandrine Desseille CEO of its low-cost brand Scarlet, Datanews reported Aug. 30. Desseille replaces Bruno Delhaise, who is moving to Cable & Wireless Communications Ltd.
* Tele2 AB said Aug. 29 that its executive vice president for international markets, Guillaume van Gaver, is stepping down to "pursue a continued international career" outside the company. Gaver's resignation came as Tele2 moves to consolidate its global business and focus more on Sweden and the Baltics.
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