Rogers taps Vodafone exec to be new CEO

By: Ted Kritsonis

September 14, 2013

Guy LaurenceRogers will be going through a leadership transition now that the company’s board has unanimously approved the appointment of former Vodafone executive, Guy Laurence, as the new CEO to replace the retiring Nadir Mohamed.

Laurence has been in the telecom, TV and media business for 30 years, having been at Vodafone since 2000, where he was CEO of both Vodafone Netherlands and Vodafone U.K. during his tenure. His good track record of growing profits and reducing customer complaints was likely a big reason why he was in the running for the job. Though Rogers doesn’t disclose how many complaints they receive, the company’s reputation has been affected by what the public views as high prices for mobile phone and cable TV.

The outgoing Mohamed had taken over from founder Ted Rogers after he passed away in 2008, overseeing the continued growth in the telecom industry, including repeated quarterly profits.

With Verizon having now backed out of entering the Canadian market, Laurence’s new position is timed just before the government’s wireless spectrum auction in January. Along with Bell and Telus, Rogers had strongly opposed Verizon’s entry on the grounds that it broke laws against foreign ownership and that the auction would be unfairly skewed towards the American carrier.

Laurence will take over in December, and has expressed his excitement at taking the reins. “(Rogers) unique mix of wireless, cable and media assets offer a brilliant platform to provide innovative service to Canadians,” he said. “I intend to build on the strong foundation established under Nadir’s leadership to compete and win in the market.”

Vodafone is the second-largest carrier in the world, serving over 440 million subscribers in dozens of countries. Verizon bought Vodafone’s U.S. business earlier this month, which amounted to a 45 percent stake of Verizon for a whopping $130 billion (U.S.). It’s the third-largest telecom deal ever recorded.

Laurence hasn’t commented specifically on what he may do or change after initially taking office, but it’s widely expected that he may move to stem the tide of customer churn over to rivals Bell and Telus.

 


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