Following it's merger with NTL:Telewest, Virgin Mobile will lose Graeme Hutchinson at the end of September, having resigned his post at Virgin Mobile as trading director after only a few months.
Hutchinson, featured in our Personality column last month, was only a few weeks ago announcing a "significant wave" of new Virgin Mobile stores, with plans on having 200 retail outlets in total next year. So what happened?
Alan Gow, Virgin Mobile MD said "Over the past few months, Graeme Hutchinson has been working closely with ntl:Telewest to help shape our trading strategy and to agree the direction of the distribution of group products. That future direction has now been established and I'm delighted to let you know that Virgin Mobile will be taking responsibility for selling group products through Virgin Mobile stores and our independent retail channels."
Paul Williams current head of channel management is to takeover as director of retail and current general manager of indirect sales Rob Shardlow will head up sales and distribution. These two new positions will effectively cover Hutchinson's vacant role.
Gow is confident that the Williams/Shardlow partnership will pick up where Graeme left off, "Graeme has been with us for seven years and it's true his successors don't have quite the same profile. But Rob is the guy who runs the sales force and he is well known. They both worked at T-Mobile together and I think it will be a seamless transition for him to step into a director role."
Paul Williams current head of channel management is to takeover as director of retail and current general manager of indirect sales Rob Shardlow will head up sales and distribution. These two new positions will effectively cover Hutchinson's vacant role.
Gow is confident that the Williams/Shardlow partnership will pick up where Graeme left off, "Graeme has been with us for seven years and it's true his successors don't have quite the same profile. But Rob is the guy who runs the sales force and he is well known. They both worked at T-Mobile together and I think it will be a seamless transition for him to step into a director role."