France Telecom announced that having completed his mission to integrate the Orange business within the Group and position Orange as the single brand for the Group's converged telecoms services, Sanjiv Ahuja, Orange CEO has left to pursue new ventures.
Ahuja will maintain his links with France Telecom as Chairman of Orange UK and as an advisor to the Group's Chairman and CEO Didier Lombard. France Telecom will also become a partner in one of Sanjiv Ahuja's new ventures which will target emerging markets.
Sanjiv Ahuja joined Orange in April 2003 as Chief Operating Officer, and was appointed Orange SA CEO in March 2004. Since then, the Group has increased the number of countries in which it operates from 17 to 23 and has more than doubled the number of its mobile customers from 48 million to over 100 million worldwide today. Sanjiv has also overseen the successful extension of the Orange brand from its mobile origins so that it now embraces the Group's broadband, fixed line and IPTV services in its largest markets.
Sanjiv Ahuja commented: "After four great years with Orange, the time is now right for me to move ahead with a series of new ventures with the aim of exploring some of the fascinating opportunities that I believe this sector still holds. I'm also delighted to be maintaining my links with France Telecom in this context and I'd like to take this opportunity to pay a particular tribute to Didier Lombard whose vision of an integrated future for France Telecom has underpinned everything we've achieved over these past four years. "
Didier Lombard, Chairman and CEO of France Telecom, commented: "His contribution to the success of the Group during this period speaks for itself and that is in no small part down to Sanjiv's work in creating the conditions for the smooth and efficient integration of Orange SA with the France Telecom Group and then a successful extension of the brand across all our services. This means that today our Group can provide the full range of integrated services our customers require, under a single and even more powerful Orange brand."
Olaf Swantee will join the company as Executive Vice President in charge of Personal Communication Services , UK and Europe/Middle East operations*. He will also join the Group Management Committee. Olaf Swantee is currently Senior Vice President at Hewlett-Packard responsible for enterprise sales and software in Europe, Middle East, and Africa. He has 17 years of international experience in the IT industry.
Sanjiv Ahuja joined Orange in April 2003 as Chief Operating Officer, and was appointed Orange SA CEO in March 2004. Since then, the Group has increased the number of countries in which it operates from 17 to 23 and has more than doubled the number of its mobile customers from 48 million to over 100 million worldwide today. Sanjiv has also overseen the successful extension of the Orange brand from its mobile origins so that it now embraces the Group's broadband, fixed line and IPTV services in its largest markets.
Sanjiv Ahuja commented: "After four great years with Orange, the time is now right for me to move ahead with a series of new ventures with the aim of exploring some of the fascinating opportunities that I believe this sector still holds. I'm also delighted to be maintaining my links with France Telecom in this context and I'd like to take this opportunity to pay a particular tribute to Didier Lombard whose vision of an integrated future for France Telecom has underpinned everything we've achieved over these past four years. "
Didier Lombard, Chairman and CEO of France Telecom, commented: "His contribution to the success of the Group during this period speaks for itself and that is in no small part down to Sanjiv's work in creating the conditions for the smooth and efficient integration of Orange SA with the France Telecom Group and then a successful extension of the brand across all our services. This means that today our Group can provide the full range of integrated services our customers require, under a single and even more powerful Orange brand."
Olaf Swantee will join the company as Executive Vice President in charge of Personal Communication Services , UK and Europe/Middle East operations*. He will also join the Group Management Committee. Olaf Swantee is currently Senior Vice President at Hewlett-Packard responsible for enterprise sales and software in Europe, Middle East, and Africa. He has 17 years of international experience in the IT industry.