In what could be seen as a show of confidence that its sale to BT will go ahead, EE has confirmed that Olaf Swantee is to be replaced by chief commercial officer Marc Allera (pictured), post completion.
EE has confirmed that Olaf Swantee is to step down as CEO, “shortly after” the completion of the UK mobile operator’s agreed sale to BT (LON:BT), which is targeting an end of March closure.
In October, the UK’s Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) provisionally approved the £12.5bn (US$19bn) deal, which was agreed with sellers Deutsche Telekom and Orange in December 2014. The CMA has said it will conclude its review of market feedback by 16 January.
Marc Allera (pictured) has been appointed as the future CEO of EE, once it becomes a division of BT.
Allera became EE’s chief commercial officer in 2011, moving from rival Three UK, where he had been CCO and sales & marketing director.
In a statement, Swantee said that while it was an “enormously difficult decision” it was the right time to pursue new opportunities.
“I am immensely proud of the past four and a half years, creating, launching and growing EE to the exciting business it is today.”
Thomas Dannenfeldt, chairman of EE and CFO of Deutsche Telekom, which will emerge with a 12% stake and board seat in the enlarged BT, said: “Under Olaf’s leadership EE has delivered on every level.
“Based on a strategy of network and service supremacy, EE has shown a tremendously successful market and financial performance over a number of years. Marc has already greatly contributed to this success in the past and I wish him the best of luck in his new role.”
Prior to becoming CEO of EE, Swantee had headed Orange’s Europe division, and before that had spent 17 years in IT at companies including HP and Compaq.