VimpelCom has named technology entrepreneur Christopher Schlaeffer as chief digital officer, effective 17 January. The appointment follows CEO Jean-Yves Charlier’s statement last summer that the “traditional telecoms model has run out of steam”.
VimpelCom appoints Christopher Schlaeffer as chief digital officer
VimpelCom (NASDAQ: VIP) has named technology entrepreneur Christopher Schlaeffer as chief digital officer, effective 17 January. The appointment, which follows that of Jon Eddy as emerging markets chief, follows CEO Jean-Yves Charlier’s statement last summer that the “traditional telecoms model has run out of steam”.
Schlaeffer, who has founded start-ups including smart home platform Yetu, previously spent 12 years at Deutsche Telekom as chief product and innovation officer and corporate development officer, also serving on the executive operating board.
The company said he would be responsible for driving its “transformation into an open digital model and new ecosystem for the industry, supporting the development of new digital services and telecom propositions for customers, as well as leading the group’s global commercial functions”.
According to VimpelCom CEO Jean-Yves Charlier, Schlaeffer’s “extensive industry expertise and entrepreneurial experience will make a significant contribution to our transformation program to reinvent VimpelCom.” He added that Vimpelcom would concurrently open a new global digital division in London.
The new appointee holds a master’s degree from Vienna University of Economics and was named a “Young Global Leader” by the World Economic Forum.
