Eircom has appointed a former Vodafone Ireland CEO Paul Donovan as its new group CEO, following a search that lasted over three months.
Donovan will take the reins from the head of Eircom Retail Cathal Magee, who filled the role of acting CEO after the previous CEO Rex Comb announced his departure.
Donovan spent nine years with Vodafone, which included three years as chief executive of Vodafone Ireland.
Most recently, he was Vodafone CEO for Central Europe, Middle East and Asia Pacific. For the past four years, Donovan has been a member of the Vodafone Executive Committee. He will take up the Eircom CEO position on 1 July 2009.
“I would like to congratulate and welcome Paul Donovan,” the chairman of Eircom Ned Sullivan said.
“Paul’s vast industry experience and specific knowledge of the Irish market will be critical in leading the group through the major challenges that lie ahead. He has worked with some of the largest international brands, and has been extremely successful developing and implementing strategic programmes, which achieved strong growth for those operations.”
Sullivan and the board thanked Cathal Magee for the work he did while holding the acting CEO position. “Since his appointment to that role, Cathal has worked very closely with a range of key Eircom stakeholders and initiated difficult but necessary programmes which are critical to secure the future of the company.
“These include concluding the Stage 1 Accord on cost reductions that was agreed earlier this week,” said Sullivan.
By John Kennedy
