Telenor has announced that Jan Edvard Thygesen will move to VimpelCom on January 1, 2012 as deputy CEO and COO.
Thygesen is EVP and head of Central and Eastern European operations at Telenor. Khaled Bichara, president and COO of VimpelCom, will be stepping down as planned, at the end of December 2011.
Jo Lunder VimpelCom Group CEO said in a statement: “Khaled informed me some time ago that he would be stepping down from VimpelCom at the end of the year with the successful integration of VimpelCom and Wind Telecom. Khaled has played an instrumental role in the merger and securing the targeted synergies within the enlarged business.”
CEO Lunder further stated: “I am pleased to welcome Jan Edvard in his new position as deputy CEO and COO. Jan Edvard knows VimpelCom well, having served as a member of our board. He has extensive operational experience in all aspects of the telecom industry, which will help us deliver on our new strategy and further operational excellence throughout the company.”
Thygesen added: “I am very excited to accept this position with VimpelCom’s executive team, in which I can utilise my operational experience in various telecom markets to build upon VimpelCom’s accomplishments.”
