Vodafone and Liberty Global have announced their intention to appoint Jeroen Hoencamp as chief executive and Ritchy Drost as CFO of the two companies’ proposed 50-50 joint venture business combining Vodafone Netherlands and Ziggo.
The merger is subject to approval by the relevant competition authorities.
Hoencamp has been the chief executive of Vodafone UK, prior to which he was chief executive of Vodafone Ireland. Before that, he spent 12 years in a number of senior executive roles with Vodafone Netherlands and other companies.
Hoencamp will take up the new position on September 1.
Meanwhile, Drost is currently CFO of Ziggo, a position he has held since September 2015. Over a 17?year career with Liberty Global he has held a number of senior management positions including CFO, European Broadband Operations and MD and CFO of UPC Netherlands, Liberty’s predecessor Dutch cable operation.
These appointments are subject to works council consultation.
Additionally, Liberty Global has announced that Ziggo chief executive Baptiest Coopmans will remain in his current position as CEO until completion of the transaction, after which he will join the supervisory board of the joint venture as one of Liberty Global’s appointed directors.
Coopmans has held the chief executive position at Ziggo since November 2014 and successfully led the merger and integration of UPC and Ziggo.
Vodafone Netherlands CFO Carmen Velthuis will remain in her current position until the merger has completed. Vodafone will announce her subsequent assignment in due course.
Vodafone Group chief executive Vittorio Colao and Liberty Global CEO Mike Fries said: “Jeroen and Ritchy are experienced business leaders with extensive operational, strategic and merger integration experience. We are delighted they will be shaping our companies’ shared mission to create a strong and competitive integrated communications provider serving consumers, businesses and public sector customers in the Dutch market.”
Mike Fries added: “I am particularly pleased that Baptiest Coopmans has agreed to join the joint venture supervisory board once the transaction is completed.
He is an experienced leader and a trusted member of my executive team whose knowledge of the Dutch broadband and pay TV market will be invaluable. I look forward to working with Baptiest in this new role and exploring other opportunities in the Liberty group.”
