German cable operator Tele Columbus is reorganising the responsibilities of its executive team with the aim of improving its ability to respond to strategic and operational challenges in the future as well as continuing its growth course.
All marketing and sales activities for private customer business will in future be combined and merged into the newly created function of the Chief Consumer Officer (CCO). This position will be filled by Stefan Riedel (pictured) starting June 1, 2018. Tobias Schmidt, currently Chief Marketing Officer (CMO), has chosen to leave the company as of June 15, 2018.
Schmidt, who has been with the company since February 2017, was responsible for the development and launch of the new PŸUR brand under which the more than 10 companies of the Tele Columbus Group were unified. Furthermore, he developed the new modular product portfolio which was introduced in October 2017 as part of the launch of the new brand. Most recently, the 46-year-old was in charge of private customer sales.
Riedel’s area of responsibility in the newly created CCO position will include the uniform brand identity of all companies belonging to the PŸUR brand, product development for TV, internet, telephone and mobile communications services as well as management of the sales channels.
The 48-year-old has extensive experience in the telecommunications industry. Before joining Starticket, the second-largest ticket seller in Switzerland, as CEO in 2016, Riedel worked at Orange Communications and its successor company Salt Mobile for 12 years in various roles. Most recently, he worked as the Director of Consumer Marketing & Deputy to the Chief Commercial Officer. In this position, he was in charge of Consumer Marketing, where he played a leading role while Orange was re-branded as Salt and was responsible for marketing strategy and product development. He was also jointly responsible for the strategic and operational management of end customer business.
Roland Schleicher, who has been responsible for integrating acquired companies and implementing corporate strategy as Chief Business Transformation Officer (CBTO) since October 2016, will become Chief Operations Officer (COO) as of July 1, 2018. In his new role, the 38-year-old former McKinsey consultant will oversee the expansion of operational functions as well as digital transformation.
