The former head of Telenor Sweden and Canal Digital has been appointed President and CEO of Telia Company.
Patrik Hofbauer will take up his new role on February 1, 2024. He will replace Allison Kirkby who has been appointed chief executive of BT.
Lars-Johan Jarnheimer, Telia Company’s Chair of the Board, says: “I am very happy to announce, and soon welcome, Patrik Hofbauer as Telia Company’s President and CEO. Patrik has a strong track record of transforming businesses that operate in complex environments, while building highly motivated teams that are focused on customer value creation and growth. Telia has shown good progress in its digital transformation and is continuing to execute on its strategy to deliver value for all of its stakeholders. The Board and I are convinced that Patrik is the right person to continue leading this work as President and CEO, together with Telia’s experienced executive management team and dedicated colleagues across the organization.”
Hofbauer is currently CEO of Svenska Spel, the state-owned company responsible for operating Sweden’s regulated gambling market.
Patrik Hofbauer says: “I am honored and excited to have been appointed as the next President and CEO of Telia Company and am very much looking forward to working with talented colleagues across the company. Telia plays an important role for its customers and the societies it serves and is uniquely positioned to continue driving digitalization across its footprint and build on its network and technology leadership position. While I have most recently been working outside telecoms, I have followed recent industry developments with great interest, and I am ready to continue executing on Telia’s strategy and move forward with its digital transformation program.”
Born in 1968, Hofbauer studied innovation, leadership and strategy at INSEAD, and marketing management at IHM Business School. He spent 11 years at Telenor in various leadership positions, broken by a spell as CEO of Clear Channel in Sweden. He was also CEO of NEC Scandinavia.
