Alcatel-Lucent appoints Michel Combes as CEO
23 Feb 2013
Telecom equipment manufacturer Alcatel-Lucent has appointed Michel Combes as the company's new chief executive officer, effective 1 April 2013, following the resignation of Ben Verwaayen, who stepped down as the company's CEO following its fourth quarter losses.
Combes, 51, was chief executive officer of Vodafone Europe and a director with Vodafone PLC. He had held positions of chairman and CEO of TDF as well as chief financial officer and senior executive vice president of France Telecom.
The Paris-headquartered company will seek shareholders' approval at its annual general meeting to held on 7 May 2013.
''It is a great pleasure for us to welcome Michel Combes to Alcatel-Lucent. As chief executive he will be responsible for delivering sustainable profitability. His deep knowledge of the industry as well as his experience of major business and financial transformation at a worldwide level will be pivotal in helping the company pursue its aggressive transformation, while meeting customer needs with disruptive innovation,'' chairman Philippe Camus said.
''I would like to warmly thank Ben Verwaayen for his years of service for the company and wish him all the best for his future endeavors. Ben and Michel will work closely together over the next few weeks to ensure a smooth transition,'' Camus added.
Effective immediately, Alcatel-Lucent has appointed Jean C Monty as its vice chairman.
Monty, 64, began his career at Bell Canada in 1974 and held numerous positions in the Bell Canada Enterprises group. He joined Nortel Networks Corporation in October 1992 as president and chief oerating officer before being nominated president and chief executive officer in March 1993. On 24 April 2002, Monty, then chairman of the board and chief executive officer of Bell Canada Enterprises, retired after a 28-year career.
