Proximus dismisses executive at international division
Proximus has dismissed Surash Patel, who was both the chief revenue officer of Proximus Global and the managing director of BICS. This was reported by De Tijd on Tuesday and has been confirmed by the telecoms group.
Proximus Global comprises three international subsidiaries of Proximus, Belgium’s largest telecom operator and a major global player in digital communications. BICS handles global connectivity services, while India-based Route Mobile focuses on communication technologies and US-based Telesign specialises in cybersecurity.
Underperformance
The company’s half-year results revealed that the international arm had underperformed, with revenue and profit both falling short of targets. Consequently, Proximus Global has had to scale back its ambitious growth forecasts, prompting a nearly 10 per cent drop in the Proximus share price. This underperformance has cost Patel, who was appointed late last year, his position.
“This dismissal must be seen in the context of the transformation currently under way at Proximus Global,” Proximus Global spokesperson told De Tijd.
Patel’s roles will be temporarily assumed by two Proximus executives: Ben Vandermeulen, the current head of the residential market at Proximus, will act as interim chief revenue officer at Global, and Jorn Vercamert, the current global chief product Officer, will lead BICS.
Patel’s tenure was brief. The British executive spent less than 10 months at BICS, having replaced a CEO who was dismissed earlier this year. He was Global's chief revenue officer for only seven months. Patel had previously worked for Telesign. According to De Tijd, his promotion was explicitly tied to the growth he had achieved there.
© BELGA PHOTO BENOIT DOPPAGNE
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