O'Brien takes over as Digicel Group CEO
Published:Friday | December 28, 2018 | 12:00 AM
Chairman of the Digicel Group, Denis O'Brien has temporarily taken over the role of chief executive officer (CEO) of the telecommunications conglomerate.
The move follows the sudden passing of Alexander Matuschka 10 months after he was introduced as CEO of the Digicel Group.
According to Antonia Graham, head of communications for the Digicel Group, Matuschka, 47, died suddenly on Thursday while vacationing with his family in his native Germany.
O'Brien broke the news to employees across the Digicel Group in an email that was circulated before midday yesterday.
A HEAVY HEART
"It is with a heavy heart and much sadness that I share news of the untimely death of our Group CEO, Alex Matuschka von Greiffenclau," the email said.
"No words can adequately express our sadness at Alex's passing or our gratitude for having worked with him. Digicel has lost a committed, hard-working, and exceptional chief executive. Those of us who have been fortunate enough to know him on a personal level have lost a dear friend," O'Brien added.
Matuschka was responsible for ensuring performance excellence across Digicel's 31 markets worldwide as the company pushes its 2030 global-trans-formation programme with a promise to deliver "an amazing network and putting customers in control of their communications and entertainment experience".
He has been described as a key figure in the group's debt-restructuring negotiations.
Matuschka joined Digicel from global telecommunications company Veon, the seventh largest mobile network operator in the world, with more than 237 million customers in 12 countries.
He spent two years as group chief performance officer and was in charge of driving the successful restructuring, transformation, and integration programme.
Before Veon, he spent four years with Nokia Solutions Networks first as chief restructuring officer then as chief transformation officer.