Digicel Group CEO-designate, Alexander Matuschka Greiffenclau, is aiming to successfully chart the course for Digicel’s 2030 transformation programme as he takes the helm of the telecommunications company effective February 2018.

Digicel 2030 global transformation programme sees the company “taking the bull by the horns and daring to be different” by challenging the status quo and by innovation-led growth.

The wide-scale transformation agenda includes Digicel redesigning the organisation, putting customer in control and delivering an amazing network experience.

“I am very pleased to join the Digicel team. I view Digicel’s progress implementing Digicel 2030 as a truly ground-breaking initiative and an opportunity to transform our customers’ communications and entertainment experience. In my view, Digicel has first mover advantage in its customer engagement evolution and I aim to ensure we capitalise on that for the benefit of all stakeholders,” Greiffenclau said in a release from the company on Friday.

His appointment follows the resignation of Colm Delves who had signalled his intention to step down from his executive role for personal and family reasons.

According to the telecommunications company, Delves will remain as a non-executive director of Digicel and will also provide advisory services to the Group.

Delves’ leadership over the past 13 years saw Digicel boosting revenues in eight markets from US$478 million to $2.5 billion. The company noted that across its 32 markets revenue and subscribers also saw a tenfold increase.

Greiffenclau joins Digicel from VEON, a leading global provider of telecommunications services, where he has served as group chief performance officer since mid-2015.

He previously served as chief transformation officer at Nokia Networks, where he was credited as playing a key role in its transformation. Prior to joining Nokia, he gained extensive experience in the automotive and machining industries.

He holds a joint business degree (Diplom-Kaufmann) in International Business Economy from International Business School Lippstadt in Germany and West Virginia University in the US.

“I am very pleased to welcome Alex to lead our talented management team at a really exciting time for the business. Given his telecommunications credentials and his experience of working in dynamic and transforming sectors, he’s a natural fit for our business,” said Denis O’Brien, chairman of Digicel Group.

“Our enthusiastic welcome of Alex is tempered only by the fact that Colm will be stepping down from a role in which he excelled and where he led by example for more than a dozen years. Colm has led the diversification of Digicel from being purely a mobile company to a total communications and entertainment provider with major investments in Fibre-to-the-Home, Business Solutions and Digital Media. Most recently, he also successfully initiated and led Digicel’s 2030 Transformation Programme. We thank him for his enormous contribution to Digicel and we are very pleased that he has agreed to remain on board as a non-executive director,” the chairman continued.

In responding, Delves noted that having accrued more air miles than he cares to admit and with Digicel very well positioned to capitalise on its unique market positions, he has decided now is the appropriate time to step down from the executive role to spend more time on personal and family priorities.

“It has been my privilege to serve both as Group CEO and Group CFO of Digicel, a true business trailblazer that has invested over US$5 billion in 32 markets across the Caribbean, Central America and Asia Pacific. It has been my pleasure to work with talented, energetic colleagues to help develop a company that has become as ubiquitous in these markets as Coca-Cola. I wish Alex every success in his new role and I look forward to continuing to support Denis and the board in my new role as a non-executive director,” Delves added.