Tiscali`s board of directors has selected Ruud Huisman to succeed Renato Soru as CEO of Tiscali. Soru will remain executive chairman of the board of directors of the company. Huisman`s appointment will be proposed in the next annual general shareholders` meeting to be held in April 2004. Until then, he will act as managing director of Tiscali.
Says Renato Soru, executive chairman and current CEO of Tiscali: "In less than six years Tiscali has become a leading player in the European Internet communications market. Around 40 acquisitions and the integration of more than 200 companies have created today`s group.
"This huge achievement has been made possible thanks to the work of our country managers, whose job has been key to the integration and to define the guidelines for the future of the group. Ruud was a natural choice as he supported and believed in our company since the very beginning. He knows the group and has an impressive track record as an Internet industry expert. We know that he will take the company forward with the immediate implementation of our business strategy."
"I am proud that I am given the opportunity to realise the huge potential of this company. My commitment will be to implement our strategy in close cooperation with the country managers of the Tiscali Group," says Huisman.
Huisman has been CEO of Tiscali Benelux and Scandinavia and member of the executive committee of Tiscali since October 2002. Under his management, this key region has achieved important goals in terms of sales and profit growth, pioneering the unbundling of local loop strategy that is now one of the key pillars of Tiscali`s strategy.
Huisman comes from World Online International in the Netherlands which he joined in 1998, first as chief operating officer and later as chief financial officer. After the takeover of World Online in 2000, Huisman successfully integrated the company into the Tiscali Group.
Before joining the Internet industry, Huisman worked at Tros Radio and Television in various positions, including Controller, head of the Financial Economic Service and Automation and director of Finance and Management. Before that he worked for Radio Nederland, NOS International Auditor Service and Moret Limperg.
The board has also decided to create a newco and group all the Italian operations within it. Sergio Cellini is to be appointed CEO of the new company.
The shareholders` meeting, to be held in April, where Huisman`s appointment will be presented, has been called to approve the 2003 fully audited financial results, following the presentation of unaudited 4Q03 management accounts on 12 February 2004.
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Tiscali S.p.A. (Nuovo Mercato, Milan: TIS, Nouveau March'e, Paris: 005773) is the European Internet communication company providing broadband and narrowband access for consumer and business applications as well as innovative communications services and contents. As of 31 December 2003, Tiscali had 7.8 million active users of whom 840 000 were broadband customers, growing steadily. In the first months of 2004, ADSL customers reached the 1 million mark. Tiscali`s corporate Web site can be found at www.tiscali.com.
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