The Norwegian telecommunications giant, Telenor, has unveiled a significant reshuffle within its leadership structure. Aimed at enhancing growth in line with the company’s 2025 strategic plan, the shuffle promises to bring forth a dynamic shift in the company’s operations.
In what can be seen as a tit-for-tat move, Jørgen C. Arentz Rostrup, erstwhile Head of Telenor Asia, will now serve as EVP and Head of Telenor Nordics—a position previously occupied by Petter-Børre Furberg. Furberg, on his part, will step into Rostrup’s shoes as EVP and Head of Telenor Asia. Both executives will assume their new roles on October 1st.
Rostrup had a productive stint as Telenor’s CFO from 2016 to 2020 before his appointment as the Head of Asia. His term saw the successful completion of two of Telenor’s largest mergers – the amalgamation of Telenor’s DTAC with True Corp in Thailand and the union of Digi with Celcom in Malaysia.
“Jørgen was sent to Asia three years ago with a mandate to deliver growth and modernisation and capturing opportunities in the region. After completing the two biggest telco mergers in Southeast Asia and setting up and implementing a strong and future-proof organisation in the region, he will now return to the Nordics,” declared Telenor’s president and CEO Sigve Brekke.
Furberg, on the other hand, held the position of CEO of Telenor Norway, concurrently managing the Nordics division. His extensive knowledge of the Asia market, owing to his tenure as EVP Head of Emerging Asia from 2017–2019, coupled with his experiences in senior roles across Telenor’s Asian businesses, certainly make his appointment a strategic one.
“When Petter-Børre is returning to Asia, we can utilise the competence of one of our most experienced leaders with 15 years in previous and different roles in the region. He will play an instrumental role…” added Brekke.
Simultaneously, Telenor announced the appointment of Amol Phadke, ex-head of telecoms at Google Cloud, as EVP and group CTO. With the goal to set the company’s technology and research strategy, Phadke will also be responsible for the Group Security.
“I am thrilled that Amol has agreed to lead the next wave of our technology transformation and to help us drive the use of technology as an enabler for profitable growth. His extensive leadership experience from global technology companies and unique telecom credentials will enable us to navigate..,” noted Brekke.
In line with the new appointments, Phadke is due to take over from Ruza Sabanovic, the current CTO since 2015.
The company is expected to utilize the potential of AI in enhancing operations, developing new products, and improving energy efficiency. Phadke anticipates using AI to rejuvenate the business, focusing on automating network functions and enhancing customer interactions.
This leadership reshuffle reflects Telenor’s aim of creating a proactive team responsive to technological advancements and capable of utilising their strategic expertise to align with Telenor’s 2025 vision. What this triggers in the telco landscape, only time will tell.
