SmarTone on Monday named an interim CEO to take the reins when its outgoing leader Douglas Li steps down in September.
The Hong Kong mobile operator said Stephen Chau Kam-kun, who currently serves as chief technology officer, will become interim chief executive officer from 1 September. His tenure in the top job will last for 12 months, or until a permanent CEO is found.
SmarTone said it has begun the process of identifying a new permanent CEO, but did not provide any further details.
Long-time CEO Li tendered his resignation in April.
His second stint as chief exec is due to come a close at the end of August after 14 years. He was the founding CEO of the company in 1992 and led it for four years before moving to a private equity firm. He returned to the telco in 2001.
Li did not give a reason for his departure, other than saying it is the right time to pass the baton to the next generation.
Chau has also been with the company for a number of years. He joined SmarTone as head of operations in 1993 and took on the CTO role in 1999.
According to a stock exchange filing from SmarTone, Chau has made an impact across the business in that time.
"He is responsible for the company’s high performance network, which is widely recognised for its superior voice and data experience," SmarTone said.
"He is the architect of the company’s advanced service platform which enables its many proprietary services, offering differentiation in the marketplace and real value to customers," as well as overseeing its CRM and support systems, it added.
