Tele2 on Monday detailed an internal executive shuffle that saw Niklas Sonkin step up to the role of chief operating officer.
Sonkin, who currently serves as Tele2 ‘s market area director for Eurasia and acting chief technology and information officer, will oversee the telco’s CTIO and shared operations for the group. He will also be responsible for its businesses in Kazakhstan and Germany.
Sonkin’s new role was one of a number announced as part of the reorganisation by new Tele2 CEO Allison Kirkby, who took on the top job a month ago after Mats Granryd left to become director general of the GSMA.
"Within the framework of the Challenger Program we have analysed and evaluated our internal way of working and come to the conclusion that a leadership team reorganisation is necessary in order to increase our customer focus and to fully leverage group knowledge and scale efficiencies," Kirkby said, in a statement.
Tele2 announced its Challenger Program, a multi-year initiative to boost productivity and cut costs, late last year.
"Productivity increases will be found by simplifying the way Tele2 interacts with customers and by consolidating and transforming the organisation to work even smarter and better, "the telco said at the time.
It expects to invest 1 billion kronor (€107 million) in the project over the first three years, then realise annual cost savings of SEK1 billion from 2018.
The job changes announced on Monday will also see Lars Torstensson, currently executive vice president for communications and strategy, become EVP for new growth and strategy, while chief commercial officer Anders Olsson becomes EVP of strategic projects, his first such project being the execution of the Challenger Program.
Malin Holmberg, who is at present market area director for Central Europe, will stay in her role on a permanent basis.
The new structure and job titles will come into force on 15 October.
