Press Releases

Budapest, March 24, 2009 09:00

György Simó will step down as Magyar Telekom's Chief Operating Officer and Head of the Alternative Businesses and Corporate Development Business Unit, by mutual agreement, with effect as of March 31, 2009. The Board of Directors decided that Róbert Pataki, current Chief Strategist will take over responsibility for the business unit.

György Simó served as Chief Operating Officer of Magyar Telekom's Wireline Services line of business from September 20, 2006, then from January 1, 2008 he was Chief Operating Officer of the Alternative Businesses and Corporate Development Business Unit. From 2003 he was the CEO of T-Online Hungary and successfully guided the company onto the right track and managed Magyar Telekom's broadband services expansion. He joined the Magyar Telekom Group in 1998 and he was in charge, among others, of establishing Hungary's market leader Internet portal [origo].

While holding Magyar Telekom's executive positions he managed a number of successful projects, including outstanding ones as the broadband rollout program, introduction of the IPTV service, acquisition and upgrading of the social portal site iWiW, and the 2007 integration of T-Online and T-Com, replaced later by the T-Home brand. In recognition of his work György Simó received numerous professional awards and the Order of Merit of the Republic of Hungary, Knight's Cross.

Christopher Mattheisen, Magyar Telekom's Chairman-CEO said, "György Simó has worked for more than 10 years with us, and through his his performance as an executive he significantly contributed to Magyar Telekom's becoming the market leader in broadband and Internet services and its repositioning to a content services and media company. I wish him much success in his future work."

According to the Board of Directors' decision, he will be replaced by Róbert Pataki, current Chief Strategist who will extend his remit to take over responsibility for the Alternative Businesses and Corporate Development Business Unit. At the same time, Róbert Pataki will be appointed member of Magyar Telekom's Management Committee.

Róbert Pataki (37) holds a degree in Economics from Corvinus University Budapest. His professional experience includes close to 10 years with Accenture and A.T. Kearney, where he advised on telecommunications strategy, among other roles. He was appointed Magyar Telekom's Chief Strategist in September, 2006. He played an outstanding role in establishing Magyar Telekom's new organizational structure and operation, in preparing the growth strategy to 2010 that enabled the company's transformation, and the creation of the Alternative Businesses and Corporate Development Business Unit.