Telefónica Deutschland extends contract with Haas until 2028

Markus Haas will remain at the helm of the German Telefónica subsidiary until the end of 2028. The Supervisory Board of Telefónica Deutschland has extended the CEO's contract, which ran until the end of the year, by a further three years until the end of 2028. This was announced by the company in Munich on Monday.

"Markus Haas has further developed Telefónica in Germany in recent years as CEO together with his team and led the company to its current strength," explained Supervisory Board Chairman Peter Löscher. "I am confident that Markus Haas at the head of the Telefónica team in Germany will continue to shape the telecommunications market actively in the future and successfully steer the company in a dynamic environment."

Old hand at O2

Haas has been with the company since 1998, when it was still called Viag Interkom. He has been a member of the Management Board since 2009. Following the departure of CEO René Schuster in 2014, he had already taken over the management of the company on an interim basis until his successor Thorsten Dirks came on board. When Dirks moved to Lufthansa, Haas was appointed Chairman of the Executive Board in 2017.

With the extension, Haas can complete his decade at the helm of the network operator. During his time as CEO, he has driven forward the merger with E-Plus, the reduction of debt and the expansion of the network, among other things –, thus strengthening the provider's market position. Telefónica Deutschland was then delisted from the stock exchange last year.

Change of boss in Madrid too

"I am grateful for the trust that the Supervisory Board has placed in me with the extension of my contract and look forward to continuing Telefónica Deutschland's successful course together with my colleagues on the Management Board and our entire 'Team Blue'," said Haase. "Based on sustainable, profitable growth, I would like to further develop Telefónica Deutschland as a leading telecommunications provider."

While continuity prevails at the German subsidiary, the Spanish parent company dismissed its longstanding CEO José María Álvarez-Pallete in January. His successor is Marc Thomas Murtra Millar, who previously managed the business of the Spanish IT company Indra Sistemas.

(vbr)