CEO of Telefónica Deutschland: Hesse succeeds Haas

Telefónica has found a new head for its German subsidiary. Santiago Argelich Hesse will be the new CEO of the company at the turn of the year, the Supervisory Board announced after its meeting on Friday afternoon in Munich. Hesse comes from the Spanish tower operator Cellnex, where he most recently managed the business of the Polish subsidiary.

"Santiago Argelich Hesse possesses extensive expertise in the telecommunications and digital industries, as well as in leading companies through transformation processes," explains Supervisory Board Chairman Peter Löscher. "This expertise is essential for the further transformation and growth strategy of Telefónica Deutschland."

New Group CEO Plans Without Haas

Hesse succeeds Markus Haas, who must leave the company at the end of the year after almost thirty years. The surprising resignation of Haas is attributed to the new CEO of the Spanish parent company. Marc Murta took over the CEO position at Telefónica in January, after the Spanish government had acquired a stake. Murta has his own plans for the company, in which Haas apparently no longer plays a role.

"With the ongoing strategic plan 2025, it is time for me at the end of December to take on a new challenge and leave the company after almost 30 years," says Haas. "I thank the Supervisory Board, the shareholders, the employees, and our customers for the trust placed in me."

Haas is leaving Telefónica Deutschland "by the best mutual agreement," the company emphasizes. "I would like to thank Markus Haas for his extraordinary commitment in the interest of Telefónica Deutschland," says Löscher. "In his nine years as CEO, he has developed the company into one of the largest in the industry and significantly increased network quality and customer satisfaction."

Hesse is an Industry Veteran

The 55-year-old Hesse is an industry veteran with German-Spanish roots. The trained engineer holds degrees from the Universitat Politècnica de Catalunya and the London School of Economics and Political Science. Hesse has been employed at Cellnex since 2018, most recently as CEO of Cellnex Poland. He relinquished the CEO position at the Polish subsidiary in the summer.

"It is an honor for me to lead Telefónica Deutschland into the future as CEO. The Telefónica Deutschland team has achieved great things in recent years," says Hesse. "This is an excellent foundation to take the next steps of growth and transformation with the team, and to further develop customer satisfaction and competitiveness."

Cellnex is a mobile infrastructure operator. The listed company operates around 130,000 tower sites and their connections in ten European countries, with a focus on Spain, France, Italy, Poland, and Great Britain.

(vbr)