Telecom Italia announces that from August, Riccardo Ruggiero is to take over responsibility for Telecom Italia´s France division. Ruggiero will subsequently be appointed Chairman and CEO of Telecom Italia Group French companies 9 Telecom Réseau and Jet Multimedia. 9Telecom Reseau is the number three wireline telephone company in France. Nouveau Marché-quoted company Jet Multimedia provides Internet access and advanced Web services
It is Riccardo Ruggiero´s remit to realize the growth potential of 9Telecom and Jet Multimedia in France, the third-largest market in Europe and fifth-largest worldwide, which offers significant prospects for competitors to France Telecom. In this new position, Ruggiero will be developing these two companies by closely focusing on the market, concentrating on marketing and being as attentive as possible to the customer.
Riccardo Ruggiero was born in Naples 40 years ago. From its foundation in 1996, Ruggiero worked as CEO of Infostrada, playing a key role in making it a significant player on the Italian telecommunications market.
Roberto Colaninno, Telecom Italia Chairman and CEO, had this to say about the important Group post Riccardo Ruggiero is set to take on: "The appointment of Ruggiero to run Telecom Italia´s France division is a significant element in our Group´s international development strategies, at a time when the wireline telephony and Internet markets in France have only just begun to open up to true competition. By harnessing Ruggiero´s track record in realizing growth in this field, we expect to realize the full growth potential of these two companies and achieve a position of leadership in a country that is key to the process of internationalization Telecom Italia has embraced. "
9Telecom Reseau provides voice, data and Internet services to the residential market and to SMEs. To date the company has around 1,000,000 customers . In 2000 it registered revenues of FFr 628 million.
Jet Multimedia, acquired by 9Telecom in November 2000, is a leading supplier of value added services for business clients, and a leading developer of online applications over the Internet, Audiotel and Minitel platforms. Last year the company posted revenues equivalent to FFr 585 million.