Storm Telecom has appointed Willem van Rensburg, Business Connexion's former group executive in charge of strategy and telecommunications, as its new CEO.
He takes over from founders and joint CEOs Tim Parsonson and Tim Wyatt-Gunning today. The founders will retain their shareholding and remain on the board of directors indefinitely.
Van Rensburg left BCX in the middle of the Competition Tribunal's hearings into whether Telkom's proposed R2.4 billion takeover of the IT services firm should be allowed to proceed.
Written submissions indicated he opposed the takeover, arguing that Telkom's acquisition of the business was hurting BCX.
Growth plan
Van Rensburg is expected to lead Storm Telecom as it evolves from an aggressive start-up to a mature player in the telecommunications arena.
The company needed a different kind of CEO who would see the plan become reality, says Wyatt-Gunning. "Tim and I have an entrepreneurial style of leadership, which has been perfect for building a solid platform, mostly by relentlessly fighting off the bullies in our evolving telecommunications industry."
He adds that Van Rensburg's corporate knowledge and his experience in managing accelerated growth that he acquired at BCX makes him the ideal leader for Storm.
Van Rensburg says Storm is uniquely positioned to take advantage of deregulation, especially local loop unbundling and access to more wholesale providers. "The growth potential is enormous and I know that the team and I will be able to produce the required results," he says.
"It's an interesting time for Storm," says Parsonson. "With a lot of consolidation happening in the market, we see a huge opportunity in remaining an independent business servicing the needs of our customers, rather than servicing the needs of the investment community."
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