In a move designed to bring its management structure in line with its business unit structure, Deutsche Telekom AG (DT) announced Wednesday that it will consolidate control of four business organizations under two board members. The company also announced further reorganizations and the departure of two members of its board of managers.
The change will bring the four "pillars" of DT's business -- mobile communications, Internet, systems solutions and fixed network -- under the management of Josef Brauner, formerly the board member in charge of Sales and Customer Care, and Kai-Uwe Ricke, the former head of the board of T-Mobile International AG, the company's wireless division. Brauner will head the CS division, made up of T-Com, the company's fixed network group, and T-Systems, the solutions group. The CS division will also coordinate sales and marketing. Ricke will take over the MO division, which consists of T-Mobile and T-Online, the Internet access company. The new structure will go into effect May 1.
DT made the changes to reflect its new business structure, replacing what had been in effect since the mid-1990s transition of the company from state-owned monopoly to a more market-based company, DT said in a news release.
The company also said that Hagen Hultzsch and Detlev Buchal will leave the DT board as of April 30. Max Hirschberger will join the board.
Other management changes announced Wednesday include the reorganization of two divisions. The Production and Technology Division will now include Networks, IT, Innovation, Purchasing and Environmental Protection, the company said. This group will be responsible for coordinating the planning and development of company-wide network infrastructure. A new Corporate Affairs Division, which will be headed by Hirschberger, was also announced and will handle Legal Affairs, Strategy, Auditing, and Information and Process Organization.