Eircom names Hribar as incoming chief executive as Donovan steps down

EIRCOM HAS named Herb Hribar as its new chief executive, replacing outgoing chief executive Paul Donovan.

In March, Mr Donovan said renewing his contract with Eircom would have required a new “multi-year commitment which I am not in a position to make”.

He joined Eircom in July 2009, having spent a number of years with Vodafone, including a spell in charge of its Irish arm.

Mr Hribar has extensive experience within the telecommunications industry, having previously served as president of Ameritech Wireless in the US; managing director of Kabel Deutschland, Europe’s largest cable operator; and chief operating officer of Cablecom in Switzerland.

Meanwhile, the company has also appointed Richard Moat as chief financial officer. He previously worked as managing director of T-Mobile in the UK before becoming deputy chief executive and chief financial officer of Everything Everywhere.

“Herb and Richard join Eircom at an exciting time, with a recently restructured balance sheet and reduced debt. Herb will lead the continued transformation of Eircom, including the investment in our fibre network that will support new high-bandwidth products to further position the business for the future,” said Eircom chairman Ned Sullivan.

Eircom exited examinership in June with the creation of a new holding company owned entirely by the group’s lenders and carrying 40 per cent less debt.

Eircom Group sought court protection from its creditors in a process known as examinership in March.