Mr Mark Beggs has resigned as managing director of Indigo/Eircom Net. He is joining the Doherty Advertising Group as managing director.

Mr Beggs said his decision to resign was based on a desire to seek new challenges and directions. The recent poor performance of Eircom played no part in his decision, he added.

"It was always my intention to stay three to four years to build up the brand and the company and then move on. I achieved what I set out to achieve, to make Indigo and Eircom Net numbers one and two in the market place, setting up the on-line superstore and becoming a major player in the SME market place. I have done everything I was asked to and I felt I needed a new challenge," he said.

Mr Beggs has headed up Indigo since 1996 and became managing director of Indigo/Eircom Net in March 2000. While he was at the company, the Indigo brand was turned into an on-line superstore and Indigo's GoFree product was launched. Staff numbers increased from 36 in 1996 to 110 today during his tenure, according to a statement.

His replacement at Indigo/Eircom Net has been named as Mr Fintan Lawler, who was previously in charge of Eircom Multimedia's Internet infrastructure.

Meanwhile, Internet consultancy Nua, which is 20 per cent owned by Eircom, is understood to be in urgent need of fresh funding. The company is reported to have run into serious difficulties over a proposed £4 million (€5.08 million) investment from British company Garnham Corporate Finance. Several efforts to contact Mr Gerry McGovern, Nua's chief executive, over three days this week, failed.