CEO Thorsten Dirks is to leave the management board of Telefónica Deutschland in 2017

Following his material contribution to the successful integration and transformation of the company, with a strong position and strategy in place, Thorsten Dirks wants to turn to new challenges in line with his personal career plans in 2017. The Supervisory Board will deal with the matter of the succession immediately and make an announcement in due course. Meanwhile, Thorsten Dirks will continue to exercise his responsibilities together with the other members in the management team and ensure a smooth handover. The company will consequently continue to follow its successful strategy, based on the integration and company transformation. “On behalf of the supervisory board I would like to take the opportunity at this stage to thank Thorsten Dirks for the exceptional collaboration and successful development of the company,” says Eva Castillo, chairperson of the Supervisory Board of Telefónica Germany. CEO Thorsten Dirks adds: “It has been a privilege to lead Telefónica Germany throughout the merger. We have laid out the foundation for a very successful future for the company.” The change on the Management Board comes at a time when the company has seen positive developments of Telefónica Deutschland over the past years. The organizational integration of E-Plus Group in Telefónica Deutschland has been largely completed. A credible mid-term vision and detailed plans for the digital transformation have been developed. The major strategic objectives of the merger have thus already been successfully accomplished. The company is well-positioned to benefit from the opportunities arising from digitalisation during the next years. Thorsten Dirks became chairman of the management board / Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Telefónica Deutschland Holding AG in October 2014 after the merger of Telefónica Deutschland and E-Plus Group.