Liberty Global Appoints Stephen van Rooyen as CEO of Ziggo Group for Amsterdam IPO
Liberty Global's Strategic Moves in the Benelux Telecom Market
Formation of Ziggo Group and Leadership Appointment
LONDON, June 1 (Reuters) - Liberty Global on Monday said Stephen van Rooyen, the boss of VodafoneZiggo, would lead Ziggo Group, its new Benelux telecoms company that combines its Netherlands and Belgium operations in a company that has 13 million customers.
Liberty Global agreed in February to buy its Dutch joint venture partner Vodafone's stake in VodafoneZiggo and combine the company with Belgium's Telenet to create Ziggo Group, which it intends to list in Amsterdam in 2027.
Stephen van Rooyen's Track Record and Vision
Van Rooyen, who has previously held senior roles at Britain's Sky, has led a turnaround at VodafoneZiggo since he was appointed in September 2024, reducing churn, cutting broadband subscriber losses and refreshing brands.
"We're pretty pleased with what we've achieved over the last 18 months," he said on Monday, adding that momentum had continued in the most recent quarter.
Upcoming Initiatives and Market Strategy
The company will boost its football offer next month.
"We're making football available to more households at a lower price than anywhere else in Europe," van Rooyen said in an interview.
He said he saw a "clear opportunity" to drive momentum across VodafoneZiggo and Telenet by bringing together "two strong, locally rooted businesses".
He said both businesses would be locally managed and locally branded, but the combination would create opportunities where scale was a clear advantage, for example in the use of AI or in dealing with suppliers and partners.
Executive Appointments and Future Outlook
Jany Fruytier, currently chief financial officer of Swiss operator Sunrise, which was spun out by Liberty Global in 2024, will take on the same role at Ziggo Group, Liberty Global said.
Both van Rooyen and Fruytier will take up their roles on September 1, it said.
(Reporting by Paul Sandle; editing by Sarah Young)
