26 October, 2017

ETNO elects new Chair, launches digital leadership plans for 2018

Dubrovnik (Croatia), 26 October 2017 – The Members and Observers of ETNO, the Association representing Europe’s leading providers of digital networks and services, met today in Dubrovnik for the 54th General Assembly. The gathering – chaired by Croatia’s leading telecom operator Hrvatski Telekom – launched ETNO’s vision for 2018 and elected Telia Company’s Phillip Malloch as the new Chairman of the ETNO Executive Board.

Joint Statement of the ETNO Members and Observers
General Assembly 54

ETNO elects new Chair, launches digital leadership plans for 2018

Dubrovnik (Croatia), 26 October 2017 – The Members and Observers of ETNO, the Association representing Europe’s leading providers of digital networks and services, met today in Dubrovnik for the 54th General Assembly. The gathering – chaired by Croatia’s leading telecom operator Hrvatski Telekom – launched ETNO’s vision for 2018 and elected Telia Company’s Phillip Malloch as the new Chairman of the ETNO Executive Board.

Our vision for 2018: making Europe a digital winner

2018 will be a crucial year for the digital leadership of the Continent, with key regulatory files coming to maturity in the fields of digital networks and services as well as personal data. Members and Observers of ETNO agreed that, while digital is a top political priority across European countries, the current legislative debate does not reflect the vital role of infrastructures and is detached from consumer behaviours and market realities. This was highlighted in a recent CEO letter. More specifically, consumers, markets and investors will judge success based on the concrete outcome of the European Electronic Communications Code and ePrivacy Regulation, among others. Political leaders will now need to discuss the future of the EU and start developing the political agenda for the next term (2019-2024). For this reason, all stakeholders will need to demonstrate digital leadership and promote innovation across industries.

ETNO, with the help of Accenture Strategy, has identified a series of concrete steps for Europe to make its mark on the digital map. Our Continent should lead in three strategic areas, which will generate future revenue streams and new job opportunities:

•    Creating an ecosystem around the Internet of Everything, by establishing a platform-based business enriched by OTT and industry partners to enable the Internet of Everything;
•    Establishing pervasive future networks, by investing in software-defined, ubiquitous, low-latency, self-provisioning, self-optimizing and self-healing networks enabled by analytics;
•    Recreating institutions, by providing solutions for digital identity management, transaction security and full transparency and control over data use.

Read more in our Report “Lead or Lose – A vision for Europe’s Digital Future”.

ETNO Director General Lise Fuhr Said: “Europe is at a crossroads. We either get reforms right today, or there will be no other chance for the coming 10 years. ETNO also wants to lead the way in showing how the telecoms industry enables the creation of better jobs, more growth and more societal gains for all. EU institutions and all stakeholders should be our partners. Concrete policy change and reform are essential”.

Strong and innovative leadership for the year ahead

Phillip Malloch, Vice President and Head of Group Public Affairs at Telia Company, was elected by the General Assembly as the new 2018 Chairman of the ETNO Executive Board. He succeeds to Steven Tas from Proximus Group, who served for the past three years. Mr. Malloch’s chairmanship will start in January 2018, the term duration is one year and it can be renewed.

Incoming Chair Phillip Malloch said: “I am proud and honoured to chair ETNO, which has been the leading voice of the EU industry for the past 25 years. I thank all the members and observers for their trust. I also express all my gratitude to the outgoing Chairman Steven Tas, from whom I inherit a stronger Association as well as positive and reliable partnerships with all of ETNO’s key stakeholders. From a Telia Company perspective, I will bring all our pragmatic, customer-centric approach and know-how at innovating, informed by being in Europe’s most digitalised region. With an impressive capacity for innovation and as an enabler of digital economy, our industry needs to continue promoting digital leadership by the EU”.

© ETNO 2024
Comfortable read mode Normal mode X