T-Mobile announced Wednesday that Phillip Humm, chief executive officer has put in his resignation, effective immediately. His place will be taken temporarily by chief operations officer Jim Alling until a new CEO is appointed by the company.
The company offered no comment on Humm’s abrupt departure, saying only that he was seeking career opportunities outside of Deutsche Telekom.
However, TmoNews, the Unoffical T-Mobile Blog, has got its hands on an internal memo from Deutsche Telekom CEO Rene Obermann. Here is an extract:
Team,
I want you to hear the news directly from me: Philipp will be on leave with immediate effect. You might ask yourself, why I’ve taken this decision. Well, here is some background: In April, Philipp informed me that he intended to end his contract at the end of September.
During the merger process, we had agreed on such an option, just in case the merger did not materialize. Philipp told me back then that he wants to pursue a career outside of Deutsche Telekom and to reunite with his family, who have stayed in Europe. I decided back then to start the search for a successor. This search is progressing well. I have spoken to a number of promising candidates.
The reason Philipp has vacated his position with such short notice is because of his new employer: Philipp informed me a few days ago that he will be joining a competitor of Deutsche Telekom.
I have asked Jim Alling to lead the company until a final decision on a successor has been made……
The memo adds another motive to Humm’s departure – joining his family in Europe.
The identity of Humm’s new employer is not yet known, and more details of the circumstances of his departure may unfold shortly.
