Duco Sickinghe’s resignation changes Telenet’s Flemish character

CEO Duco Sickinghe is to resign his position with the TV and telecoms group Telenet at the end of March after a career spanning 12 years. According to Sickinghe, who hails from the Netherlands but lives in Belgium – where he plans to stay after his resignation – disagreements with majority shareholder Liberty Global over the failed takeover bid “left its mark” and left him no option. “They were so deep that no bridge could be built across them,” he says. The Australian American John Porter 55 will take over the ungrateful task of managing the company after Sickinge. This former CEO of the Australian cable company Austar gets on well with Liberty owner Johan Malone. This should come as good news for Telenet employees. “John Porter is the ideal candidate to take Telenet to the next growth phase,” the board agrees. Porter, who will relocate to Belgium with his wife and four children in April, will arrive amidst the imminent opening of the cable network to other service providers. If changes must be expected with Telenet will entirely depend on Liberty Global as the Flemish telecom company is a part of the American concern more than ever today, that is very much interested in the large profits of the company. However, cutting costs at the expense of the quality of its services or at the expense of the client service could be counterproductive.