steve burch leaves virgin media

msampson

steve burch leave virgin media
21/08/07Steve Burch to Leave Virgin MediaLONDON, Aug 21, 2007 (PrimeNewswire via COMTEX News Network) -- Virgin Media Inc. (Nasdaq:VMED) today announced that, for family and personal reasons, Steve Burch, Virgin Media's CEO, has decided to return to the United States and leave the company with immediate effect. He will also step down from Virgin Media's Board. A search for Steve's replacement will begin shortly. In the meantime, Neil Berkett, Virgin Media's COO, will assume the role of Acting CEO with responsibility for driving forward the company's strategy and operational development.
Since joining Virgin Media in January 2006, Steve has led the Company through the merger and subsequent integration of ntl and Telewest, the acquisition of Virgin Mobile and the successful re-branding of the company's residential operations under the Virgin brand.
Commenting on Steve's decision, Virgin Media's Chairman, Jim Mooney, said: "Steve has contributed significantly to the transformation of Virgin Media. Since he joined us, the company has emerged as the UK's only 'quad play' provider and a genuinely distinctive presence in the world of communications and entertainment. On behalf of Virgin Media's Board of Directors, I thank him for his contribution to our development and wish him every success for the future."
This news release was distributed by PrimeNewswire, www.primenewswire.com
SOURCE: Virgin Media Inc.

normanmark

Your point? lol

christopher

Maybe we should start applying for his job... I'm sure many of us think we could do a better job! I know if I assumed his role I'd immediately take a LONG, hard look at the customer services, particularly for the BBI. In fact, I'd probably become obsessed with them to the detriment of the rest of the company but happy customers = renewing customers, and they're most happy when they get problems solved, not when the next series of Lost comes onto On Demand about half a year late.

Ypaymore

"The unkind joke about Steve Burch is that when headhunters recruited him to sort out the UK cable industry, they got the wrong guy. There are apparently two Steve Burchs operating in the US cable industry. The hotshot they were after wasn't the Vietnam war veteran they gave the job to.
Untrue, no doubt, but equally certain is that Mr Burch was wholly out of his depth in the viciously competitive telecoms and pay TV market in to which he was parachuted. Virgin Media insists that Mr Burch resigned for family reasons. There was no question of sacking him. Well, if you say so, but this was also one of the most predicted executive departures we've seen in a long time.
Had he not jumped, he would certainly have been pushed. For a wonderful moment there, it looked as if the private equity group Carlyle was going to put him out of his misery with a highly leveraged takeover bid, but he missed his chance. The faffing by Goldman Sachs in attempting to generate an auction meant the bid was overtaken by the turmoil in the credit markets. Carlyle might eventually come back, but for the moment the offer is off the table.
In the meantime, the business continues to flounder. Virgin Media lost more than 70,000 subscribers in the last quarter as the war with Sky for customers escalated, while the influential research company Enders has challenged the wisdom of the pricing strategy being pursued by Virgin Mobile."

http://news.independent.co.uk/business/comment/article2883906.ece

christopher

Don't the politicians call that "deciding to spend more time with their family?"