Telekom Austria today announced that its CEO Boris Nemsic is to resign at the end of this month and take up the head role at Russia’s second-largest mobile operator, VimpelCom. Nemsic, who also manages Telecom Austria’s mobile operation, mobilkom austria, has been at the helm of the Austrian group since 2006. “Today the Telekom Austria Group is a well-positioned and strong player on the telecommunications markets in Eastern- and Southeastern Europe with a sound basis in its domestic mobile and fixed net business,” commented Nemsic in a statement. Although no successor has been announced, Austrian media today speculated that newly appointed CEO of Telekom Austria’s fixed-line division, Hannes Ametsreiter, is the most likely replacement.

Nemsic will take over the CEO role at VimpelCom from Alexander Izosimov, who has been in the position for five years and was recently elected as chairman of the GSMA. Izosimov has pushed the Russian operator into foreign markets such as Cambodia and Vietnam and is expected to remain with the company in a non-executive role. Meanwhile, VimpelCom also announced today that Alexander Torbakhov – currently general director of Rosgosstrakh Life Insurance Company – will become general director of the Russian operator. Both new VimpelCom positions will begin on 2 April 2009.