Operator 3 UK announced CEO David Dyson (pictured) was headed for the exit following a nine-year stint at the helm, with the head of the group’s Republic of Ireland business Robert Finnegan lined up as replacement.

In a statement, 3 said Dyson would depart at the end of the month, citing personal reasons for his decision. It said he would continue to serve on its board and act as a “senior executive resource” to the parent company, CK Hutchison Group.

Finnegan will add oversight of the UK business to his existing Irish duties on 30 March. 3 expects the set-up to “accelerate meaningful growth opportunities”. Finnegan has been 3 Ireland’s CEO since its launch in 2005, while Dyson was the UK chief since 2011.

“3 UK is very well positioned to grow in the market after a period of investment in 5G spectrum and more modern IT systems and processes,” Dyson commented.

Most recently, Dyson has overseen 3 UK’s aggressive push into 5G, with claims its broader spectrum holdings would help it to deliver mobile speeds two-times faster than its rivals.

It launched mobile 5G services in February, following a fixed wireless roll-out in 2019.