Michel Paulin, CEO of SFR’s telecoms operation (pictured), resigned for personal reasons, with executives from SFR Group and parent company Altice taking over responsibility for transforming the business.

Confirmation of the executive’s departure follows speculation of the imminent announcement in French media during the weekend.

Altice CEO Michel Combes and SFR media managing director Alain Weill have been charged with driving the operator’s change in strategic direction in Paulin’s absence.

According to reports in Les Echos, Paulin left the post due to the “intensity of the task” of leading the company. Altice’s official statement maintained Paulin had been a “major asset” and emphasised he leaves on good terms with its management.

SFR executives are currently in the process of transforming the operator into a converged telecoms, media and advertising company. Following the shake-up, Weill will be in charge of integrating the telecoms operation into the media unit.

“Michel has succeeded in laying the foundations for the necessary transformation of the group,” Combes said in a statement.

“We are fully mobilised in order to continue the transformation of the company launched in recent months, continue to improve operational performance and prepare the next steps of the group’s development,” Combes stated, adding the project involves: “massive investments in networks, telecom-media-advertising convergence and digitisation of the customer experience.”

Paulin thanked Altice management for “their confidence and support” and said he regretted ending his “participation in this magnificent industrial adventure, certainly the most ambitious and elaborate of the telecommunications and media sector in Europe.”

Transforming fortunes
SFR remains France’s second largest mobile operator by connections behind Orange, despite significant recent gains being reported by market challengers Bouygues Telecom and Free Mobile.

Although in recent quarters SFR arrested its rapid decline in mobile subscribers – reporting a broadly flat sequential user base in Q2 2017 – its fixed unit continues to suffer a sharp decline in customer numbers.