Swisscom revealed plans for CEO Urs Schaeppi (pictured, right) to step down from his role at the start of June, with the operator’s current head of infrastructure, network and IT Christoph Aeschlimann (pictured, left) set to take the reins.

Schaeppi has been in charge at Swisscom since 2013, having previously held various other roles during a 23-year stint at the operator.

The executive did not specify the reasons for his upcoming departure, apart from stating “now is the right time for a change”.

Swisscom chairman Michael Rechsteiner credited Schaeppi for playing a key role in the company’s transformation into an integrated ICT group, pointing to growth in its TV service and IT business alongside expansion of its fixed and mobile networks.

Under his tenure, the company has also expanded into the security and cloud sectors with its enterprise offer.

New chief Aeschlimann has been at the operator since September 2019, leading its infrastructure division. Previously he held various management positions at software developer Erni Electronics.

Rechsteiner noted the incoming CEO was “very familiar with Swisscom and the challenges we face” noting his experience in the network and infrastructure sector.