Proximus consumer chief Guillaume Boutin (pictured) was tipped to permanently replace former CEO Dominque Leroy, during a time of unrest at the operator, De Tijd reported.

The Belgian newspaper reported a meeting is being held today (27 November) to appoint a permanent CEO, replacing interim chief Sandrine Dufour, and discuss the company’s controversial restructuring plans.

Boutin joined Proximus two years ago in his current role. He previously held various roles with French operator SFR over an 11-year period before joining film and TV distributor Canal+ Group in 2015 as CMO.

Proximus’ new chief will face the challenging task of pushing through restructuring plans while quelling union unrest, which resulted in protests.

In January, the operator announced plans to axe up to 1,900 jobs over a three year period, but aimed to recruit 1,250 in technology based roles as part of a strategy to evolve from a telecommunications company and provide more digital services.

De Standaard reported members of Belgium’s largest trade union, the Confederation of Christian Trade Unions, voted against the restructuring plan and called for another protest outside Proximus’ headquarters.