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    4iG

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4iG to start strategic transformation in its business group

PRESS RELEASE

Press release

4iG to start strategic transformation in its business group

  • With the merger of 4iG’s telecommunications portfolio and Antenna Hungária, the transformation process was completed, turning 4iG Plc from an IT systems integrator into an international info-communications group.
  • The Board of Directors of 4iG Plc will start the integration of its telecommunications companies with the aim of leveraging intra-group cooperation, aligning business operations, exploiting synergies, and consolidating the companies.
  • The implementation of the strategy will evolves into a group with an integrated organisation and management structure.
  • The Board of Directors of 4iG will restructure the management of its telecommunications holding company Antenna Hungária Zrt. and DIGI Group, with new senior managers at the top, to achieve the objectives of the company.
  • 4iG’s Board of Directors will entrust the management of its telecom portfolio to István Király, one of the most experienced managers in the Hungarian telecom market with profound industry expertise.

4iG Group, with a dominant portfolio in both the Hungarian and international telecommunications markets, will start the strategic transformation of its telecommunications companies to better exploit the opportunities for cooperation and synergies in the areas of business operations within the Group through the future integration of the companies. The strategic objective of the 4iG Board is to consolidate the B2B and B2C service segments of the Group, which combines a wide range of industry competences, and to create a group with a unified organisational and management structure, able to operate under a single brand name and with the efficiency and effectiveness to match its market position in Hungary and internationally.

With the merger of 4iG’s telecommunications portfolio and Antenna Hungária, the transformation process has been completed, as a result of which 4iG Plc has been transformed from an IT systems integrator into an international info-communications group providing a wide range of telecommunications and IT services. The Group, which combines a wide range of industry competencies, is expected to deliver sustained success and results in the market by the shareholders. In the new phase of the integration of the telecoms group, the newly recruited executives, who have a proven track record and significant industry experience, will be responsible for aligning business processes, leveraging operational synergies to improve performance, and defining a common development strategy.

In the management of the telecoms group, the positions of Chairman and CEO will be separated, with Gellért Jászai, Chairman and CEO of 4iG, becoming Chairman of the Board of Antenna Hungária, while István Király will be Chief Operating Officer. 4iG Board expects him to develop the global strategy and business processes of the telecommunications group and to ensure the efficient operation of the telecommunications group. István Király is one of the most experienced managers in the Hungarian telecom market with profound industry expertise, having held senior management positions at Pannon GSM, Magyar Telekom and T-Systems, and Vodafone in Hungary over the past three decades. He holds an MBA in Management from Oxford Brookes University. He has gained unique industry knowledge and integration experience throughout his career. He has played a key role in the management and subsequent integration of four large-scale mergers in the Hungarian ICT market. He will take over the management of Antenna Hungária Zrt. as CEO as of 1 July and will become interim Managing Director of the DIGI Group as of 19 April.

Zsolt Sárecz, who has played a significant role in the restructuring and development of Antenna Hungária since 2018, will step down from the company, and will continue to support the development of the telecommunications group as Presidential Advisor of 4iG Plc. During the transitional period until 1 July, Aladin Linczényi, a member of the Board of Directors of 4iG Plc will take over the management of Antenna Hungária, supported by Gyöngyvér Papp-Gerlei, returning from DIGI Group as Deputy CEO.

DIGI is undergoing a complete organisational and management overhaul. The new management’s primary task will be to define DIGI’s service strategy and portfolio, as well as its financial and investment plans, while managing the rebranding of the company is also a top priority.

István Dévényi has been appointed to the position of Chief Technology Officer of DIGI as of 1 May. He has more than 30 years of management experience, having worked for companies of the Magyar Telekom Group. He has managed complex fixed line network development and headed investor and B2B service organisations. He has been in charge of implementing several major technologies (IPTV, xDSL, GPON). As a successful operations manager, he was responsible for integrating the operations of fixed, mobile and cable TV businesses and for consolidating the IT infrastructure of merging companies. He has direct experience in virtualised network functions and outsourced operations.

DIGI’s new Director of Finance and Procurement, Sándor Gurbán, has previously established his career in international consulting firms (Ernst&Young, BDO, Sofidel, EY). He holds a degree in Accounting from Corvinus University of Budapest, is a Chartered Accountant and a member of the Guernsey Society of Chartered and Certified Accountants. His knowledge of international accounting, transaction support and listing, his extensive knowledge of CAPEX plans and his management experience provide him with a high level of financial expertise to support the Group.

Judit Éberling will be the Director of Sales and Marketing at DIGI Hungary. She has 25 years of marketing and sales experience as well as more than 20 years of management experience in the Hungarian ICT market at leading companies (Alcatel, Invitel, Telenor, Magyar Telekom, Vodafone). During her career she has worked in retail and business segments. She has extensive practical leadership and professional knowledge in enterprise offline and online marketing, CRM/CLM, marketing automation, strategy development, business planning, managing sales teams and supporting organisations. She has been involved in several large IT and M&A integrations.

Kristóf Baltay, DIGI’s new HR and Logistics Director, has decades of international experience in the automotive, finance and energy sectors, in addition to telecommunications. He has worked in North America, Europe, the Middle East, and Africa as a senior executive at Avaya, General Electric, Erste AG, Lear Corp, Develor and ChatBoss. He has significant experience in greenfield projects, both in decision making and implementation of corporate mergers. He also has outstanding expertise and experience in talent management, change management and workforce restructuring.

Budapest, 20th April 2022

Background information:

Antenna Hungária
Antenna Hungária has been a major player in the Hungarian telecommunications sector for decades. The company is the exclusive provider of national digital terrestrial television and analogue radio broadcasting in Hungary. The company is present with significant services in the fields of broadcasting, transmission, telecommunications, satellite communications and IT services related to telecommunications. With 5,700 employees, the company has a significant telecommunications portfolio in Hungary and the Western Balkans region. It is the second largest telecommunications group in Hungary.

Portfolio:
DIGI Csoport (Invitel Zrt., i TV Zrt., DIGI Infrastruktúra Kft.)
Invitech ICT Service Kft.
Hungaro Digitel Kft. (25%)
Yettel Magyarország (Yettel REH Zrt, CETIN Hungary Zrt.) (25%)
ONE Crna Gora (Montenegro)
ONE Telecommunications (Albania)
ALBtelecom (Albania)
AH NET Zrt. (acquisition in progress)

AH Zrt. is one of the most successful Hungarian-owned information technology companies, continuously building its own networks, solutions, and services, and thus has a substantial infrastructure of its own. Antenna Hungária Zrt. was acquired by 4iG Plc (76.78%) and the Hungarian State (23.22%). www.ahrt.hu

DIGI
DIGI is the second largest player in the Hungarian fixed voice, internet and TV broadcasting market with a broad portfolio of services. DIGI serves more than 1.1 million subscribers nationwide and has more than 2.5 million subscriptions (RGU). The company’s state-of-the-art fibre-to-the-home (FTTH) network, reinforced backbone and satellite infrastructure developments enable it to provide high quality service anywhere in the country. The media company also has its own television channels, with four thematic channels in addition to its sports channels. DIGI launched its mobile telecommunications service in Hungary in May 2019. Thanks to continuous developments, the company has 2,300 owned base stations and the DIGIMobil service provides outdoor mobile coverage to more than 90% of the population. The DIGI Group has more than 2,700 employees in Hungary. www.digi.hu

For more information:

Péter Elkán
communications and marketing director
sajto (@) 4ig.hu
www.4ig.hu

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