Norwegian telco Telenor has appointed  Morten Karlsen Sørby to become the new Chief Executive Officer of Uninor, effective immediately. Telenor  holds a 74 per cent stake in Telewings Communications, which manages and operates Uninor.
 
Morten Karlsen Sørby steps into the role just as Uninor reached cash flow break even at the end of 2013, on target after only four years of operation. Morten Karlsen Sørby replaces Sigve Brekke who has served as interim CEO of Uninor since early November last year.
 
Morten Karlsen Sørby, a Norwegian national, brings significant operational and strategic mobile telecommunications experience to Uninor. He joined Telenor in 1993 and has been a member of the Group’s executive management team since 2003. He most recently served as the Executive Vice President in charge of corporate strategy and regulatory affairs in Telenor Group. Morten was previously Executive Vice President and head of the Norwegian and Nordic mobile and fixed network operations of Telenor. Morten holds a Master of Science in Business Administration from the Norwegian School of Economics, has additional education from IMD in Switzerland and is a state-authorized public accountant in Norway.
 
“Uninor enjoys a firm market position in India as a leading mass-market, best-on-value operator. When Morten Karlsen Sørby now steps into the role as CEO of Uninor, he will meet an organization that is highly energized, market-savvy and possesses a tremendous innovative spirit. Morten’s vast experience from the global mobile industry and solid leadership skills will inject new energy and further insights into the already empowered Uninor team,” said Jon Fredrik Baksaas, President and Chief Executive Officer of Telenor Group.
 
“Uninor’s journey has just begun. We will continue to build on the company’s competitive spirit and innovation skills to capture new ground, both in basic services and by providing affordable internet services to the masses,” said Morten Karlsen Sørby, CEO of Uninor. “The strategy is clear and our model is proven. My job will be to deliver on this strategy alongside the management team and every single Uninor employee. I have actively contributed to the development of our India operations since we first entered in 2008, and now I look forward to joining the remarkable Uninor organization.”
 
Uninor today serves more than 32 million customers in the country’s fastest-growing and most populous telecom circles; UP East, UP West, Bihar, Andhra Pradesh, Maharashtra & Goa and Gujarat. By bringing affordable mobile services to mass market consumers, the company has acquired more than its fair share of new mobile customers in its circles over the past four years. Telenor’s India operation has established itself as the affordable but sensible choice in a hypercompetitive telecoms market. Having secured fresh licenses for the next 20 years in 2012, the company has a strong platform for further growth.