Telefonica Europe appoints Steve Alder to become CEO of Jajah

Telefonica today announced that Steve Alder, currently General Manager, UK and Group Devices for Telefonica Europe, will become CEO of Jajah. Trevor Healy, currently CEO of Jajah, will step up to become Chairman of Jajah and take on the new responsibility of Chief Innovation Officer for Telefonica Europe with effect from 1 March 2011. Based in Silicon Valley, Steve will report jointly to Trevor in his capacity as Chairman of Jajah and Matthew Key, Chairman and CEO Telefonica Europe.

Since its purchase a year ago, the Jajah business ‘ based in Silicon Valley, California and Israel ‘ has been successfully embraced by Telefonica. Its expertise in voice-over IP has already been instrumental in the development and launch of innovative products for O2 and Movistar customers in Germany, the UK and Spain. Further products and services will be launched in Latin America and Europe during 2011 offering customers cutting edge communication services online whenever, wherever and however they want.

Jajah services are used in around 200 countries by millions of people and are integrated into everyday instant messaging and social media applications, as well as through its own Jajah direct-to-consumer offer. Its business solutions, which provide seamless IP communications services across the organization, regardless of location or device, are used by thousands of small-to-medium and large enterprises across the world.

Matthew Key, Chairman and CEO of Telefonica Europe, said: ‘The acquisition of Jajah has already enhanced the scope of our communications offering and opened up new capabilities in the voice communication space. We want to enable customer interactions, whether on Twitter, Yahoo, Microsoft or Facebook. Broadening communications’ experiences is one of our core objectives.

‘The appointment of a CIO for Telefonica Europe is a critical step in seizing the many opportunities afforded by today’s Digital Revolution and I am delighted that Trevor has accepted this challenge. Trevor is a highly successful entrepreneur possessing a wealth of experience having played key roles at Jajah, PayPal and VeriSign. He has also started and been a board member of a number of very successful Silicon Valley companies in the mobile space.

‘This is a tremendous opportunity for Steve Alder and his promotion to CEO of Jajah shows once again the depth and breadth of talent within the Group. I am confident that under Steve’s management the Jajah business will continue to prosper.’

Trevor remains a member of the Telefonica Europe Board attending quarterly meetings and will stay closely involved in the ongoing success of Jajah. In his new and broadened role, Trevor is committed to driving innovation across the Telefonica businesses for the benefit of its customers.

A highly experienced telecoms executive, Steve Alder joined O2 in 2003. Most recently, he has been responsible for the mobile and broadband device strategy across Telefonica Europe, including vendor relationships and delivery to market. Prior to this, Steve was heavily involved in developing, implementing and running a number of key strategic initiatives for the company, including O2’s joint venture with Tesco ‘ Tesco Mobile, The O2, Broadband and more recently the successful introduction of the iPhone to the UK and the rest of Telefonica.

Before joining O2, Steve ran the Mars Drinks division of Mars Inc., expanding the Flavia brand globally. Previously, he held roles in Marketing, Customer Service, Sales and Operations within Mars and ICI Dulux.

Steve is married with three children and looks forward to relocating to the San Francisco area.