Vodafone Group and Liberty Global announced today that Stephen van Rooyen will take on the role of Chief Executive Officer of VodafoneZiggo, effective September 2024.

Van Rooyen, who formerly served as Chief Commercial Officer for the Sky Group and CEO of Sky UK & Ireland, offers a plethora of media and telecommunications expertise to VodafoneZiggo. During his seventeen years with Sky, he worked in Germany, Italy, Austria, Ireland, and Switzerland, among other European nations.

Van Rooyen was instrumental in driving consistent growth, product diversification, and innovation at Sky. He played a key role in major product launches such as Sky Mobile, Sky Broadband, NOW TV, and the development of Sky’s TV platforms, including Sky Q, Sky Glass, and Sky Stream. Additionally, he led Sky’s content and programming initiatives, overseeing Sky Sports, Sky Cinema, and all Sky channels.

Until van Rooyen’s arrival in September, VodafoneZiggo’s Chief Financial Officer, Ritchy Drost, will serve as interim CEO. This appointment follows the retirement of Jeroen Hoencamp, who has led VodafoneZiggo since its inception.

Liberty Global CEO Mike Fries praised van Rooyen, highlighting his track record of driving growth and innovation at Sky. Fries noted that van Rooyen’s deep expertise in brand, products, and innovation is exactly what is needed in the competitive Dutch market. Fries also expressed gratitude to Jeroen Hoencamp for his years of excellent service and friendship, wishing him well in his future endeavors.

Margherita Della Valle, Vodafone Group Chief Executive, also commended van Rooyen’s considerable expertise in both the telecoms and media sectors across Europe. She expressed confidence in his ability to succeed in his new role, while also thanking Ritchy Drost for stepping in as interim CEO and Jeroen Hoencamp for his expert leadership over the past eight years.

Stephen van Rooyen conveyed his excitement about joining VodafoneZiggo, looking forward to the new experience of living and working in the Netherlands after many years based in London.

Van Rooyen will be stationed at VodafoneZiggo’s headquarters in Utrecht.