"My decision to resign has been based entirely on personal reasons," said 54-year-old Thon. "I have been a part of Telenor’s upper management for 11 years and feel it is time to pursue other interests."
"This decision has matured over time and seems natural as Telenor is now heading towards a new ownership structure," said Thon referring to Telenor’s recently announced IPO plans.
Although his resignation takes effect July 1, Thon will be at Telenor’s disposition until September 30, and he will continue to be an active part of developing Telenor’s Nordic and international strategy as of October 1.
Thon has been part of the Telenor organisation since 1989 when he was hired as Managing Director in TBK, followed by a stint as General Manager of Norsk Telekom, previously part of ‘Televerket’, Telenor’s predecessor.
Since 1994, Thon has been Telenor’s Senior Executive Vice President where he has been responsible for Telenor’s globalisation process and international customer relations. During Thon’s responsibility, Telenor’s international business activities have increased dramatically.