Virgin Media UK CEO Tom Mockridge Replaced by Lutz Schuler
The parent company of cable broadband ISP Virgin Media, Liberty Global, has announced that after a six year reign the company’s UK CEO, Tom Mockridge, is to be replaced by its current Chief Operating Officer, Lutz Schüler, who only took up the position of COO in September last year.
Tom is largely responsible for overseeing the restructure of Virgin Media after Liberty Global’s acquisition in 2013. On top of that he helped to spearhead the operator’s £3bn Project Lightning network expansion, which once promised to reach an additional 4 million UK premises by the end of 2019 (mix of DOCSIS based FTTP and Hybrid Fibre Coax) but now seems set to fall well short of that target (here).
Recent reports have also hinted that Liberty Global may well be reviewing Virgin Media’s position within the UK, not least in respect to the possibility of future acquisitions (here) but also the question of whether or not they should open up their network to use by rivals (here). A lot of this has to do with how they respond to the roll-out of full fibre networks and major strategy shifts have historically been associated with a change of leadership.
Officially the press release heaps praise on Mockridge and says he will be leaving to base himself again in Italy with his family. Mockridge himself added: “Since becoming part of Liberty Global, Virgin Media has reinvigorated its business. The company is now spearheading the advance of the thriving digital economy in the UK and Ireland with the largest, most successful programme to connect homes and businesses to broadband.”
Mike Fries, CEO of Liberty Global and Chair of VM, said:
“Lutz is an outstanding leader and operator. During his eight years in Germany, Lutz led a talented team and created significant value. Since joining Virgin Media last year, he has made an immediate impact, uniting the team around a clear strategy for continued, best-in-class growth in the UK and Ireland. Tom, Lutz and I have prepared for this moment for some time now, so Lutz will hit the ground running from day one.”
Lutz Schüler said:
“I am thrilled to be leading Virgin Media. After seven months working in our operations, I am more excited than ever about our continued growth potential with the customers and communities we serve in the UK and Ireland.”
The change is due to take place on 11th June 2019. Interestingly Mike Fries also boldly claims that Virgin Media has “launched the most successful network upgrade and expansion programs in UK history, ensuring that more than 15 million households have the opportunity to enjoy Virgin Media’s incredible products and services,” although we’re not entirely sure on what their base of comparison is for that statement.
In any case Virgin Media is an operator that has always recognised the importance of retaining an edge over competitors, at least in the urban parts of the UK where they operate. Whatever the future holds for them it’ll be interesting to see how they adapt to such a rapidly changing marketplace.
Mark is a professional technology writer, IT consultant and computer engineer from Dorset (England), he also founded ISPreview in 1999 and enjoys analysing the latest telecoms and broadband developments. Find me on X (Twitter), Mastodon, Facebook and Linkedin.
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hello there my name is James moss I have been a long long-term customer and I have had numerous technicians around my address trying to fix this continuous issue with my virgin media services and to be very honest with you i am sick to death of this continuous problem 8 internet modems I have had who has 8 I am very unhappy with this and when I call the technical team on the phone they constantly accuse me of mess around with the Virgin Media equipment I need help with this problem I am also going call Ofcom about this matter
virgin modems have alot of problems and they know it…..they just do not want to fix due to cost also people tend to request higer broadband due to the problems the modems have…they even asked me to pay for a service to sort out there modem.on a monthy ,payment plan…lol..why when i sorted out my settings onthe modem myself they reset it without telling me….many people are unhappy…with the rubbish service from virgin..o and there phone staffneed to learn how to speak english …..
I am having exactly the same problems and none of the reps at virgin are interested.
This has also been my experience. I have been paying for 3 mobiles on 4G and not getting the 4G anywhere (I have had no net at all on my 3 phones for the last 3 months). I have called Virgin several times they said:
1. check with phone company (Apple) the problem is with the phone – I did and this was not the case.
2. Virgin said it’s the sim card. They send me a new one. It did not work.
3. Finally they admitted there was some wrong with their tower and they could not guaranteed 4G.
On my last call to Virgin, I said that I had to leave as they were not providing the service. Virgin replied that I would have to pay a penalty as my contract had not finished. To my protesting as they, in fact, were in breach of contract by not providing the agreed service, they put the phone down on me! Ordinarily, this behaviour would be considered fraudolent (you pay for something you don’t get) so why should Virgin be allowed to continue to trade unlawfully without consequences?
My concern with Virgin is their lack of response to complaints, not publishing complaints which are not complimentary to their service not being able to redirect the complaint and operatives deceiving callers. Recently a Virgin media box was installed and my garden damaged in the process when I did not ask for the service or give permission for its installation. The calls to address the issue remain unproductive. It is an appalling
DIS service, with no one apparently responsible or accountable.
Virgin Media is a scam by all accounts and tom.mockridge@virginmedia.co.uk was FIRED for damaging the Virgin brand beyond Richard Branson worst nightmares
AVOID AT ALL COST AND RUN!!!
All of the above complaints and more what a sham
I’m having problems with virgin I renewed my contract at end of may,following this they sent all my personal information to a different email address,and when I complained I got told I was the criminal,for using someone else email address.Have had no satisfaction from this at all they are a joke
Absolutely shocking customer service 2.1/2 hrs to sort a package change couldn’t understand the people and they kept going off for Good 10 mins or so took forever would not recommend virgin for this reason will look at finding a new provider
The customer service agents I called three days ago requesting him to open new account for me switched my mobile number to another number instead. When I realized the mistake made by the agent, I called another agent who refused to correct the mistake.
Such incompetent agents are horrible to deal with.
I am writing this complaint as I am far from happy with the service .i made this complaint over 6 weeks ago and I want some thing done . Mrs Melanie Goodey . My email -Mel.goodey@me.com .i hope hear from you soon kind Regards
I have been trying to cancel my account for the last 4 week’s!! Get put on hold or hung up in. Virgin customer service is appalling. We have never had the full service ie: phone and broadband – phone was NEVER connected! Customer service is appalling and still haven’t managed to cancel my account, so paying for a service I’m not receiving!
I have been trying to cancel my account since june! didnt reply to complaint, didnt reply to resolver, my only hope now is emailing CEO.
I have also reported this appalling treatment to Ofcom
I am very upset st the uncaring and problematic service I have received from Virgin Mobile when my data kept running out. It was bad enough that the new area I just moved to, it is a town in the north of England but Virginnhave no broadband there. So much for being a global business. For three weeks, as I have had to organise other broadband, I had to use just my phone to manage everything. Of course I reached my data limits and then credit limits, each time having to phone up to sort it out. The final straw was this morning when my new plan came into being. Still nothing. Yet another lengthy call to yet again unblock the limit, before I was allowed back in. Once my contract finishes, needless to say, I will find a different provider.
VIRGIN!!! You should be discussed with your self’s.
You have broken my neighbours heart and caused her so much pain. I have never seen her cry like she was an hour or so ago. It was horrible and painful.
Toni is her name she’s now in hospital. You see she’s has epilepsy and stress is the main trigger. 2nd time this has happened since been with you. She hasn’t even had her fist bill yet. It’s due Wednesday 89×2 Witch she worked really hard to pay instalments. Out of Christmas money and doing ironing for people plus anything she’s sold of her daughters out grown Toys.
That money is usually her x mas fund. This year she can’t afford Christmas. She only had 100 put aside. You’ve had that!!!
Back to her epilepsy yes she’s had a fit I was there. I have seen it before and I can assure you it’s horrible to see and I haven’t got use to it. I’m now looking after her 9 year old daughter. Toni will be home Late tomorrow maybe Tuesday. I guess your happy with that though.
SAME as YOUR HAPPY that YOU CONDED TONI.
You see she got a deal she didn’t want the deal she ordered. She tried to change it days before installing.
No one helped her. I was there during one call. Due to that she had a small fit the day before.
She got no where. No one would listen.
Then the day it got installed she even spoke to jay the man who installed.
She did want it installed. But it had to be as it was his job.
She tried after it in had been installed many times. Eventually she got the one she had been trying to get. Mostly cause it came with a free tv. That WAS GOING TO BE HER 9 YEAR old DAUGHTERS Christmas Present.
She’s was told more than once she will get it. Less than a few weeks ago she was told it will come when she’s paid her first bill.
She’s got 40 something left to pay from a double bill. She’s got a 2nd hand ps3 for her daughter. Toni sold her last porcelain doll to get that.
All she kept saying was I don’t know what I’m going to do. I sold my last doll witch I wanted to keep for ……. when she’s older. The ps3 can’t be in the living room due to Toni’s epilepsy.
Toni’s a good girl and a brilliant mum. But she’s had a really bad year. This was a break for her. She was well happy. She new her daughter would be so grateful.
Toni did tell me she was rude to a manager Johnathan Thomson. She was really really upset about that to. She did ring back and say sorry to him and tried to have her service suspended. Was 200 and something he wanted for it to be done.
She’s genuinely heart broken and very very worried about Christmas now. Well she wakes up she will be.
I will be telling her not to pay a penny more. I will help her anyway I can getting this out there. Plus the video of her fitting. Plus phone call recording and the emails.
She’s didn’t deserve this and as much as toni is the by far one of the nicest kind caring people I know. An she said sorry. If it was me I wouldn’t of. An I’m not nice when people I care about her hurt.
You should be discussed with yourself. When you go to sleep to night think of toni in a hospital bed. An know you done this. An You JOHNATHAN THOMSON
Nice way your staff treat nice people. It’s all over your face book and it will be going anywhere I can put it. Hopefully toni will talk to her uncle that she don’t talk to. He works for the sun newspaper. I’m going to try and convince her to do it. An he will