Lyca Mobile UK Appoints New CEO Richard Schäfer

British multinational corporation and mobile network operator Lyca Mobile, which is a Mobile Virtual Network Operators (MVNO) based off O2’s (VMO2) national platform, has today announced the appointment of Richard Schäfer to be their new CEO (Mobile and Group) – having previously served as Lyca Group CFO since May 2021.

Schäfer has a strong track record in senior leadership roles, having previously worked in the domestic UK and international telecommunication sector for more than 22 years at some of the UK’s leading telecommunication companies including Three UK, Vodafone UK, Onecom, and Lebara.

The news isn’t all that surprising because the new CEO has been listed on their website for a while, but for some reason they waited until now to formally announce it.

Richard Schäfer said:

“Lyca Mobile has always delivered exceptional value to our customers, and I firmly believe we have some of the most cost-effective and compelling products in the market. As the world’s largest MVNO, we have built a loyal customer base by delivering reliable, low-cost international calling, and there is a golden opportunity to extend that base by targeting a broader value-seeking market.

Consumers are facing skyrocketing living costs and there is a growing space for mobile providers who can give customers what they want – which is simply cost-effective, quality services. We will be relentless in delivering against our three priorities of value, customer service and reliability, with new investments and partnerships already taking shape to demonstrate our single-minded focus on continuous improvement across these core areas.”

However, the announcement doesn’t mention why the group’s former CEO, Chris Tooley, is no longer in the role, after first taking up the post almost a decade ago in 2014. Tooley’s Linkedin profile also makes no mention of him having taken up any new positions in other companies, yet.