New Rogers CEO cuts two top jobs in latest shake-up
Rogers Communications Inc. unveiled more changes to its management structure under new CEO Joe Natale, eliminating two of the top jobs created by his predecessor in a bid to make the company more accountable to its customers.
The communications giant will no longer have a chief customer officer or a chief brand officer controlling separate units on its senior management team, instead relegating those roles to report to the head of the consumer business unit.
Former CEO Guy Laurence, who was ousted last fall, created the positions in 2014 as part of the “Rogers 3.0” strategy that aimed to improve customer experience. Natale, known for improving customer service in his former role at competitor Telus Corp., has also named customer service his top priority.
“We’re bringing our customer experience and consumer teams together so that we can improve our customers’ experience end-to-end. This is a key priority and area of focus,” a Rogers spokesperson said in a statement.
The changes bring the departure of customer and brand heads Deepak Khandelwal, who will join CIBC this summer, and Dale Hooper. Khandelwal was hired by Laurence and Hooper was promoted during his tenure, which was cut short in part due to clashes with the Rogers family.
Rogers pitched the changes as a tweak to focus on customer service rather than a chance to get rid of those hired by Laurence.
Three executives hired under Laurence’s watch remain on the smaller 10-person management team, including the head of the expanded consumer business unit Dirk Woessner, media division head Rick Brace and chief information officer Jamie Williams. Two other executives hired by Laurence — Frank Boulben and Jacob Glick — already left this spring.
Lisa Durocher, who was hired as a senior vice-president last summer, was promoted to the newly created position of chief digital officer. She’s the first woman on the team since 2014.
The last time Rogers made major changes to its management team in 2014, Laurence held a press event to launch the new structure and strategy that removed two Rogers family members from daily operations. This round of changes, however, is more of an evolution to tweaks made under interim CEO and board chair Alan Horn before Natale started in April.
Natale has not yet released a major strategic plan, aside from his comments on customer service.
Rogers is scheduled to report its first round of financial results under Natale’s leadership on July 20.