German Cloud PBX Leader NFON Announces New CEO  

Changes in management at the European leader aimed at supporting growth in demand for cloud telephony solutions 

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German Cloud PBX Leader NFON Announces New CEO  
Unified Communications

Published: October 29, 2020

Gabriel Avner

Technology Reporter

Munich-based cloud PBX provider NFON AG announced this week that their current CEO, Hans Szymanski will be ending his tenure at the end of November. Come December 1, 2020, he will be replaced by Dr. Klaus von Rottkay (pictured, above), who will take over the leadership of the cloud telephony provider. He will be joined by long-time Board member Jan-Peter Koopmann, who will assume the role of CTO. 

In further changes to NFON AG’s existing management, César Flores Rodríguez will also be leaving the company. Under his leadership of the sales, marketing, consulting & services, and international business development operations, Flores Rodríguez has played an instrumental role in the company’s extensive growth. During his time at NFON AG, he oversaw the doubling of installed customer extensions to an estimated 500,000 seats. 

According to NFON AG’s statement, Flores Rodríguez will be departing the company following a decision to incorporate his responsibilities into the CEO’s portfolio. 

“Hans Szymanski and César Flores Rodríguez deserve our sincere thanks for their achievements,” said Rainer Koppitz, Chairman of the Supervisory Board of NFON AG, in his statement to the press.  

Doubling Down on the Push to the Cloud 

Over the course of Hans Szymanski’s four and a half years as CEO, NFON AG has widened its lead as one of the top providers of cloud telephony in Europe. In a recent report from global analyst and consulting firm Frost & Sullivan, NFON AG was rated as one of the top ten innovative UCaaS companies in Europe.  

NFON AG has experienced increased market demand for their cloud-based PBX and telephony services, which has understandably spiked during the global pandemic.  

Now with these changes in leadership, the company is hoping to take the next step in driving their share in this rapidly expanding market. From the Board’s perspective, the hiring of Dr. von Rottkay is key to this focus as he brings with him years of experience in driving sales in the cloud market. 

While at positions in Microsoft Germany and Microsoft subsidiaries, Dr. von Rottkay led the marketing efforts to grow cloud sales in local northern European markets.  

“With the new orientation and composition of the Management Board, the strategic areas of customer and market development on the one hand and product development on the other are now even more in focus,” says Koppitz, noting that, “As a member of the Management Board of Microsoft Germany, Dr. Klaus von Rottkay has firmly established cloud services in Germany and in more recent years, as CEO of PlanetHome, another cloud-based company, turning it into a high-revenue market leader in the real estate industry.”  

“The new profile of the Management Board is a clear affirmation of NFON Group’s strategic goal of becoming the No. 1 for Cloud telephony in Europe” 

Next Steps Under New Leadership 

Even as many organizations had already begun to map their transition, COVID-19 has pushed companies to accelerate their search for solutions to keep their operations running with minimal interruptions.    

For his part, Dr. von Rattkay views his role as engaging with customers to help guide them through their digital transformation as they move from legacy systems to the cloud.  

“An essential part of my previous work has been to help customers digitize their work processes leveraging Software-as-a-Service (SaaS). I will continue to do so,” says Dr. von Rottkay. “With its forward-looking technology, NFON has anticipated the potential of a digitized working world. Digital and flexible communication solutions are essential for any company.”

“The rapidly changing European market offers great opportunity, which we will continue to tackle with our growth strategy”   

In looking to the future, we may see the German company be on the lookout for possible acquisitions as part of their growth strategy, capitalizing on Dr. von Rottkay’s experience in consulting on M&As.   

 

Digital TransformationMergers and AcquisitionsUCaaS
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