4 February 2010
COMPANY ANNOUNCEMENT
The following is a company announcement issued by GO plc ("the Company") pursuant to Malta Financial Services Authority Listing Rules 8.7.5 and 8.16 to 8.19.
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GO announces that Mr. Sonny Portelli, Chairman of the Board of Directors has tendered his resignation. The resignation is effective from the 10 March 2010. The Board of Directors of the Company thanks Mr. Portelli for his loyal service and wishes him success in his new responsibilities.
Further to such resignation, the Company announces that Mr. Deepak Padmanabhan, who has been a member of the Company's Board of Directors since 2006, is being appointed Chairman to the said Board in Mr. Portelli's stead, with effect from the 10 March 2010 .
Mr. Deepak Padmanabhan is an Honours Engineering graduate in Electronics and holds a Post Graduate Diploma in Computer Communications and Networks. He has over twenty two (22) years of industry experience in telecommunications, including work on mergers and acquisitions, strategy and investments and value creation. Mr. Padmanabhan is the CEO of Emirates International Telecommunications LLC, the Dubai-based joint venture between TECOM Investments and DIG that is the majority shareholder in GO plc through Emirates International Telecommunications (Malta) Limited. Mr. Padmanabhan was responsible for developing the strategy and execution of Dubai's knowledge clusters (Dubai Internet City, Dubai Media City, Knowledge Village and DuBiotech) and for leading the international development of TECOM Investment's business, from 2000 to 2006. He was pivotal in the initialestablishment and launch of the Emirates Integrated Telecommunications Company (du) and further led the acquisitions of stakes in Interoute, Tunisie Télécom, GO and Forthnet S.A. He is a member of the Board of Directors of Interoute Communications Holdings S.A., Tunisie Télécom and GO plc and sits as Director and Chairman on the Boards of Forthnet S.A. and SmartCity Malta respectively. Forthnet S.A. is a listed company on the Athens Stock Exchange. Mr. Padmanabhan is also a founding member and a Director on the Board of TIE Dubai, which is part of TIE global, an international non profit organization, which dedicates itself to mentoring and developing entrepreneurs. Mr. Padmanabhan resides at Villa 10, Street 5, Meadows 5, Dubai, PO Box 73000, United Arab Emirates.
There is no matter concerning Mr. Padmanabhan requiring disclosure under Listing Rules 8.16.3 to 8.16.8.
The Company further announces that Mr. Yiannos Michaelides is being appointed as a non-executive member of the Board of Directors of the Company, with effect from the 10 March 2010.
Mr. Yiannos Michaelides holds a B.Eng (Honours), M.Eng from McGill University (Montreal, Canada) and an M.B.A. with distinction from Warwick Business School (UK). He has over twenty (20) years of international experience involving telecommunications and media. He is currently a Senior Executive with EIT and his responsibilities include assisting EIT investments in the setting of Corporate, Commercial and Operational Strategies as well as in leading Transformation Programs and Value Creation Initiatives. His latest assignment involved assisting Forthnet (Broadband) and Nova (PayTV) in Greece. Before joining EIT, Mr. Michaelides was Vice President of Strategic Marketing at du in Dubai. Prior to that, he was Director of Sales and Marketing for Areeba Ltd, the second mobile operator in Cyprus. He also held various management positions with Nortel Networks in North America, Europe, the Middle East and Africa for several years, with his career spanning various areas of telecommunications including voice, data, wireless and multimedia. These positions included Director of Corporate Development Europe, Middle East, Africa, and Director Business Development/Sales, Wireless Solutions Middle East, Eastern Europe, Russia/CIS.
Mr. Michaelides resides at 10,Pnytagora Street, Apt 401 Engomi, P.C. 2406, Nicosia, Cyprus.
There is no matter concerning Mr. Michaelides requiring disclosure under Listing Rules 8.16.3 to 8.16.8.
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Dr. Francis Galea Salomone LL.D.
Company Secretary