Bell COO Mirko Bibic to assume
leadership of the company upon Mr. Cope's retirement
MONTRÉAL, June 28, 2019 /CNW
Telbec/ - The Board of Directors of BCE Inc. (TSX: BCE) (NYSE:
BCE) (Bell) today announced that Chief Operating Officer
Mirko Bibic will be appointed
President and Chief Executive Officer of BCE Inc. and Bell Canada following the retirement of
George Cope on January 5, 2020 after almost 12 years in the CEO
role.
"The BCE Board is pleased to take the next step in our
succession plan by confirming Mirko
Bibic as our next CEO," said Gordon
Nixon, Chair of BCE and Bell
Canada. "Mirko is a seasoned Bell executive who has played a
critical leadership role in the company's strategic transformation
over the last decade. With deep experience across Bell's business
segments, outstanding financial and operational acumen, and an
unmatched understanding of the issues transforming the Canadian
communications landscape, Mirko is the ideal choice to lead Bell's
management team forward in the execution of our growth
strategy."
"In his tenure as our CEO, George
Cope has re-energized Bell as an agile competitor and the
industry's growth leader. He has led the restructuring initiatives
and made the critical investments in Bell's team, networks and
customer service infrastructure required to build a bold competitor
across every segment of communications. As a key member of the Bell
executive leadership team, Mirko has partnered closely with George
on this remarkable journey and will continue to do so until he
assumes the CEO role in January
2020," said Mr. Nixon.
A Bell executive since 2004, Mr. Bibic is currently Chief
Operating Officer responsible for Bell Mobility, Bell Residential
and Small Business, and Bell Business Markets (BBM). He has been an
integral leader in the launch of a broad range of successful
consumer and business initiatives, such as the expansion of Bell
Wireless Home Internet to scores of small towns and rural
communities; the acceleration of Bell prepaid wireless, including
the introduction of low-cost Lucky Mobile and Virgin Mobile prepaid
service in Dollarama stores across Canada; Bell Media's launch of
the all-new Crave; BBM's acquisition of Axia NetMedia and award of
Alberta's SuperNet contract; and
strategic planning for Bell's 5G future.
"The time is right for Mirko to take our company to the next
level," said George Cope. "He has
been front and centre in the successful execution of Bell's
broadband leadership strategy from its beginning. I look forward to
continuing to work closely with Mirko through the transition to his
new role, and will be proud to pass the leadership of Bell to him
in 2020 as the 14th chief executive of our company since its
founding in 1880."
"It is a profound honour to be chosen as the next CEO of this
great Canadian institution. I am grateful for the confidence that
our Board, George Cope and the Bell
executive team have shown in me, and for the opportunity to have
partnered with a CEO as experienced and esteemed as George," said
Mr. Bibic. "Bell has become the nation's communications leader by
bringing the latest innovations in wireless, TV, Internet and media
to Canadians everywhere while delivering consistent dividend growth
for our shareholders. I'm excited to work together with our Bell
team of more than 52,000 people to build on this momentum and
deliver ongoing value to our customers, investors and
communities."
Mr. Bibic has previously served as Executive Vice President,
Corporate Development, guiding a wide range of Bell acquisition and
investment initiatives – including multiple wireless spectrum
auctions and the consolidation of regional communications companies
such as Bell MTS and Bell Aliant – and earlier as Bell's Chief
Legal and Regulatory Officer.
Mr. Cope will retire after a 14-year career with Bell that began
with his appointment as Chief Operating Officer in January 2006. As President and CEO since
July 2008, he has revitalized Bell as
the industry's broadband growth leader, efficiently investing
billions in capital to build out Canada's most advanced all-fibre
network connections and its best national mobile network, enhancing
Bell Media's position as Canada's top multimedia company, improving
customer service and greatly enhancing the cost-competitiveness of
Bell's operations.
Mr. Cope has executed strategic investments and acquisitions
valued at more than $15 billion to
strengthen Bell's competitive scale in wireless, media, customer
service and distribution, including leading brands like CTV,
Astral, The Source, Bell Aliant, Manitoba Telecom Services (MTS),
Virgin Mobile Canada, the Montreal Canadiens, and Maple Leaf Sports
& Entertainment, including the NBA Champion Toronto
Raptors.
As of Q1 2019, Bell's most recently reported financial quarter,
the company has delivered 54 consecutive quarters of year-over-year
adjusted EBITDA growth. With the latest 5% increase to the BCE
common share dividend announced in February, Bell has increased its
dividend 15 times during Mr. Cope's tenure, representing total
dividend growth of 117%. This is the 11th consecutive year Bell has
delivered 5% or better dividend growth. Total shareholder return
(TSR) from December 31, 2008 has been
311%, with an average annual TSR of 14.4%.
In 2009, Mr. Cope led the launch of the Bell Let's Talk
initiative, the largest-ever corporate commitment to Canadian
mental health and now one of the country's most prominent community
investment campaigns. He was appointed to the Order of Canada in
2014, named Canada's Outstanding CEO of the Year in 2015 and
inducted into the Canadian Business Hall of Fame in 2018. A
graduate of the Ivey School of Business at Western University (HBA '84) and a member of its
advisory board, Mr. Cope has also received honourary doctorates
from Western, the University of
Windsor, Trent University and
Queen's University.
About BCE
BCE is Canada's largest communications
company, providing advanced Bell broadband wireless, TV, Internet
and business communications services alongside Canada's premier
content creation and media assets from Bell Media. To learn more,
please visit Bell.ca or BCE.ca.
The Bell Let's Talk initiative promotes Canadian mental health
with national awareness and anti-stigma campaigns like Bell Let's
Talk Day and significant Bell funding of community care and access,
research and workplace leadership initiatives throughout the year.
To learn more, please visit Bell.ca/LetsTalk.
Media inquiries:
Marc Choma
613-785-0622
marc.choma@bell.ca
@Bell_News
Investor inquiries:
Thane Fotopoulos
514-870-4619
thane.fotopoulos@bell.ca
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SOURCE Bell Canada