Tony Staffieri named permanent CEO of Rogers

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Tony Staffieri has been named chief executive and president of Rogers Communications Inc. after serving as interim CEO following the departure of Joe Natale last year.

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“The appointment of Tony as President and CEO puts Rogers in a strong position as we prepare for the closing and integration of the Shaw transaction in the first half of 2022,” Edward Rogers, chair of the company’s board of directors, said in a news release.

“This is a pivotal point in the company’s history and the Board has full confidence in Tony’s ability to lead Rogers as we move forward.”

Staffieri, formerly Rogers’ longtime CFO, had been Edward Rogers’ choice to take the helm of the family-controlled telecom giant before a boardroom battle erupted last fall. Edward’s mother and two of his sisters publicly backed Natale and they, along with other board members, pushed Edward from his post as company chair.

Staffieri was forced out amid the turmoil.

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But Edward, son of company founder Ted Rogers and chair of the family trust that controls Rogers Communications through voting shares, pushed back, replacing five independent board members with directors of his own choosing.

Shortly after the Supreme Court of British Columbia backed Edward’s right as trust chair to do so, Natale left the company and Staffieri was brought back and installed as interim CEO. The Nov. 16 announcement said he would be in the running to make the job permanent.

Though there was a search, analysts had been expecting Staffieri to get the job permanently before the second quarter, when Rogers Communications hopes to close its merger with rival telco Shaw Communications. The transaction is subject to regulatory approval.

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Staffieri, who was CFO for almost a decade — and whose arrival at the Canadian telecom preceded Natale’s — said in statement that he will remain focused on driving shareholder value through improved execution and completing the Shaw transaction.

“I am very excited for the opportunities that lie ahead for Rogers with our exceptional set of assets and strong team,” he said.

Before he joined Rogers, Staffieri had senior positions at Bell Canada Enterprises, Celestica and PricewaterhouseCoopers.

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Other management changes since Staffieri moved from the CFO’s office to the CEO role at Rogers include the appointment of former Rogers director and cable veteran Robert Dépatie to a new position within the company: president and chief operating officer of the Home & Business division.

From this new perch, Dépatie is overseeing operations including high-speed Internet, television and smart-home monitoring services. He also looks after large corporate, public-sector and small and medium-sized enterprise clients, as well as customer experience for all wireless and wireline accounts. Key executives and managers within Rogers will now report to him.

A media report last week indicated that David Fuller, president of the wireless division at Rogers, planned to leave the company, but his LinkedIn profile still had him listed in that position on Monday.

Financial Post

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