He will step down as CEO on 31 January, but remain a member of the management board until 31 March. Eike Walters remains CFO of the group and member of the management board to guarantee continuity in the finance department.
Ritz served as President and CEO of PTCL, the telecommunications provider in Pakistan, from 2016 to 2019. In his role, he successfully led the company through a transformation to return to growth after a number of years, Tele Columbus said. He was also the CEO of the PTCL Group, which includes a mobile operator and a bank for microfinance.
Ritz held the position of Chief Strategy Officer and member of the executive board at Etisalat Group in Abu Dhabi from 2012 to 2016. He was responsible for the strategy of the group, business development and M&A, playing a central role in the development of international subsidiaries in Africa, the Middle East and in Asia.
Prior to joining Etisalat, Ritz was a member of the executive board at Swisscom from 2006 to 2012. He held different positions in national and international subsidiaries. He was also CEO of Swisscom Central and Eastern Europe from 2008 to 2009. Ritz began his career in 1994 at the Boston Consulting Group, where he worked as a partner and managing director with a focus on technology, media and telecommunications. He holds a Phd in business administration from the University of St. Gallen in Switzerland.
