Ram Belnikov candidate to head cellular provider Cellcom
Ram Belnikov, chief executive of international calls provider Golden Lines, is a candidate to lead cellular provider Cellcom, TheMarker has learned.
Senior Cellcom sources confirmed this but believe his candidacy is no longer relevant.
Cellcom said it does comment on reports on potential replacements for out-going CEO Jacob Perry.
Belnikov is considered the leading candidate to run the planned merged cable TV entity, to be formed by the merger of Tevel, Matav Cable Systems (Nasdaq:MATV), and Golden Channels.
Belnikov is probably willing to consider the Cellcom post because the cable merger has been delayed, among other things because of the legal proceedings against debt-burdened Tevel, and due to restrictions imposed by Supervisor of Banks Yitzhak Tal on the banks because of the Dankner family stake in Bank Hapoalim, and the majority stake the Dankners would have in the merged firm.
Other names that have been mentioned as prospective candidates to run Cellcom are Uri Shani, former prime minister bureau chief, Discount Investment CorporationCEO Ami Erel, and Cellcom VP Oren Most. Other names mentioned in the past include Super-Sol (NYSE:SAE) CEO Amiaz Sagis, Bezeq CEO Ilan Biran, and former Discount Investments CEO Yoram Turbovicz.
Cellcom is Israel's leading cellular provider, and the only one to have posted profit in recent years. The other two providers are Pele-Phone Communications and Partner Communications (Nasdaq, TASE:PTNR, LSE:PCCD).
