Christopher Schläffer (40) is to leave the company on March 31, 2010 at his own request after nearly twelve years to take on new challenges. In his most recent position as Chief Product & Innovation Officer, Christopher Schläffer was responsible for the Group's product portfolio and the operational realization of strategic areas of innovation such as IPTV, mobile Internet and digital services. He was also in charge of research and development within the Group. "We thank Christopher Schläffer for his great commitment and his sense of responsibility over many years. I wish him every success for the future," said René Obermann, Chairman of the Board of Management of Deutsche Telekom AG. Schläffer drove the consistent focus of Deutsche Telekom's product portfolio on growth markets, including the mobile Internet, IPTV and exclusive partnerships, for example leading to the launch of the Apple iPhone and the first mobile telephone based on the Android operating system (T-Mobile G1). Schläffer set the tone for open innovation throughout the industry with the foundation of the Deutsche Telekom Laboratories in Berlin, Beer Sheva and Los Altos. "I am grateful for my time at Deutsche Telekom, my work with a great team and the privilege of having made a modest contribution in shaping the future of our industry," said Christopher Schläffer. "But the time has now come for me to take on new challenges." From 2002 to 2006, he was Corporate Development Officer, responsible for Group strategy, technology, innovation, research and development, processes / IT, venture capital and the regional offices of Deutsche Telekom in Europe and Asia. In 2000, he was appointed Senior Executive Vice President, Group Strategy.
About Deutsche Telekom AG Deutsche Telekom is one of the world’s leading integrated telecommunications companies with almost 150 million mobile customers, about 40 million fixed-network lines and over 17 million broadband lines (as of June 30, 2009). ts product brands are T-Home (fixed-network telephony, broadband Internet), T-Mobile (mobile communications), and T-Systems (ICT solutions).As an international Group with over 261,000 employees operating in around 50 countries worldwide (as of June 30, 2009), Deutsche Telekom generated more than half of its revenue - EUR 61.6 billion - outside of Germany in 2008. Further information is available in the Internet at www.telekom.com