Industry Moves: T-Mobile UK CEO Jim Hyde Stepping Down

• By Dianne See Morrison
• On 7:50 am EST, Thursday January 15, 2009

Jim Hyde is stepping down from his role as T-Mobile UK's chief executive at the end of March to return to his native U.S. for a new job.  Hyde, who spent two years as the UK operator's head, is taking up the position of COO and president at Waynesboro, VA-based telecoms firm nTelos Holdings, where he will eventually become CEO once current chief executive James S. Quarforth retires, the company said in a statement.

Hyde, who has spent 12 years with T-Mobile (including when it was known as VoiceStream) came to T-Mobile UK from its American unit, where he was VP of sales and operations. Though both Hyde, father to five children, and T-Mobile UK said he was leaving for "personal reasons," MobileToday.co.uk suggested that the UK unit was under pressure from its "controlling and cash demanding parent" Deutsche Telekom (NYSE: DT - News), which has led to inconsistent results for the UK's third-largest operator. T-Mobile, said it was currently seeking a replacement for Hyde and would announce one shortly.