Snook joins Carphone Warehouse

Hans Snook, the founder of Orange, is joining Carphone Warehouse, Europe's biggest mobile phone retailer, as non-exec chairman.

Charles Dunstone, the co-founder of Carphone Warehouse, is relinquishing the chairman's seat, but retains the reins as chief executive

Snook's appointment coincides with the news that his new company is closing down 89 "less profitable stores", including 30 in Germany and seven in Belgium. At the same time the company aims to open 100 new stores in the coming year, upgrading its retail portfolio to incorporate more out-of-town 'destination' locations.

Carphone Warehouse is huge in the UK and big in France and is doing comparatively well in both countries (comparatively, because new connections in the UK are slightly down on last year). Germany is a different matter - there is too little competition between the incumbent mobile networks for Carphone Warehouse (which is not tied to any particular supplier) to thrive. ®