Former M1 CEO Neil Montefiore is to take the helm of rival StarHub, the company announced.
The appointment ends months of speculation since he suddenly exited M1 in January after 13 years in the job.
StarHub CEO Terry Clontz, who has been in his position for 11 years, will retire in January 2010, the company said. Clontz, 58, will remain as a director.
Montefiore, 56, will take over at just as StarHub begins rolling out the wholesale layer of the next-gen broadband network, backed by a S$250 million ($170 million) government subsidy.
Cellco M1, at which Montefiore was the founding CEO, has struggled against StarHub and SingTel in recent years because of its dedicated focus on mobile. In an effort to broaden its product set it has launched a retail broadband service and made an unsuccessful bid for the NBN tender.
The well-liked Montefiore departed the company shortly after the tender. The industry since has been rife with rumors about his future, including the possibility that he might move to StarHub.
StarHub is Singapore's second full-service telco, running a mobile network and an HFC cable-broadband network. Its biggest shareholder is ST Telemedia, a 100%-owned subsidiary of government investment arm Temasek, which is also controls SingTel.
StarHub said the key criteria for selecting a new CEO included industry background and experience in Singapore's regulatory environment. Montefiore's appointment is subject to approval by the IDA.