Zen Internet appoints new CEO as founder becomes chairman

Zen Internet Chairman of the Board, Richard Tang

Zen Internet founder, Richard Tang, is to move from being CEO into the role of chairman of the board.

Paul Stobart will move in the opposite direction from being chairman of the Zen board into the CEO role - after working alongside Richard for the past year.

Richard Tang said: “At Zen, we believe in doing things differently. It was crucial for me that anyone replacing me as CEO was absolutely aligned with our people-first approach.

“Paul Stobart brings all of that and more: He is an excellent communicator, a visionary, and an inspirational leader of people who brings a wealth of strategic experience in running transformative technology businesses.”

He added: “I am also incredibly excited about my own new role - where I will have time to actively champion Zen’s mission to raise standards in the UK’s internet market.

“Importantly, we believe these changes will make Zen more successful, whilst staying totally true to our most fundamental long-term objectives: Happy staff, happy customers, happy suppliers.”

Paul Stobart joins on the back of experience as CEO at both listed plc and private-equity owned businesses, and brings expertise in a range of different sectors, including technology, finance, and healthcare.

He said: “I believe Zen is not just one of the UK’s most exciting businesses, but is also one of its most rewarding places to work too - which is why I couldn’t be happier about this new challenge.

“I am coming on board at a critical stage of development, and we have big plans to shake up the market and drastically improve the standards UK consumers and businesses can expect from their internet supplier.

“Further, I believe this change suits the skill sets and ambitions of both Richard and myself. I will bring my experience of running large, high-growth businesses, while Richard will be able to develop his role as a powerful and proactive voice for Zen in the UK and beyond.”