EXHIBIT 99.2
PRESS RELEASE FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 29, 2000 5:52:00 AM EST
AMSTERDAM, The Netherlands, Sep 29, 2000 (BUSINESS
WIRE) -- Versatel Telecom International
N.V.VRSA;AEX:VRSA, today announced that shareholders
have approved the appointment of Mr. Raj Raithatha as
Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Versatel. Founder
and former CEO Gary Mesch will join the Supervisory
Board and assume the non-executive Chairman's
position, replacing the current Chairman Leo van
Doorne, who will remain a member of the Supervisory
Board. In addition, Versatel announced that Mr.
Philippe Santin has accepted Mr. Raithatha's former
position as Chief Financial Officer and will join the
company on November 1, 2000.
Mr. Santin (46) has held the position of Chief
Financial Officer with the privately owned metal
packaging organization Impress Group B.V. since its
formation in 1997. Impress Group achieved 1999 sales
of EUR 1.2 billion with 39 plants and 7,200 employees
operating in 13 countries. At Impress Group, he has
been responsible for two major acquisitions, an IPO
preparation and refinancing of EUR 600 million senior
debt. Previous to his position at Impress Group he
held several financial controller positions at
Pechiney. At Pechiney, he worked in its subsidiaries
Food Europe (1981-1997), Pechiney Corporation in the
U.S. (1986-1991) and Aluminerie De Becancour in
Quebec, Canada (1983-1986). Mr. Santin will lead
Versatel's finance team and will be responsible for
all financial activities for the company and its
subsidiaries.
In order to further increase the management strength
and dept the Executive Board has been restructured.
Besides Mr. Aad Beekhuis (Chief Operations Officer),
Mr. Marc van der Heijden (VP Regulatory Affairs) and
Mr. Greg Mesch (Chief Executive Officer Versatel
Internet Group), Mr. Jan van Berne (General Counsel
and VP Legal and Corporate Affairs) and Mr. Daniel
Hayes (Chief Information Officer) have been appointed
as members of the Executive Board. Mr. Van Berne,
responsible for all Legal and Corporate Affairs at
Versatel, has been with the company for almost two
years and has acted as Secretary of the Supervisory
Board and played a key role in all of the company's
financial and acquisition activities. Mr. Hayes
joined Versatel more than six months ago on an
interim basis from Andersen Consulting and
permanently accepted the position of CIO last May.
Mr. Hayes oversees all IT related activities and
departments.
On September 1, 2000, Mr. Larry Hendrickson (former
Chief Technology Officer) stepped down from the
Executive Board for
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personal reasons. Mr. Hendrickson has assumed the
role "Senior Technology Advisor" and will remain with
Versatel during a transition period ending in April
2001. In addition, Executive Board member Mr. Frits
Kunnen (former Interim COO) retired on September 1,
2000.
Versatel's Supervisory Board now consists of Gary
Mesch, Leo van Doorne, James Meadows Jr., Sander van
Brummelen, Jorg Mohaupt and Hans Wackwitz.
Versatel Telecom International N.V. VRSA based in
Amsterdam, is a rapidly growing, facilities-based,
competitive local access broadband network operator
focused on The Netherlands, Belgium and Germany.
Founded in October 1995, the Company holds full
telecommunications licenses in The Netherlands,
Belgium and Germany and has over 42,500 business
customers and 1,400 employees. Versatel is currently
building a broadband network that will use the latest
network technologies to provide business customers
with high bandwidth voice, data and Internet
services. In addition to the CLEC, Versatel group
includes VersaPoint, a 50/50 joint venture with
US-based NorthPoint (www.northpoint.net), which is
building a pan-European high-speed DSL Internet
access network and Versatel Internet Group, a
concentration of consumer and business ISPs, portals,
and hosting companies. Versatel is a publicly traded
company on the Amsterdam Stock Exchanges and Nasdaq
National Market under the symbol "VRSA". News and
information are available at www.versatel.com.
(Certain statements in this Press Release are
"forward-looking statements" within the meaning of
The Private Securities Litigation Act of 1995. Such
statements are based on the current expectations of
the management of Versatel International NV only, and
are subject to a number of risk factors and
uncertainties, including but not limited to changes
in technology and market requirements, decline in
demand for the company's products or services,
inability to timely develop and introduce new
technologies, products and services, loss of market
share, pressure on pricing resulting from
competition, inability to maintain certain marketing
and distribution arrangements, and construction
delays, which could cause the actual results or
performance of the company to differ materially from
those described therein. For a more detailed
description of the risk factors and uncertainties
affecting the company, refer to the Company's reports
to be filed from time to time with the Securities and
Exchange Commission.)
Note to Editors: The Versatel brand is a registered
trademark of Versatel Telecom International N.V.
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CONTACT: Versatel Telecom International NV
Stephanie Kies
Director Corporate Communications
Tel: +31-20-750-1300
E-mail: [email protected]
OR
Mark Lazar
Vice President Investor Relations
Tel: +31-20-750-1079
E-mail: [email protected]
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