Virgin Media O2 Announces Appointment of New Giffgaff CEO

Virgin Media O2 has appointed Kate Dohaney as CEO of Giffgaff, effective early December 2025. She succeeds Ash Schofield at the mobile virtual network operator, which recently entered the fixed-line market.

Kate joins from Orb Group, where she served as CEO from March 2024. During her time at the company, she oversaw the modernisation of a global technology platform and secured multi-million-dollar investment. The work delivered triple-digit growth in shareholder value. Before Orb Group, she held senior positions at News Corp and Dow Jones, building experience across technology, media and international business operations.

The appointment comes as Giffgaff expands beyond its mobile-only model. The company launched broadband services using full fibre infrastructure across eight regions in England, Scotland and Wales.

Current coverage includes North West England, Yorkshire and the Humber, East Midlands, the North East, Scotland, South West England, Wales and the West Midlands. Future plans involve integration with Virgin Media O2's national broadband network to create a combined offering.

Virgin Media O2’s Giffgaff enters fixed-line market

Mobile virtual network operator Giffgaf has operated on Virgin Media O2's mobile infrastructure since its launch, building a customer base through a community-focused model. The broadband expansion marks its first move into fixed-line services, positioning it to compete as a converged provider. The timing of Kate’s appointment aligns with this strategic shift, as the company scales operations across multiple service lines.

Lutz Schüler, CEO of Virgin Media O2, says: “Kate is a proven leader with a wealth of experience, and I look forward to welcoming her as CEO of Giffgaff. 

“She joins at a truly exciting time for the company following its recent expansion into the broadband market and I am confident she will lead the organisation with the heart and tenacity the brand was built on.”

The telecommunications sector has seen increased competition in converged services, with operators bundling mobile and broadband to retain customers and reduce churn. 

Virgin Media O2 itself formed through a 2021 merger between Virgin Media and Telefónica UK's O2, creating Britain's largest converged operator with approximately 46M mobile and broadband customers. The company operates a cable network covering around 15.5M premises and a mobile network reaching 99% of the population.

Giffgaff CEO appointment follows broadband launch

Kate’s background in platform modernisation and scaling operations matches the requirements of expanding Giffgaff’s infrastructure footprint. 

The company must integrate new broadband operations with existing mobile services whilst maintaining the community-driven approach that differentiated it in the mobile market.

Kate says: “Being appointed to lead such a dynamic and bold organisation within the UK telecoms sector is a real privilege. Giffgaff is known for doing things differently – something I passionately believe in – and I’m excited to get started, driving the next chapter of growth for the business.”