By Dominique Vidalon
PARIS (Reuters) - Telecoms group Altice has named long-serving sector executive Michel Combes as its chief operating officer and chairman of its Numericable-SFR mobile phone business, saying the appointment would help accelerate the group's expansion.
Combes is joining a company controlled by billionaire Patrick Drahi, who has been on a buying spree including the purchase of Vivendi's SFR, the second-biggest French mobile firm, to create Numericable-SFR.
Drahi also made a bid for Bouygues (PARIS:BOUY) Telecom, which was rejected.
Combes, 53, is leaving his role as head of telecoms equipment maker Alcatel-Lucent (PARIS:ALUA) ahead of its takeover by Finland's Nokia (HEL:NOKIA) Corp.
Combes, who joined Alcatel from Vodafone (LONDON:VOD) in 2013, has more than 25 years of experience in the telecoms industry and has a record as a cost-cutter.
But he has come under fire over the payout he is set to receive after leaving Alcatel-Lucent. Weekly Le Journal du Dimanche reported Combes could receive the equivalent of 13.7 million euros ($15 million) in stock by 2018.
French Finance Minister Michel Sapin told France Info radio on Monday that executive pay should be ruled by "a little common sense and restraint" during tough times for many French people.
Daily Le Figaro said Alcatel-Lucent Chairman Philippe Camus would meet with Economy Minister Emmanuel Macron to discuss the issue on Tuesday.
Combes defended himself in an interview with Les Echos newspaper, saying he would receive a significant sum as he had agreed to maximise the variable part of his pay to reflect the risk of failure.
Alcatel stock has risen from less than 1 euro before he took over on April 1, 2013, to trade mostly between 3 and 4 euros this year.
"That means I succeeded in creating value and that the company is saved, whereas I joined it when it was virtually bankrupt, and there weren't many candidates to run it," Combes was quoted as saying.
He said he would only know exactly how much he will receive in 2018.
Announcing Combes's appointment, Altice chief Dexter Goei said in a statement: "His deep experience in the international telecom sector will help significantly reinforce our ability to successfully operate and integrate all of our affiliates and to continue to grow our footprint in new territories,"
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