Rocío Lorenzo to Take Telenet Helm as John Porter Exits
Telenet Group Holding has selected Rocío Lorenzo to become its next chief executive on November 2, 2026. She will replace John Porter, who has led the Belgian telecom operator since 2013 and will help with the transition through the rest of 2026. Lorenzo joins from Cable & Wireless Panamá, where she is executive president and general manager, and will steer Telenet within Liberty Global’s newly formed Ziggo Group Benelux unit.
Rocío Lorenzo will become Telenet’s CEO on Nov. 2, 2026, succeeding John Porter, who has led the Belgian operator since 2013 and will assist through year-end. She arrives from Cable & Wireless Panamá, where she is executive president and general manager, and will report to Ziggo Group CEO Stephen van Rooyen.
Lorenzo has over two decades of international telecom experience, including Liberty Latin America and Boston Consulting Group, where she worked on Telenet projects such as the 2016 BASE acquisition. Porter’s tenure saw BASE, Play Media and Wyre launched or acquired, and he entered the Cable Hall of Fame in 2022.
The leadership change may affect Telenet customers, employees, and partners in Belgium as the company integrates into Ziggo Group Benelux. A new CEO focused on connectivity and customer experience could influence network investment, service quality, and pricing decisions. Employees may see shifts in strategy and regional collaboration, while suppliers and media partners could face changed priorities. The transition’s societal impact will likely depend on how continuity and regional scale are balanced.