Melita announces Rasterhoff as new COO, Darmanin as new marketing manager

A seasoned telecommunications expert with extensive experience in leading successful wireless and wireline telecom operations, Rasterhoff was joining Melita with an initial briefing “to ensure the organisation maintains and strengthens it positioning as a leader within the telecommunications and home entertainment industry and improving the service to its customers,” a company statement explained.

Prior to joining Melita, Ludolf had served in senior positions with a range of international communications organisations.

He held the position of Director of KPN’s TV and Media business and was responsible for launching and building KPN’s TV and content (IPTV, internet media and mobile portals) services in The Netherlands.

As KPN Mobile’s Director Consumer Market he was in charge of all consumer focussed business to over 5 million customers and a P&L responsibility of over €1 billion.

He also held roles in Corporate Strategy, Mergers & Acquisition and Product Innovation.

His latest post was that of Chief Commercial Officer of United Telecommunication Services, active in 10 markets and one of the Caribbean’s premier, integrated and growing telecommunication providers, covering a portfolio of mobile, fixed telephony, TV, broadband as well as an advanced data network services for residential and business market.

Melita plc have also announced the appointment of Michael Darmanin, who served as competitor Vodafone Malta’s head of marketing for various years, as Melita’s Director of Marketing and Business Services.

With a strong business background and twenty years’ experience in a commercial role, Michael was a skilled strategic professional with a strong track record in enterprise sales and marketing. A key assignment of Darmanin, the company said, would be “to grow Melita’s market position in the business market”.

Prior to joining Melita, Michael served in various senior roles within Vodafone Malta, including Head of Customer Value, Head of Enterprise and until recently Head of Marketing.

Within his various roles at Vodafone Malta, Michael was instrumental in building business customer relationships, delivering products and services that exceed customer expectations and driving the local mobile industry through innovation and customer management.

In his role as Head of Marketing Michael was part of the executive management team of Vodafone Malta.

As a result of this appointment, Malcolm Briffa, who until now had served as Melita’s Head of Marketing, has been appointed to the new position of Head of PR and Strategic Projects. 

In his previous role as Head of Marketing, Briffa played a key role in the development of the organisation.

He was a key player during the rebranding of the organisation and during other important milestones for Melita, such as the launch of the Melita Mobile 3G network and the launch of High Definition television.

Commenting on the three appointments, Melita CEO Andrew Torriani said: “I am delighted to welcome Ludolf, Michael and Malcolm in their new roles at Melita.

All three bring considerable experience in their respective fields which will be pivotal in the implementation of Melita’s growth strategy,” he added.