( L - R ) Linehan, Hunter

Three months into his new placement here as Jamaican CEO, David Hunter has quit his job with Digicel Group, forcing the telecom to shuffle country managers.

He has been replaced by Mark Linehan.

Hunter has "resigned to pursue other opportunities outside of Digicel", the company announced Tuesday.

Hunter told Wednesday Business he was leaving to take up a better offer elsewhere and that his separation was amicable.

But company insiders told Wednesday Business, on condition of anonymity, that Hunter might have been placed in an uncomfortable position after an 'exchange of words' with chairman and founder Denis O'Brien.

Chris Hayman's position as CEO of Digicel Business, a group position seated in Kingston, was also said to be creating some confusion.

Upset at departure

Under that structure, the divisional head of Digicel Jamaica Business Services reports to Hayman, Wednesday Business was advised.

Sources also say senior sales staff are upset at Hunter's departure, which comes amid attempts to have the issue of their sales commissions settled, and whether they are in fact underpaid.

A meeting is said to be set for today in Kingston, to involve senior sales staff from across the island. Hunter is expected to be present.

The outgoing CEO told Wednesday Business that he was staying in the telecoms sector, but "moving out of the Caribbean".

He takes up his new position at year end, but would not say with which company, only that it was not America Movil and not a rival to Digicel.

"I won't go to a company that competes with Digicel," he said.

Hunter remains with Digicel for now, and will separate from the company officially in September, he tells Wednesday Business.

"There are no bad feelings," he said, adding that he simply got a better offer from another company, but would be assisting with Linehan's transition.

Immediate posting

Linehan, who ran Digicel Guyana, takes up his new job immediately, while Gregory Dean has been promoted from chief financial officer to CEO of the South American operation.

Hunter in April replaced David Hall in Kingston, after building out the company's Bermuda market.

Hall, who held the Kingston posting for four years, was given the job as overseer of Digicel's north-Caribbean operations. His job was to grow business in markets like Turks and Caicos, The Cayman Islands and Bermuda.

Linehan has been credited with building up business in Guyana, a new market that rolled out operations in 2007. He has worked with Digicel for six years, the company said, including the OECS, Trinidad, Haiti and French Guiana operations.

Dean, a Guyanese, joined Digicel last year, and is said to have "played a pivotal role" in that market.

business@gleanerjm.com