Hans Snook
Encyclopedia
Hans Roger Snook is a businessman, best known for his time as the charismatic black-leather-Nehru-jacketed Founder and CEO of UK mobile phone company Orange
.
Born to a German mother and a British father, Snook grew up in Vancouver, Canada.,where he went to the University of British Columbia.
He then began a career in hotel management, which led him to Calgary for six years. In 1983, he set off on a round the world trip, which was cut short when he arrived in Hong Kong
and became Chief Executive of a wireless paging business ( which subsequently became part of the Hutchison Whampoa Group. In 1992 Snook was despatched to the UK and closed Hutchison's Rabbit phone system; and instead turned efforts to developing the UK's fourth mobile phone
network.
On April 28, 1994 Orange was launched. Within 5 years Orange had developed an enviable reputation as well as a growing international presence. Mannesmann
of Germany purchased Orange Plc, in a failed attempt to challenge Vodafone
as the World's leading cellphone company.
This set off a chain of events which resulted in France Télécom
taking ownership of Orange, and in 2001 Snook stepped down as a special advisor to Orange. His public involvement since then in the UK telecoms industry was as Chairman of Carphone Warehouse Plc, between 2002 and 2005 and on stepping down from this post he was appointed non-executive chairman of Monstermob
Group Plc, the ringtone company.
Known for his fondness for fung shui, alternative medicine
and colonic irrigation, Snook was an unconventional British business leader. Blending all of these interests together he is now the major shareholder in The Diagnostic Clinic, a medical clinic in London
integrating Western medicine with complementary and alternative practices. He is also the non-executive Chairman at Health Smart Limited, and a non-executive director of DDD Group Plc, and in telecoms the Non-Executive Chairman of the Thai mobile phone company Truemove.
Orange SA
Orange is the brand used by France Télécom for its mobile network operator and Internet service provider subsidiaries. It is the fifth largest telecom operator in the world, with 210 million customers . The brand was created in 1994 for Hutchison Telecom's UK mobile phone network, which was...
.
Born to a German mother and a British father, Snook grew up in Vancouver, Canada.,where he went to the University of British Columbia.
He then began a career in hotel management, which led him to Calgary for six years. In 1983, he set off on a round the world trip, which was cut short when he arrived in Hong Kong
Hong Kong
Hong Kong is one of two Special Administrative Regions of the People's Republic of China , the other being Macau. A city-state situated on China's south coast and enclosed by the Pearl River Delta and South China Sea, it is renowned for its expansive skyline and deep natural harbour...
and became Chief Executive of a wireless paging business ( which subsequently became part of the Hutchison Whampoa Group. In 1992 Snook was despatched to the UK and closed Hutchison's Rabbit phone system; and instead turned efforts to developing the UK's fourth mobile phone
Mobile phone
A mobile phone is a device which can make and receive telephone calls over a radio link whilst moving around a wide geographic area. It does so by connecting to a cellular network provided by a mobile network operator...
network.
On April 28, 1994 Orange was launched. Within 5 years Orange had developed an enviable reputation as well as a growing international presence. Mannesmann
Mannesmann
Mannesmann AG was a German corporation with headquarters in Düsseldorf. The company was founded in 1890 originally to produce seamless steel tubes. It was traded on the Frankfurt Stock Exchange. The company had 130,860 employees worldwide and revenues of €23.27 billion.Over time, Mannesmann...
of Germany purchased Orange Plc, in a failed attempt to challenge Vodafone
Vodafone
Vodafone Group Plc is a global telecommunications company headquartered in London, United Kingdom. It is the world's largest mobile telecommunications company measured by revenues and the world's second-largest measured by subscribers , with around 341 million proportionate subscribers as of...
as the World's leading cellphone company.
This set off a chain of events which resulted in France Télécom
France Télécom
France Telecom S.A. is the main telecommunications company in France, the third-largest in Europe and one of the largest in the world. It currently employs about 180,000 people and has 192.7 million customers worldwide . In 2010 the group had revenue of €45.5 billion...
taking ownership of Orange, and in 2001 Snook stepped down as a special advisor to Orange. His public involvement since then in the UK telecoms industry was as Chairman of Carphone Warehouse Plc, between 2002 and 2005 and on stepping down from this post he was appointed non-executive chairman of Monstermob
Monstermob
MonsterMob LTD is a UK mobile content company selling ringtones, wallpapers and full length tracks. It is owned by MonsterMob Group PLC, which owns similar companies across the globe. The company was founded by Lancaster businessman Martin Higginson....
Group Plc, the ringtone company.
Known for his fondness for fung shui, alternative medicine
Alternative medicine
Alternative medicine is any healing practice, "that does not fall within the realm of conventional medicine." It is based on historical or cultural traditions, rather than on scientific evidence....
and colonic irrigation, Snook was an unconventional British business leader. Blending all of these interests together he is now the major shareholder in The Diagnostic Clinic, a medical clinic in London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
integrating Western medicine with complementary and alternative practices. He is also the non-executive Chairman at Health Smart Limited, and a non-executive director of DDD Group Plc, and in telecoms the Non-Executive Chairman of the Thai mobile phone company Truemove.