European operator group Telecom Italia has appointed Giuseppe Recchi as its chairman of the Board of Directors. Recchi’s appointment ends a six-month wait for a successor to former chairman Franco Bernabe, who also served as CEO at the firm.

The operator also announced the appointment of its new Board of Directors. The 13 directors will remain in office for three financial years until the approval of the firm’s financial statements for the year ending at 31 December 2016.

Recchi also currently serves as chairman at Italian energy firm Eni and began his career at energy services holding firm Recchi Costruzioni Generali. He has held several management positions at General Electric in Europe and the US and was president and CEO of GE South Europe until May 2011. He replaces interim chairman Aldo Minucci.

Former chairman Bernabè tendered his resignation in October last year after Telecom Italia’s shareholders struck a deal with rival operator group Telefónica for the Spanish firm to gradually increase its stake in the Italian operator, with reports at the time suggesting a potential sale of its Brazilian operations.