The chief executive of second-placed Russian carrier VimpelCom, Alexander Izosimov, is to step down at the end of June. Izosimov will be leaving on a high, having engineered the somewhat controversial merger with Orascom Telecom parent Weather, which created the world’s fifth largest mobile carrier.

A statement points out that Izosimov’s tenure as CEO started in 2003 but neglects to mention the 13 months or so when ex-Telekom Austria chief Boris Nemsic took the helm between April 2009 and June 2010. Nemsic evacuated his post rather abruptly, amid suggestions he hadn’t been planning his resignation, as the firm reorganised itself into four new business units; Russia, Ukraine, CIS and International and Izosimov took up captaincy once again.

In this instance, current chairman, Jo Lunder, has been elected as the new CEO of VimpelCom, taking over from Izosimov at the end of June.