1&1 Internet has named Robert Hoffmann, previously its global chief sales officer, as the new CEO of hosting.
Web hosting provider 1&1 Internet announced on Thursday it has named Robert Hoffmann, previously its global chief sales officer, as the new CEO of hosting.
The move follows 1&1 Internet’s recent launch of its free suite of applications that are designed to be used within the company’s MyWebsite plan.
Hoffmann will succeed former CEO of hosting Oliver Mauss, who will remain on the 1&1 executive board.
Mauss will take on his new responsibility of overseeing corporate venture projects, as well as assuming the role of CEO of the corporate venture unit of United Internet.
Hoffmann has nearly 20 years of IT business experience. In his new role of CEO of hosting, Hoffman will now be responsible for 1&1′s “continued product innovation and the internationalization of its hosting business,” according to the press release.
Having been with 1&1 Internet for 6 years, Hoffmann has played a large role in advancing the company’s telecommunications division in Germany, as well as leading its international sales department to continued increase sales performance across all markets.
“I feel proud and highly energised to take the reins at 1&1’s international hosting business,” said Hoffmann. “Our hosting solutions continue to lead the pack in many markets worldwide and deliver important impacts for business and professional users alike. I look forward to my part in building upon exciting innovations across our DIY, software-as-a-service and professional hosting segments in the coming years.”
After leading 1&1′s international business for nearly 5 years, Mauss will lead the corporate venture activities of both 1&1 and United Internet.
Mauss will focus on “building and growing a separate international business line through strategic acquisitions,” according to the press release.
A recent study by 1&1 Internet showed that one quarter of UK consumers have walked away from using or buying from a website due to fears around security.
Talk back: How do you think Hoffman will do as the new CEO of Hosting at 1&1 Internet? What do you think of Mauss will do leading the corporate venture unit of United Internet? Let us know in the comments section.
About Justin Lee
Justin Lee has been a staff analyst with theWHIR since 2004. He writes about a range of web hosting and IT-related issues facing the industry on the WHIR website, as well the print version of the WHIR magazine. Follow him on Twitter @Justin_theWHIR.
{ 4 comments… read them below or add one }
I’ve been harassed left and right by their billing dept. claiming I still owe for a domain renewal with them when all along my auto-renew was off and even spoke with someone about pointing my DNS’s somewhere else and she gave me a wrong authorization code. They were trying to bill me twice but caught the error that I pointed to them from past e-mails but now they insist on that last few bucks they want to rip from me. Hey a totally disconnected company with service centers everywhere in the world and are totally disconnected from their customers. will tell as many people as I can with proofs of the ongoing communications I currently have with them. A really screwed up billing dept. really!
Well I certainly wish Mr. Hoffmann all the luck but I think he has the world of a challenge ahead of him. For quite a number of years, at least here in the United States 1 and 1′s service has been the worst service I’ve ever experienced from any company of any kind. I don’t just mean poos actual customer service I mean poor service from A to Z. Even their own control panel for registered domains with them does not work and has caused me along to lose at least 10 valuable domain names. I have friends who had hosted with them who also pulled their business away from them. Their U.S. based management is basically unattended and seems do do whatever they want with and to their customers. The general manager and head of customer service here in the U.S. won’t even return a phone call or speak with a customer unless the customer tracks them down on private phone numbers. If Mr. Hoffmann expects to be successful, at least as far as the U.S. is concerned he needs to take a good look at the people he has running his business here as in my opinion they are not looking out for the best interest of their customers, which is after all what they are being paid to do, their jobs. Over a couple of year time I literally spend not several but dozens of hours with them on the phone trying to be able to manage approximately 100 domains I had with them. I’ve since transferred them away from this miserable company figuring that my best way to vote is with my feet and to get the heck away from them. If I were asked by anyone if I would recommend 1 and 1 to them I would say 100% absolutely not. I would tell them to run away as fast as they can. It is this kind of feeling that their customers have that they need to change. This is the real challenge for Mr. Hoffman. Personally I think he has been set up for failure, at least here in the U.S.A.
This just means more of the same atrocious standard of technical service backed by arrogant expensive remote uncommunicative customer service
In my opinion, 1&1 Internet is the worst of the worst internet companies, go to ripoffreports for comments.