Khoury to step down from helm at Liberty Puerto Rico
After 14 years at the helm of Liberty Puerto Rico, CEO Naji Khoury will be stepping down, Liberty Latin America CEO Balan Nair announced Thursday in an internal message about upcoming executive changes for the local operation.
Khoury already has a successor, Eduardo Díaz-Corona, who will become general manager for Liberty Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands and report directly to Nair.
“Today I wanted to share with you a leadership change for Puerto Rico and the USVI. Naji and I have agreed that now is the right moment for a change of leadership,” Nair said. “Naji has led the business for the last 14 years and is looking forward to the future.”
“Naji has led the creation of a solid business and great culture in Puerto Rico and the USVI. The passion he has for our customers and his care for our employees is evident in everything that he does,” Nair continued in the message, a copy of which News is my Business obtained.
“These attributes were exemplified by his leadership during the rebuild of our business following hurricanes Irma and Maria. I have personally learned a lot from seeing Naji’s ability to remain calm under pressure, build strong relationships with colleagues and lead effectively during challenging moments,” said Nair.
Nair went on to outline the role Khoury has played in multiple transactions that Liberty Puerto Rico has closed in recent years, including the acquisition of AT&T’s wireless assets in Puerto Rico and the USVI.
That migration did not come without its pain points, as Liberty worked to integrate about 1 million AT&T customers into its network, sometimes resulting in service disruptions.
In November, Liberty Latin America announced an definitive agreement to acquire DISH Network’s spectrum assets in Puerto Rico and the USVI, along with approximately 120,000 prepaid mobile subscribers in those markets, in exchange for cash and international roaming credits.
“Now, Puerto Rico and the USVI are poised to enter a new phase of growth, and Naji deserves a lot of credit for getting us to this point. I wish my colleague and good friend all the best for the future,” Nair said.
Khoury has been a fixture in Puerto Rico’s telecommunications industry for 23 years, during which he led two main providers, the defunct Centennial of Puerto Rico and now Liberty Puerto Rico. His long-standing track record was recently featured in News is my Business.
Succeeded by industry veteran
In his message to Liberty employees, Nair said Khoury’s successor, Díaz-Corona, has been in the telecom industry for 30 years and has worked across several countries in Latin America, and Europe, as well as the U.S.
Most recently, he was president of TracFone Wireless and stayed on during its transition to Verizon in 2021. Before that, he was with America Móvil and Southwestern Bell.
“I look forward to working with an amazing team in Puerto Rico and the USVI to deliver even greater value to our customers,” said Díaz-Corona. “An incredible foundation has been laid, and I know we can leverage this to continue growing the business by providing connectivity to more people in more places across our markets.”
