She succeeds long-standing CEO Ash Schofield who joined giff gaff in 2013 from Tesco Mobile.  He has been CEO since 2018.

Dohaney has had senior leadership roles at News Corp and Dow Jones before she was appointed chief executive of mechandise agency Orb Group in March 2024 where she ran a modernisation programme.

Virgin Media O2 chief executive Lutz Schüler said: “Kate is a proven leader with a wealth of experience, and I look forward to welcoming her as CEO of giffgaff. She joins at a truly exciting time for the company following its recent expansion into the broadband market and I am confident she will lead the organisation with the heart and tenacity the brand was built on.”

Dohaney said: “giffgaff is known for doing things differently and I’m excited to get started, driving the next chapter of growth for the business.”

The appointment comes as giffgaff pushes deeper into broadband, recently launching full-fibre connectivity in regions including North West England, Yorkshire and the Humber, the East Midlands, the North East, Scotland, South West England, Wales and the West Midlands. The business also plans to leverage Virgin Media O2’s fibre infrastructure to build a nationwide fixed offering.

Launched in 2009, giffgaff built its brand around low-cost, SIM-only mobile plans and a community-driven service model.

The company’s contract base now stands at 15.8 million , with 16,000 net additions in Q4 , marking a return to growth. However, across the year, there was a decline of 216,000 contract customers . Monthly contract churn improved to 1.1 per cent , reflecting stronger customer retention compared to the previous year.

Lutz Schüler, CEO of Virgin Media O2 Main pic), highlighted the company’s commitment to long-term growth, saying:

 “We said 2024 was a year of investing to support our long-term growth, and these results reflect that. We close the first chapter of Virgin Media O2 having delivered our full-year guidance and hitting our JV synergy targets 18 months ahead of schedule , meaning we are well set for the future.”

Schüler also pointed to the company’s continued fixed customer and ARPU growth , along with improved customer satisfaction through a focus on service experience.

“In 2024, over £2 billion was invested in expanding 5G coverage, improving network quality, and enhancing rural connectivity . Virgin Media O2 also accelerated the expansion of its fibre footprint , reinforcing its leadership in gigabit broadband and advancing its partnership with nexfibre to become the UK’s leading fibre challenger. The results mark a strong close to the year for Virgin Media O2, positioning the company for further network enhancements and customer growth in 2025″