Belgium names woman to head telecoms giant

Brussels (AFP) - Dominique Leroy was named Thursday the first woman to run a Belgian state-owned company, taking over at telecoms giant Belgacom after its previous head fell out with the government.

Leroy, 50, married with two children, worked for 24 years at Anglo-Dutch food and household products group Unilever before joining Belgacom in 2011 where she manages the retail clients division.

"The cabinet has decided to name Dominique Leroy," the government said, wishing her "every success."

Former head Didier Bellens was sacked in November after a series of controversial statements, culminating in an outburst in which he called the government the "worst shareholder" he had ever had at a company.

He was paid an annual salary of 2.4 million euros ($3.3 million) but Leroy will not get more than 650,000 euros a year after the government changed public sector pay scales as part of a wider belt-tightening exercise.