Hans Snook
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Hans Roger Snook (born 1948) is a businessman, best known for his time as the charismatic black-leather-Nehru-jacketed chief executive of UK mobile phone company Orange.
Born to a German mother and a British father, Snook grew up in Edmonton, Canada. He began his career in hotel management in Vancouver.
In 1983 he set off on a round the world trip, which was cut short when he arrived in Hong Kong and became Chief Executive of a wireless paging business, which subsequently became part of the Hutchison Whampoa Group. In 1992 Snook was despatched to the UK and closed Hutchison's Rabbit phone system; and instead turned efforts to developing the UK's fourth mobile phone network.
On April 28th 1994 Orange was launched. Within 5 years Orange had developed an enviable reputation as well as a growing international presence. Mannesmann of Germany purchased Orange Plc, in a failed attempt to challenge Vodafone as the World's leading cellphone company.
This set off a chain of events which resulted in France Télécom taking ownership of Orange, and in 2001 Snook stepped down as a special advisor to Orange. His only public involvement since then in the UK telecoms industry was as Chairman of Carphone Warehouse Plc, between 2002 and 2005. Since stepping down from this post he has been appointed non-executive chairman of Monstermob Group Plc, the ringtone company.
Known for his fondness for fung shui, alternative medicine and colonic irrigation, Snook was an unconventional British business leader. Blending all of these interests together he is now the major shareholder in The Diagnostic Clinic, a medical clinic in London mixing Western medicine with complementary and alternative practices. He also holds non-executive directorships at Healthsmart Limited, The Integrated Health Consultancy Limited, Sensophone Limited and DDD Group Plc, amongst others.
