SOL TRUJILLO has announced he is to step down as chief executive of mobile phone group Orange after less than 15 months in the job.

Orange said he would be replaced by its chief operating officer, Sanjiv Ahuja.

The news came the day after The Northern Echo revealed the telecoms operator is moving work to India through specialist outsourcing company Vertex.

Orange said Mr Trujillo had successfully overseen a major programme of organisational and management change across the group.

It said that he would return to his native US to pursue a range of business interests.

Mr Trujillo focused on making the company's services more user-friendly and integrating it into parent company France Telecom.

Orange said that last year saw a total increase in customers of 10.8 per cent to 49.1 million and an increase in overall revenues of nine per cent to £11.9bn.

However, earlier this year, newspaper reports claimed Mr Trujillo had fallen out with France Telecom chairman Thierry Breton.

The reports said Mr Trujillo was unhappy about Orange's lack of independence since it became wholly-owned by the French state-owned telecoms company last year.

Anthony Platts, analyst at Wise Speke, said: "Sol Trujillo's area of expertise was used in his task of re-integrating Orange back within France Telecom. This he has successfully done, and ahead of schedule.

"It should be remembered that Sanjiv Ahuja has been working as chief operating officer for Orange since April of last year, and was the natural internal candidate for the promotion to chief executive.

"Ahuja has a high level of experience with telecom companies, having previously been president of Telcordia Technologies, the former research unit of the Bell companies."

Orange employs 5,500 people in the North-East in Darlington, Peterlee and North Tyneside.