Andrus Hiiuepuu took over from long-time Elisa CEO Sami Seppänen on Wednesday, ERR reports.

Hiiuepuu has worked as the company's marketing director and headed the internet and mobile communications providers' business and private customer units.

"I'm sure these changes will bring new energy and courage to boost competitiveness and offer our customers even better service," Seppänen said.

The outgoing manager said that the 20 years during which he has worked as CEO have been a long time and seen Elisa grow from a small mobile operator to a major internet and digital television services provider.

"It is a good time to step aside both for Elisa and for me personally. Targets we set for acquiring Santa Monica Networks and Starman have been hit and a new technological age in internet and TV services begun," Seppänen said.

Hiiepuu was in charge of Elisa's merger with Starman. "Elisa is no longer just a telecom but a successful entertainment group bringing people high-quality TV and telecom services," he said.

Sami Seppänen started in telecommunications in Finland in 1994, selling cell phones and personal consumers. He has been in charge of Elisa Estonia and its predecessor Radiolinja Estonia since 2000.

Hiiepuu started as marketing director of Radiolinja Estonia in 1995 and became the head of its service operations unit in 2000. He has been in charge of the private customers unit of Elisa since 2009 and worked as the company's strategy director for the last two years. Hiiepuu has graduated from the Tallinn University of Technology and has an MBA in business management from the University of Tartu.