Vivendi has appointed Jean-Yves Charlier, former chief executive of Colt Telecom and former head of BT’s European operations, to oversee its disparate group of international telecoms businesses as it ponders large scale asset disposals or spin-offs.

The French conglomerate has also appointed Bertrand Méheut, head of Canal Plus, its French pay-TV company, to take charge of a strategic review of its media and content operations, which also include the Universal Music Group and Activision Blizzard, the games maker.

Charlier, chief executive of the interactive learning company Promethean, will conduct a similar task at the company’s three telecoms businesses: SFR of France, Brazil’s GVT and Maroc Telecom.

Vivendi said Monday that Canal+ chairman Bertrand Meheut will play a key role in its strategic review, which is expected to lead to the sale of at least some of its businesses.

The French entertainment and telecom conglomerate's supervisory board has picked the head of the pay TV firm to lead "a strategic study regarding the development of media and content, a field in which Vivendi is today one of the worldwide leaders," the company said.