UPDATE 1-Digicel appoints new chairman to replace founder Denis O’Brien

(Adds background in paragraph 1 and O'Brien's future role in paragraph 3)

DUBLIN, Nov 29 (Reuters) - Mobile phone operator Digicel said on Wednesday it had appointed former Inmarsat chief executive Rajeev Suri as chairman, replacing Denis O’Brien, the Irish founder of the group which operates assets across the Caribbean and Central America.

Suri will succeed O’Brien following a restructuring, which will see will a shareholder consortium led by PGIM, Contrarian Capital Management, and GoldenTree Asset Management gain a controlling stake in the company, Digicel said in a statement.

O'Brien, who founded the group in 2001, will continue to serve on the board and remain a shareholder in the company, the statement said. (Writing by Conor Humphries Editing by Louise Heavens and Mark Potter)