March 9th, 2009
Clearwire names new CEO to oversee Wimax expansion
Clearwire on Monday named William Morrow, a Vodafone and AirTouch veteran, as CEO replacing current chief Benjamin Wolff, who will become co-chairman.
In a statement, Clearwire founder Craig McCaw said Morrow will bring “a great perspective on achieving operating efficiencies and enhancing value creation to profitably build and scale businesses.”
Clearwire could use Morrow’s scale expertise since the company has to build out its Wimax network and reach multiple markets by the end of the year. Clearwire has said it will burn through at least half of its $3 billion in cash to expand its Wimax network into new markets.
Wolff will remain with the company as co-chairman with McCaw. Wolff will focus on strategy and “transactional opportunities.”
Morrow was recently CEO of Pacific Gas & Electric and was CEO of Vodafone Europe, Vodafone UK and Vodafone KK in Japan. He also served as president of Japan Telecom and was a senior executive at AirTouch International. It’s safe to say that Morrow has wireless chops.
Morrow said:
“The chance to lead Clearwire at a time when the company sits on the cusp of doing something truly remarkable – to change the way people connect to and use the Internet – was not one to be missed. Clearwire’s business model and unique assets have us well positioned to meet the rapidly growing demand for mobile broadband services.”
Larry Dignan is Editor in Chief of ZDNet and Smart Planet as well as Editorial Director of ZDNet sister site TechRepublic. See his full profile and disclosure of his industry affiliations.
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