SAN FRANCISCO-AirTouch Cellular’s President and Chief Executive Officer, Lee Cox, announced he will retire effective April 4. Cox also serves as vice chairman for domestic operations for AirTouch Communications Inc.
Cox, 56, will retire after a 33-year career in wireline and wireless telecommunications. He has been with AirTouch since 1994. He will continue as a member of the AirTouch board of directors. Cox served as executive vice president of operations and marketing for Pacific Bell until 1987 when he became president and chief executive officer of PacTel Corp., which later became AirTouch Communications. During his tenure at PacTel and AirTouch, Cox and his team consolidated the company to focus entirely on wireless. Under Cox, the company’s domestic paging and cellular subscriber base grew from 423,000 in 1986 to 5.8 million today, the company said.
“Lee has shaped AirTouch and the wireless industry through his effective leadership as well as his many contributions to customers, employees and shareholders,” said Sam Ginn, chairman and chief executive officer of AirTouch Communications. Brian Jones, currently executive vice president of AirTouch Cellular’s Los Angeles market, will replace Cox as president of AirTouch Cellular.
