MOBILEMEDIA
MobileMedia Corp., dba MobileComm, promoted several people in management positions. Steven Gross was named executive vice president of sales and marketing. He joined MobileComm as senior vice president of sales and marketing in 1996, and since has been responsible for new product introductions, including prepaid services and narrowband personal communications services products. While continuing to direct marketing initiatives, Gross also will be responsible for the company’s national sales, and its national retail, consumer direct, company-store retail and strategic distribution channels. Additionally, Patricia Gray was named vice president and general counsel following an assignment as acting general counsel. She will direct the company’s corporate legal department and supervise outside counsel. Tracey Zimmerman was promoted from director of human resources to vice president of the department. She will head up efforts to attract, develop and retain employees.
PACIFIC BELL MOBILE
Bob Shaner was named president and chief executive officer of Pacific Bell Mobile Services, a subsidiary of SBC Communications Inc. Previously, Shaner was president of SBC International Inc., Europe and Middle East. He began working for Southwestern Bell Telephone in 1970. Shaner was named president and general manager of Cellular One in Chicago in 1988, and in 1991 was appointed executive vice president of Southwestern Bell Wireless in Dallas.
NEXTEL Communications
Carl Leber brings 17 years’ experience to his new role as director of sales for Nextel Communications Inc. Previously, Leber was director of wireless business marketing sales for AT&T Wireless Services Inc.
TIA
The Telecommunications Industry Association recently announced several new appointments. Derek Khlopin will fill the newly created position of regulatory counsel. In this role, Khlopin is responsible for monitoring all of the Federal Communications Commission policy proceedings of interest to TIA and for drafting comments on public-notice proceedings issued by the FCC. Before joining TIA, Khlopin worked as an attorney within the FCC’s Wireless Telecommunications Bureau, where he drafted documents and regulations in rulemaking proceedings and resolved licensing disputes in the process of establishing FCC policy. TIA also appointed Jonathan Streeter director of global technology policy and Latin America programs, responsible for directing Latin American policy and marketing activities for TIA. Previously, Streeter was director of external affairs at the Optoelectronics Industry Development Association where he managed public, government and international affairs. TIA’s FO-6 Fiber Optics Engineering Committee named Steve Swanson, manager of standards engineering at Corning Inc., the committee chairman. Swanson succeeds Ed Mildoski of AMP Inc., who was chairman of FO-6 for more than 10 years.
MICROCELL
Microcell Telecommunications Inc. appointed Fulvio A. Bussandri president and chief operating officer of Microcell Solutions Inc., which markets the company’s Fido personal communications services offering. Bussandri will be responsible for all Microcell Solutions operations in Canada, including product and service development, marketing and national sales and distribution. During his career, Bussandri has marketed Pepsico and Coca-Cola in Canada and has contributed to the success of Coca-Cola in Italy. He will take up his new position at Microcell by the end of the month.
LOGIX
E. Jay Emmet is the new vice president of marketing for Logix Communications Inc., a subsidiary of Oklahoma City-based Dobson Communications Corp. Emmet joined Logix in December 1997 as director of voice marketing, responsible for the overall direction of marketing, including the rollout of new products and services, market-entry strategies and advertising. Before that, Emmet was the Business Cellular Program manager for MCI Telecommunications, where he was responsible for the rollout of MCI products and acquisitions, and gained experience in billing, debit card, wireless, international, integrated messaging and electronic commerce.
AMERICAN ALPHA DISPATCH
David Honig joined American Alpha Dispatch Services to lead strategic efforts in sales for the company’s messaging services directed toward paging carriers, personal communications services providers and resellers nationwide. Prior to American Alpha Dispatch, Honig spent three years as vice president of sales and marketing at Affordable Message Center.
BELLSOUTH Mobility
Cristie Kennedy Fairbanks was promoted to sales manager for BellSouth Mobility in the Alabama counties of Madison, Marshall, Limestone, Morgan and Jackson. Fairbanks will be responsible for major accounts and managing direct sales representatives. She joined the company in 1994 as a retail sales associate and was later promoted to retail sales manager and area retail manager.
ARRAYCOMM
Joseph DeStefano joined ArrayComm Inc. as vice president of wireless local loop sales, responsible for building and enhancing WLL sales through existing and new distribution partnerships. Previously, DeStefano was vice president of sales and marketing for ImaginOn Inc., which provides network and hybrid CD software solutions. Before that, he served as the Asia-Pacific regional manager and senior sales engineer for Network Equipment Technologies. DeStefano has extensive experience involving international sales, marketing and business development in wireless telecommunications.
VIEW TECH
David A. Kaplan, chief financial officer of View Tech Inc., resigned his position to pursue career opportunities elsewhere. Kaplan joined View Tech in January. William Shea, chief executive officer, and Ali Inanilan, chief administration officer, will share the CFO duties until a replacement is named.
AMSC
American Mobile Satellite Corp. added five wireless industry veterans to its management team in vice president positions. The appointments are: Michael McGee, vice president of marketing; Michael Woodruff, vice president of technology and operations; Dennis Matheson, vice president of engineering and advanced technologies; Tom Bowen, vice president of operation; and Michael Fabbri, vice president of corporate accounts. McGee spent seven years as vice president of marketing and client services at ARDIS. At AMSC, he is responsible for marketing, communications, solution development, wireless implementation services and customer-service functions. Also a seven-year veteran of ARDIS, most recently as vice president of technology and operations, Woodruff will manage the combined AMSC/ARDIS engineering, software development and operations teams. Matheson has been with AMSC since 1993, most recently as assistant vice president of engineering. In his new role, Matheson is responsible for the development and support, systems support, radio-frequency and satellite engineering functions, as well as technical coordination with regulatory agencies. He will oversee the technical direction of the company’s satellite and terrestrial products. As vice president of operations, Bowen is responsible for AMSC’s operational leadership, including managing the company’s offices in Reston, Va., and Lincolnshire, Ill. Bowen joined AMSC in 1994, following a 27-year career at Nynex Corp. Fabbri was most recently manager of U.S. sales and distribution for ARDIS, where he spent eight years. Prior to joining AMSC, Fabbri spent five years in Motorola Inc.’s Shared Voice Communications Group. At AMSC, Fabbri is responsible for corporate account sales project management, including planning, developing and deploying new wireless data applications. He also will manage AMSC’s Solution Services program, assisting customers with their internal wireless project planning.
