T-Mobile USA received new leadership today as parent company Deutsche Telekom announced that John Legere will head up its U.S. operations effective Sept. 22. Legere is a veteran of the telecom space, most recently as CEO of Global Crossing.
Legere replaces Jim Alling, who has served as interim CEO since June following the sudden departure of former T-Mobile USA CEO Philipp Humm. Alling is set to return to his position as COO at the carrier.
“John is a talented and proven executive who brings a successful track record of leading and operating consumer- and business-focused telecommunications and technology companies,” said René Obermann, CEO of Deutsche Telekom, in a statement. “As T-Mobile moves forward with its strategic initiatives to improve its market position, including expanding its network coverage and initiating LTE service, John has obviously the right skillset to lead the business into the future. John’s experience in the telecommunication and technology industries at Global Crossing and Dell will enhance T-Mobile’s ability to deliver superior mobile experiences for our customers as the Company continues to strengthen its business. I am delighted to welcome John to T-Mobile and look forward to working with him to make T-Mobile a stronger competitor.”
Prior to joining Global Crossing, Legere was CEO of Asia Global Crossing, which was a joint venture between Microsoft, Softbank and Global Crossing. Before that Legere served as SVP of Dell Computer, where he was president of the company’s operations in Europe, the Middle East, Africa, as well as in the Asia-Pacific region. Legere has also served in a number of positions at AT&T, having begun his career at New England Telephone in 1980.
In his new position at T-Mobile USA, Legere will have his work cut out for him as the carrier looks to remain a viable competitor to its larger rivals Verizon Wireless, AT&T Mobility and Sprint Nextel, while fending off smaller challengers like MetroPCS and Leap Wireless. T-Mobile USA’s most recent quarter showed that strain as it lost a total of 205,000 customers across its operations, more than four-times the 50,000 customers lost during the second quarter of 2011. The result was also a turnaround from the 187,000 customers the carrier gained during the first quarter of this year.
The carrier is currently beginning a significant $4 billion network overhaul that will culminate with the launch of LTE services beginning next year. The carrier was also recently denied access to Apple’s latest iPhone 5 device, which was seen as a significant blow to its competitive position in the postpaid space. The carrier is looking to corral some rogue AT&T Mobility customers with a new offering.
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