AT&T promotions could reveal eventual CEO successor
AT&T has appointed two new leaders ahead of outgoing AT&T Communications CEO John Donovan’s retirement.
John Stankey will take over as AT&T Inc.’s president and COO and will continue to serve as CEO of WarnerMedia, while Jeff McElfresh will lead AT&T Communications, the company’s largest business unit, as CEO. Both will start in their new roles effective Oct. 1, the company announced.
The move sets up Stankey as a likely successor to AT&T Chairman and CEO Randall Stephenson, who has held the position for about 12 years.
“John is an outstanding executive who has led nearly every area of our business, helped shape our strategy and excelled at operations throughout his career,” Stephenson said in a statement.
McElfresh, 48, has close to 25 years of experience with AT&T in various roles. He was most recently the president of AT&T Communications’ technology and operations group, which saw him heading the company’s network, technology, cybersecurity, data and lab operations. AT&T Communications serves more than 100 million customers in the U.S.
Stephenson called McElfresh “an accomplished leader with experience across our business.”
“This past year, Jeff led the team that won AT&T recognition for having the best, fastest and most reliable network in the country,” he said.
Under the reorganized management team, McElfresh will report to Stankey, 56, who has served in a variety of leadership roles since he first joined AT&T in 1985.
The current WarnerMedia executive team will continue reporting to Stankey, as will Xandr CEO Brian Lesser. Stankey will report to Stephenson.
Chief Executive Officer of AT&T Randall Stephenson speaks during a moderated discussion before the Economic Club of New York, in New York City, U.S., November 29, 2017. REUTERS/Brendan McDermid - RC148DAD8800
“Now is the time to more tightly align our collection of world-class content, scaled consumer relationships, technical know-how and innovative advertising technology,” Stephenson said. “It’s the natural next step in bringing together the distinct and complementary capabilities of AT&T Communications, WarnerMedia and Xandr to deliver for consumers the benefits of a modern media company.”
Donovan, the retiring CEO, held the position for about two years. He joined AT&T in 2008.
“It’s been my honor to lead AT&T Communications during a period of unprecedented innovation and investment in new technology that is revolutionizing how people connect with their worlds,” he previously said.
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