Lauer named new Sprint PCS president

In an apparent ousting, Sprint announced today that Len Lauer replaced Chuck Levine as president of Sprint PCS.

Sprint said Levine is retiring. Analysts said Sprint needed to make some changes to stop the bleeding. The company recently warned that third-quarter subscriber numbers would be weak because of a spike in customer churn. Second-quarter numbers were also disappointing to investors.

“Someone had to be responsible for the failed execution in recent quarters,” said Patrick Comack, analyst with Guzman & Co. “Sprint needed to change management in order to fix the business and restore investor confidence.”

Sprint PCS’ stock was down slightly, falling 3.17%, or .06, to trade at $1.83.

Lauer, former president of Sprint’s global markets group, doesn’t have much experience managing wireless businesses, but analysts say his forte is managing operations. Levine moved up through the ranks on the marketing side of Sprint.

“Sprint sees better market share potential in the enterprise space, and Lauer brings the enterprise expertise to the table,” said Comack.

Phil Redman, senior analyst with Gartner, said Sprint PCS’ focus has shifted recently from a pure consumer play to more of a mix between the consumer and enterprise market.

“It hasn’t resonated with the business market yet,” said Redman.