The Titans of Wireless

In today's high-tech, fast-paced industry, competition is evident not only in the marketplace, but in the reaches of power and influence as well. It takes a true titan to lead an ever-changing industry such as wireless. Achieving recognition in a peer group of high-profile executives is no easy task. But a select few have emerged and paved the way for the entire wireless industry.

Wireless Review recognizes these key individuals with our first-ever look at the industry's 10 most powerful and influential people -- people who know how and when to flex their muscles in order to get things done. They truly have earned the right to be called titans through their long lists of accomplishments.

The titans include CEOs at the forefront of the nation's largest carriers, as well as technical gurus who have made their mark behind the scenes. They represent a diverse industry from private and public sectors, and they all drive key issues and events.

Wireless Review's titans are individuals currently working in the wireless industry who have had a significant influence on the industry as a whole or on a particular industry segment. After preliminary staff nominations, a Wireless Review panel including Publisher Darren Sextro, Editor in Chief Rhonda Wickham, Features Editor Karissa Todd, Managing Editor Marcia Martinek and Technology Editor Ellen Jensen made the final selections.

The result is a compelling look at how this industry's key leaders are using their strength and power to effect change. It takes a lot to be heard in this industry, but when these people speak, the industry listens. Their decisions, opinions and announcements make everyone snap to attention. These titans represent the true meaning of power and influence.

THE MOGUL (CHRIS GENT, VODAFONE AIRTOUCH CEO) Although it doesn't have a cohesive network standard-wise, with 29 million wireless subscribers, Vodafone AirTouch is now the largest wireless carrier worldwide, and Gent is holding the reins.

Gent joined Vodafone's board of directors in 1985 and was appointed to chief executive in January 1997. In just two years, he has climbed the ladder to the top of the wireless world. Although Gent's experience speaks for itself, he flexed his muscles and attracted attention during the Vodafone/AirTouch merger activities. He emerged from one of the wireless industry's most significant mergers as the head executive-management member for the new group. He oversees a company with stakes in 23 countries and footholds in every aspect of wireless technology, including paging, cellular, PCS and satellite.

In his new position, one of Gent's first responsibilities was to manage and oversee the integration planning of the two companies' activities. He will have a significant presence in the United States as he tackles two top priorities: coverage and 3G standards. Gent has set his sights on completing a nationwide footprint in the United States. He'll do that through acquisitions and by working with Bell Atlantic Mobile.

In the first few months at his new post, Gent already has used his influence to make things happen in the 3G realm. His colleague Sam Ginn, chairman of the board, summed up the situation pretty clearly in a January press conference.

"We are going to buy the most infrastructure in the world. We're going to buy the most handsets in the world. It is inconceivable to me that we won't have any influence on the process."

Although Ginn was referring to 3G standards specifically, that statement says it all. As the top dog for this company, Gent is putting pressure on the industry in more ways than one. Everyone will be watching to see what the top man of the top wireless carrier will do next.

THE RIVAL (DAN HESSE, AT&T WIRELESS SERVICES PRESIDENT & CEO) Don't expect Hesse or his company to take a back seat to the new Vodafone AirTouch powerhouse. As the head honcho for the No. 1 wireless carrier in the United States, the name Hesse has become synonymous with AT&T Wireless. They go hand in hand as two wireless forces making things happen throughout the industry.

With the power to partner and acquire companies left and right, Hesse has steered AT&T Wireless into the market lead. He has engineered the company's long list of accomplishments, including bringing attention to nationwide single-rate plans through perhaps the most famous marketing scheme in years, Digital One Rate. The announcement spurred an onslaught of similar rate plans in the market.

Power can mean a lot of things, namely control and the ability to do what you want. Hesse has taken advantage of his ranking and created a digital illusion for his company by labeling all AT&T Wireless services PCS, even though some are at cellular frequencies. The point is, he has the power to get away with it and make it work.

Hesse has led AT&T Wireless to the cutting edge of technologies such as wireless office systems and fixed-wireless services.

In just three years at the helm of AT&T, he has commanded attention. It's something he has been working toward for years.

"One thing I've been lucky enough to do in my 20 years at AT&T is to be on whatever is the cutting edge of the company," he said.

Rest assured, the next cutting-edge project Hesse embarks on, others will follow.

THE PIONEER (CRAIG MCCAW, EAGLE RIVER CHAIRMAN & CEO) When McCaw sold his cellular business to AT&T, it was not a move that would take him out of the wireless industry. Rather it set him up for a certain future in wireless. Today, McCaw is a legend of sorts. He has become a name to be dropped by many who desire the same McCaw link that other industry veterans have acquired.

McCaw has stakes in every major cutting-edge technology. In 1994 McCaw formed Teledesic with Bill Gates to enter the LEO satellite arena. With Gates as his sidekick, anything seems possible.

In addition to satellite ventures, McCaw keeps an eye on E-SMR as a member of Nextel's board of directors. He founded Nextlink in 1994 to provide local and long-distance service. Most recently, Nextlink acquired WNP Communications' LMDS licenses. The investment in WNP not only made Nextlink and McCaw the largest holders of fixed-wireless spectrum in North America, but served a greater function. At February's Broadband Wireless World Forum, all the buzz was about McCaw's investment in the industry. Broadband wireless professionals were thrilled at the validation it brought them. They were certain the McCaw affirmation would reassure analysts and investors of the successful future in store for broadband wireless.

McCaw's influence is felt in every corner of the wireless industry. He is on the edge of true telcom convergence with a presence in data, voice, wireless and wireline.

He has created a trend for pulling people with him. In 1997 three AT&T Wireless executives left AT&T to join McCaw in his new venture.

On more than one occasion, analysts and reporters have called McCaw a pioneer. They say that anything associated with the McCaw name is destined for success.

THE CONTROLLER (IRWIN JACOBS, QUALCOMM CHAIRMAN & CEO) Whether you consider it a blessing or a curse, Jacobs is the power behind CDMA. The same ruthless business sense that has led to his success has led to this industry's controversies. It could be said that Jacobs is the man behind the ongoing technology debate.

One of the founders of Qualcomm, Jacobs has served as chairman & CEO since it began operations in July 1985. Because he holds the patents for CDMA technology, he has the power to drive, or not drive, the industry.

>From the beginning, Jacobs has been using his drive to gain CDMA >acceptance. He managed to persuade the likes of AirTouch, Sprint PCS and >other major U.S. carriers. Developing the CDMA standard and getting it >recognized worldwide was quite a task -- one that he took to the extreme.

His power came to fruition throughout 1998 and 1999 as the industry moved toward 3G standards. Just ask Ericsson. It knows how critical Jacobs and Qualcomm are to the future of wireless.

Ericsson and Qualcomm have finally come to an agreement, but as vendors battled it out over 3G standards, one name and topic surfaced in countless articles and discussions: Irwin Jacobs and IPRs. It all seems to have paid off. As of press time, Qualcomm reported earnings 39% higher than expected, which sent Qualcomm's stock jumping 54 points to close over 195.

Jacobs also has had a profound effect on driving wireless data. His work with Bill Gates and WirelessKnowledge is providing a new venue for carriers in the data arena.

Despite Jacobs' significant contributions to WirelessKnowledge, he always will be recognized for CDMA. If you are a proponent, you can credit Jacobs with the network you have today. If you are an opponent, you can credit him with the ability to roadblock the move forward to 3G. Either way you look at it, Jacobs has had a major influence.

THE UNDERDOG (DANIEL AKERSON, NEXTEL CHAIRMAN & CEO) Akerson has changed the way the industry views radio dispatch and E-SMR technology. The underdog to wireless advancements, Akerson has led the way for E-SMR and Nextel as a formidable competitor to cellular and PCS services, specifically in the business segment. Thanks to Akerson, people pay attention to this technology.

Akerson's influence isn't a new phenomena -- during his 10 years with MCI Communications, Akerson held various senior-management positions, including president & COO. Today, he is using his vast experience to reshape the way business users view the value of a feature-rich wireless phone, including digital cellular, voice mail, text/numeric paging and 2-way radio features. Those capabilities also extend through Nextel long distance and Nextel Online.

As of April 1999, Nextel had more than 3.1 million subscribers reaching more than 90 of the top 100 U.S. markets. In December 1998, Nextel was the ninth largest wireless carrier in the country (Wireless Review Top 25 Carriers).

According to Nextel's annual report, its core strategy is based on market segmentation and product differentiation. Akerson has made that strategy a reality. When Akerson joined Nextel in March 1996, it was a pivotal time in the company's history.

Once Akerson jumped on board, things started rolling. Within a few months of his arrival, Akerson started launching service across the country. Since then he has played a key role in shaping the market perception that Nextel has earned today.

Despite losing $1.8 billion in 1998, all is not lost. Microsoft's recently announced $600 million investment in Nextel is one more confirmation that with Akerson at the lead, Nextel has caught the industry's attention.

THE DEFECTOR (ALEX MANDL, TELIGENT CHAIRMAN & CEO) When Mandl left his post as president & COO of AT&T to become chairman & CEO of Associated Communications (later renamed Teligent), he raised a lot of eyebrows. Most people had never even heard of Associated Communications. Mandl brought the company the attention it needed.

If money translates into power, Mandl has it made. He reportedly received a $20 million signing bonus and 18% equity stake in the company. But Mandl's power has more to do with his ability to influence people who bring him the money: financiers, analysts and customers.

"Spend less than an hour with him and he will instill in you a sense that what he and his company are undertaking is absolutely right," reported Telephony (Sept. 8, 1997).

Mandl even managed to convince Wall Street when many investors still were unsure about the future of broadband wireless. By the end of the first day of its IPO, Teligent shares were up 19%. It raised $400 million. Pretty good for a start-up with no significant revenue stream in near sight.

Many agree Mandl has been the key ingredient to Teligent's ability to secure financing. He and his team secured a $100 million investment from Japanese phone giant NTT, as well as equipment and $780 million in financing from Nortel. All of this despite Teligent's debt and revenue losses. (In 1998 its net loss totaled more than $92.4 million since its founding in 1996.)

Mandl's aura has been great for Teligent, but even better for the broadband wireless industry. He has brought recognition to the technology that converges the wireless and wireline worlds. Mandl once led AT&T into the local service market to compete against local monopolies. Now, everyone's eyes are on Mandl as he leads Teligent into the local service market.

THE INVIGORATOR (TED HOFFMAN, BELL ATLANTIC MOBILE VICE PRESIDENT OF TECHNOLOGY) While most carrier representatives were sitting on the sidelines letting vendors duke it out over 3G, Hoffman was in the center ring fighting for carrier interests. In many ways, he has become the carriers' voice in the 3G fight and set the tone for standards.

He has been actively involved in worldwide meetings as a key force in championing a 3G standard that is backwards compatible with current 2G CDMA networks.

The fight for digital advancement is nothing new to Hoffman. Since July 1993, Hoffman has played a significant role in advancing digital technology and more recently wireless data services. Hoffman was responsible for managing Bell Atlantic Mobile's (BAM) network integration from analog to digital CDMA.

Today, he also manages the build-out of BAM's wireless data infrastructure and the development of wireless data products and services. Hoffman has had a significant influence in pushing vendors to accelerate development strategies for data and plans to trial 384kb/s data speeds later this year.

Under his direction, BAM launched the first commercial 13kb CDMA network, which now covers more than 90% of the company's POPs. Hoffman pushed BAM to be the first carrier to trial CDMA circuit-switched data.

Hoffman's presence extends beyond BAM. He sits on the CDMA Development Group's (CDG) board of directors and represented BAM as a CDG founding member. It was under his tutelage that 75% of CDG voting members agreed to adopt a hard-line position with a 3.68 chip rate for 3G.

Hoffman plans to continue the fight for carrier interests, saying carriers underestimate the power of their purchasing opportunities. "We tend to listen to them (vendors) more than we should. But we really do drive the market, and they provide what we need."

THE ENTHUSIAST (KEITH PAGLUSCH, SPRINT PCS SENIOR VICE PRESIDENT OF OPERATIONS) It seems Sprint PCS is just as enthusiastic about Paglusch as Paglusch is about Sprint PCS. In February he was promoted to senior vice president of operations.

When Paglusch joined the company four years ago as senior vice president of technical services & network operations, his main responsibility was to oversee the design, build-out and maintenance of the nationwide network. His recent promotion was the result of his first-class handling of that project, including more than 2,500 towers and 50 markets to date -- impressive for a new PCS carrier. After an aggressive build-out campaign, Sprint emerged as the country's largest PCS-only service provider with 1.37 million customers in 1998.

"Keith has been involved in the start-up of Sprint PCS from day one and has played a significant leadership role in the successful build-out of our nationwide network," said Andrew Sukawaty, Sprint PCS CEO.

In his new position, Paglusch is responsible for customer care, product marketing and development, technical services, and network operations. Now, he not only has the power to influence the way the industry views build-out strategies, but also to effect change in all aspects of the wireless business.

As vice president of network operations, Paglusch's biggest challenge was coordinating build-out efforts from a local, regional and national level. He managed pretty well. According to Paglusch, the secret is being aggressive and detail-oriented -- something he expects from his entire Sprint PCS team.

As a CDG officer, Paglusch also is aggressive on the 3G front, making sure the Sprint PCS voice is heard. "(3G) has to be something customers want and not just something technology says you should do ... We're not going to do something that jeopardizes our current investment."

THE TINKERER (JOHN MARINHO, CHAIRMAN OF TIA STANDARDS COMMITTEE TR-45) Behind the CEOs and executive big shots are the techs who make it all possible. Without the technology gurus who develop and standardize wireless technology, there would be no industry.

Marinho has spent the past months slaving over 3G, doing all he can to make sure the end result is the best for all involved. He has played a key role with partnership projects, a group of credited standards-development organizations from around the world. Its job is to make sure the final 3G standards are defined and developed for global implementation. In addition, he is charged with helping to keep the ITU on schedule to meet 3G timelines.

Driving digital advancements is nothing new to Marinho. He has been a key force behind that drive since 1987 when he began leading TIA's cellular and PCS standards efforts. According to standards consultant David Crowe, when Marinho started, wireless standards were almost an unknown factor in the industry. Since then they have become the subject of high-level business disputes and government regulation.

His influence is felt from the top to bottom of the food chain, as millions of people reap the benefits of analog, TDMA and CDMA standards development by the standards subcommittees that Marinho oversees. In the early days, Marinho was part of the working group that reconciled the views and proposals into one consensus position for TDMA and CDMA standards. You can attribute the industry's growth, competition and innovation to the standards he helped create.

Marinho holds patents in a variety of telecom areas, including circuit- and packet-switching systems, radio systems and network signaling. Currently, he manages a global telecom standards group that includes the TIA, Committee T1, ITU, TTA, ARIB and TTC, and coordination with ETSI. But most of his presence is felt through his role as chairman of the TIA TR-45 engineering committee, which sets North American cellular and PCS standards.

THE SMALL-TOWN GUY (JOHN STANTON, WESTERN WIRELESS CHAIRMAN & CEO) Finding a niche is no easy task in this competitive market, but Stanton has managed to do just that. He has redefined the meaning of wireless success by targeting second- and third-tier markets.

Stanton started preparing for his role years ago as a cellular executive with various carriers. Today, he devotes time to CTIA as chairman of the board but spends most of his time balancing cellular and PCS interests at Western Wireless.

Stanton joined Western Wireless in 1994 but continues to up his ante. A partnership with Cook Inlet and the C-block re-auctions added 28 markets to Stanton's portfolio. Stanton is using that portfolio to do what many carriers have avoided. He is capitalizing on rural markets and is deploying fixed-wireless technology, focusing on making wireless voice a primary means of communications.

He has led the way toward local competition through major fixed-wireless efforts in areas such as Antelope Valley, NV, where 50 customers use a fixed-wireless system for primary phone service.

Stanton has been moving toward this reality since 1994 when he began working with utility commissions and local RBOCs. Five years later, he is still one of select few who has made headway into the local market, bringing attention to the regulatory headaches of fixed wireless.

The carrier has battled litigation in Kansas over ETC status, and in January, local service provider Consolidated Telephone shut down Western Wireless' service in Regent, ND. Although Consolidated eventually turned the numbers back on, the experience was a key test of carriers' abilities to provide fixed service.

These issues not only affect Western Wireless' future, but set the tone for the entire market. Stanton's troubles today ease the playing field for other carriers tomorrow.

THE UP & COMERS Time will tell if Wireless Review's titans can hold their positions as rulers of the wireless world. The struggle will not be easy. Wireless Review found four professionals on their way to the top. They already have grabbed attention and influenced their colleagues. In alphabetical order, these are the four to watch.

JANET BOUDRIS, THE ADVOCATE Boudris is not only the aggressive force behind BellSouth Wireless' forge into the data market, she is a big advocate for customers.

She directs BellSouth's wireless data team, which now offers wireless data services to 93% of urban business POPs in 266 metropolitan areas across the country.

Boudris engineered a marketing strategy that is thrusting wireless data into the broader marketplace. She defined the strategy to introduce interactive paging, developing a new service category in the wireless industry. She has brought wireless data to non-traditional data markets such as finance and insurance.

With Boudris' success in pushing data to the forefront for BellSouth, other data gurus would do well to keep their eyes on this key player.

HAROLD FURCHTGOTT, THE DISSENTER Furchtgott-Roth has brought a new economic influence to a commission of politicians and attorneys. This outspoken newcomer is making waves at the FCC.

He has partially opposed or voted against about 70 FCC decisions -- and has been the last commissioner to vote on more than 165 items. Although some probably consider Furchtgott-Roth a regulatory pain, they can't deny he has power. More notably, the power to delay.

He is publicly at odds with FCC head Bill Kennard, calling results of one Kennard report "flawed at best." Furchtgott-Roth is openly critical about issues such as Universal Service, which he calls a "nightmare."

Furchtgott-Roth has shaken up Washington and garnered attention. His term ends June 2000. Until then, everyone will be waiting to see what this commissioner stirs up next.

JOHN MAJOR, THE AGGREGATOR When Qualcomm and Microsoft announced WirelessKnowledge last November, the entire industry snapped to attention.

Major was appointed CEO of the new organization and now serves as the key link between Microsoft and the wireless industry. His role is to oversee the development of WirelessKnowledge. That means pushing Windows CE as the backbone for handsets.

It is clear that Microsoft is interested in wireless data. According to Andrew Seybold's Outlook, "Microsoft wants to see wireless data succeed." Major is the man that could make that happen.

He is the link that brings two powerful industries (computing and mobility) together. How he steers WirelessKnowledge will have a significant effect on the industry and may determine the future of wireless data.

YOSHIO UTSUMI, THE MEDIATOR After only a few weeks at the helm of the ITU (he took office in February), Utsumi became pro-actively involved in 3G developments by initiating a series of high-level talks with senior executives. The goal: To foster agreement and arriveat some form of compromise on the move forward with IMT-2000. Utsumi succeeded. Initial conflicts have been resolved and progress is being made.

But as ITU's top-ranking official, Utsumi's responsibilities are much broader. His role is to stimulate cooperation between public and private sectors for improved telecommunications. He is determined to reform, organize and make sure the ITU is "in good shape" to serve more effectively and rapidly.

The actions Utsumi takes in the coming months could be significant. He has the potential to become a major driving force behind telecom reform worldwide.