Silicon Investor (SI) -- The First Internet Community

STOCKTALK

We've detected that you're using an ad content blocking browser plug-in or feature. Ads provide a critical source of revenue to the continued operation of Silicon Investor. We ask that you disable ad blocking while on Silicon Investor in the best interests of our community. If you are not using an ad blocker but are still receiving this message, make sure your browser's tracking protection is set to the 'standard' level.

Pastimes : The New Qualcomm - write what you like thread. -- Ignore unavailable to you. Want to Upgrade?

To: Maurice Winn who wrote (5802)	2/17/2003 12:13:22 PM
From: waitwatchwander	Read Replies (1) \| Respond to of 12247

France Telecom hires Trujillo Former U S West chief to head unit denverpost.com By Kris Hudson Denver Post Business Writer Friday, February 14, 2003 - Sacre bleu! Solomon Trujillo has crossed the pond. France Telecom announced Thursday it hired the former US West chief as chief executive of its European wireless subsidiary, Orange S.A. The move comes more than 2 1/2 years after Trujillo left Denver Baby Bell US West upon its merger with upstart Qwest Communications International. Trujillo, last in Denver on Saturday for the Latin American Educational Foundation's annual gala, was in France on Thursday and could not be reached for comment. Prior to joining Orange, Trujillo, 51, spent more than two years at the helm of tiny wireless communications company Graviton in La Jolla, Calif. However, Graviton seemed to wane in recent months, losing most of the former US West execs Trujillo hired - including Greg Winn, Dan Burns and John Aragon - and making no public announcements since June. At Orange, Trujillo will oversee a company with 30 million subscribers in cellular-saturated Europe. He will begin working for Orange on March 3. Trujillo served as a member of Orange's board since 2001. "Sol struck me as the kind of guy that really liked running a big company," said Richard Klugman, an analyst at Jeffries & Co. "I would have thought he would have remained in the U.S." At US West, Trujillo became president and CEO in 1995 and chairman in 1999. His tenure saw US West expand its high-speed Internet offerings and boast a strong stock and hefty dividends. However, he also oversaw an acrimonious relationship with US West's unions, a three-week strike in 1998 and a poor customer-service record. "Sol inherited a mess," said Tom Friedberg, an analyst with Janco Partners in Denver. "There were some difficult times in the process of the Qwest merger, but Sol played the hand he was dealt, and he was left a mess." Upon leaving US West, Trujillo received severance pay valued at $70 million. Trujillo's move to Orange is intriguing in that Trujillo has not previously taken an active operations role in a large wireless company, Friedberg said. At Orange, Trujillo will replace CEO Jean Francois Pontal, who resigned in December.