In another re-org, Alcatel-Lucent ushers in new execs

Several weeks after announcing the departure of CEO Patricia Russo and Chairman of the Board Serge Tchuruk, networking technology giant Alcatel-Lucent has named their successors.

Following a two year "transitional phase" of profitless quarters, French telecommunications company Alcatel-Lucent's CEO Patricia Russo announced that the company was actively seeking her replacement. Today, the company has named Ben Verwaayen as Alcatel-Lucent's new CEO.

Far from being a new face, Verwaayen has served both as the vice chair of the management board for Lucent Technologies, and as an employee of ITT Industries, prior to its acquisiton by Alcatel. For the last six years however, Verwaayen was the CEO of the biggest UK telco British Telecom, during what has been considered a transitional phase similar to that of Alcatel-Lucent.

Upon Verwaayen's hire to BT in 2001, erstwhile chairman Sir Christopher Bland said, "He has worked in the United States and a European regulated environment. He's been through culture change and major downsizing. He has a reputation for being open, decisive, and capable of taking tough decisions and he has a sense of humor. That's why we picked him."

New Alcatel-Lucent CEO Ben Verwaayen, formerly of BT
Incoming Alcatel-Lucent CEO Ben Verwaayen, formerly of BT.

In just under one year, Verwaayen had overseen the laying off of over 17% of BT's workforce, spun off the company's mobile unit, and steered BT toward broadband connectivity and away from the waning landline business that had once driven it. It is estimated that Verwaayen terminated at least 5,000 jobs at BT per year, but ultimately extended the life of BT when it was facing potentially fatal problems.

The chair position will be filled by Philippe Camus, a partner at investment firm Evercore Partners and co-founder of European Aeronautic Defense and Space Company (EADS). As the parent company of commercial jet maker Airbus, EADS was led by Camus through the 9/11 period, a trying time for airline manufacturers. Camus also departed EADS in a timely fashion, before Airbus' repeated A380 delays which ultimately resulted in the layoff of 10,000 of its employees.

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