Former AT&T chief Whitacre joins Exxon Mobil board

Edward Whitacre, who was chairman and CEO of AT&T until retiring last June, has joined the Exxon Mobil board of directors. For some conspiracy theorists, it will only confirm that Big Oil and Big Telecom were in cahoots all along (yes, we're kidding). Perhaps, Whitacre's experience leading SBC Communications and later AT&T for 17 years can be valuable to Exxon Mobil as the company deals with the aftermath of a shareholder fight led by the Rockefeller family. Old-school telecom types know a thing or two about how to keep shareholders fat and happy.

For more:
- see this story at The San Antonio Business Journal

Related articles:
- $60 million for Whitacre in 2006 Telecom exec compensation
- Whitacre successor Randall Stephenson made big money last year from AT&T. AT&T report