Independent telco Embarq has chosen interim CEO Tom Gerke as its permanent CEO, ending a search that began more than two months ago when Dan Hesse left Embarq in December to take the lead at Sprint Nextel. Upon Hesse's dis-Embarq, we thought it would be interesting to see which experienced outsiders might be in the running for the job at the Overland Park, Kan.-based telco. Industry stalwarts such as Dick Notebaert were seemingly available, and there certainly must have been a few candidates with longer, more storied resumes than Gerke's 14 years or so with Sprint and then spin-off Embarq.
Yet, as we watch Hesse try to work his way through someone else's increasingly complicated mess at Sprint Nextel, Embarq's choice to go with a familiar face and a leader with whom employees have grown comfortable is probably exactly what this particular telco needs. Embarq, after all, doesn't need rescuing, though it does need to maintain its growth pace.
For more:
- read this story at The Kansas City Star
Related articles:
- Hesse seems to have his hands full over at Sprint Nextel