AT&T Corp. named David Dorman to succeed Michael Armstrong at the company helm today in anticipation of Armstrongs emigration to the pending broadband conglomerate to be formed by AT&T Broadband and Comcast Corp.
Dorman, president of the countrys largest long-distance carrier since late 2000, will assume the jobs of chairman and CEO as well, once the merger of AT&T Broadband and Comcast is complete, which the company expects by years end.
To date, Dormans focus at AT&T has been on operations of the carriers core business units, which the company will retain after spinning off its wireless and broadband divisions. He has also worked at Sprint Corp., Pacific Bell and SBC Communications Inc. Additionally, he led AT&Ts joint venture with British Telecommunications, called Concert Communications Inc., which folded in April.
Dorman takes the top job at the top long distance carrier at a time of escalating financial difficulties in the telephony industry. With the price of voice services widely seen as continuing a steady decline, he faces challenges in finding new revenue streams.
Indirectly citing the dramatic troubles at the countrys second largest long-distance carrier, WorldCom Inc., Donald McHenry, chairman of AT&Ts board of directors, said Dorman has the customer focus to achieve success.
“While some in our industry are coping with accounting and governance issues, AT&T is completing an orderly succession that ensures all our energy is directed where it should be – on serving our customers better each day than the day before,” McHenry, who is a professor of diplomacy at Georgetown University, said in a press release.