Edward Whitacre Jr

Texas executive Edward Whitacre, Jr. formerly served as chairman and CEO of AT&T.

On June 9, 2009, Whitacre was named Chairman of General Motors. He will take over from interim chairman Kent Kresa after the company's restructuring is completed later in the year.http://www.foxbusiness.com/story/markets/industries/transportation/edward-whitacre-jr-named-new-gm-chairman/

Career

While attending college, in 1963, Whitacre was hired at Southwestern Bell after persisting for any type of position. While he started off repairing fence posts and measuring wire, he stayed with the company for over four decades, moving up the ladder within the company.http://www.businessweek.com/1999/99_15/b3624005.htm

In 1988, Whitacre was named the CEO of Regional Bell Operating Company, part of Southwestern Bell. He was promoted to chairman and CEO of Southwestern Bell and stayed in charge of the company as it became SBC Global, then AT&T. Whitacre contributed to several acquisitions the company made, including the 2006 purchase of BellSouth for $86 billion.http://www.businessweek.com/1999/99_15/b3624005.htm

In 2007, Whitacre announced that he would retire, effective June 3, 2007. While he had one year left on his contract, Whitacre did not elaborate on his reasons for the departure. Reports stated that he was eligible for a $158 million payout upon retirement.http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/04/27/AR2007042702276.html