With their WiMAX/XOHM trials set to launch this week (at least for employees), Sprint is going to need some serious leadership skills to keep their subscriber base from plunging ever further into the depths of underdog-dom. Gary Forsee has already left the building, so who does Sprint have up next on the roster? Well, Embarq’s Dan Hesse has been tapped to go-to-bat for Sprint as the new top-dog.
Dan’s got himself an impressive resume. He’s headed Sprint spin-off Embarq for the past few years, and before that he was CEO of AT&T Wireless from 1997 to 2000. The question remains, will he be able to bring some good fortune to the struggling, No. 3 national wireless carrier?
New leadership is always a good indicator of better things to come, but we can’t help but get that sinking feeling that Sprint’s new direction may not be what we expected. They’ve got too much invested in this whole XOHM deal to call it off, we just hope Mr. Hesse feels the same way. Sprint needs to position itself as an innovator and top-tier provider in some market – seeing as how their traditional wireless service business isn’t doing all that well.
[Via: AP]