AT&T Wireless Unit Gets New Chief

BOSTON (03/09/2000) - AT&T Corp. today announced that Mohan Gyani is the new president and chief executive officer of the Wireless Services unit.

Gyani has been with AT&T's newly formed Wireless Services Group for only about a month, serving as chief financial officer. Gyani will take over from Daniel Hesse, who has accepted the position of CEO at TeraBeam Networks, a privately held network company in Seattle.

Gyani, a telecommunications and wireless industry veteran who has held posts at AirTouch Communications Inc. and Pacific Telesis Group, played a pivotal role in AirTouch's $120 billion merger with Vodafone Group PLC, and helped engineer a subsequent $70 billion joint venture for the company with Bell Atlantic Corp.

AT&T offers wireless service to nearly 12 million customers and has announced plans for an IPO (initial public offering) of AT&T Wireless Group tracking shares following a March 14 shareholder vote.

That Hesse is leaving before the IPO instead of after is "unusual," said Eddie Hold, a principal analyst for wireless services at Current Analysis Inc., a telecommunications research firm in Sterling, Virginia.

"People usually prefer to leave with a little more money in their pockets."

Hold said, referring to the money-making opportunities that IPOs bring to corporate executives.

Hesse has been with AT&T for 23 years, and many credit him with creating the company's Digital OneRate Plan, according to Hold.

"Hesse had been an early proponent of wireless initiatives at AT&T, and his leaving is a real blow," Hold said.

AT&T, in Basking Ridge, New Jersey, can be reached at +1-908-221-2000 or at http://www.att.com/.