Sprint Nextel Names President of Strategic Planning and Corporate Initiatives & New Product Development Leadership

Sprint Nextel (NYSE: S) announced that Keith Cowan will join the company as president, Strategic Planning and Corporate Initiatives, effective July 9, 2007. Cowan will oversee Sprint Nextel’s strategic growth initiatives, including the cable joint venture and 4G Mobile Broadband, as well as overall corporate strategic planning. Cowan will report to Chairman and Chief Executive Officer Gary Forsee.


As Sprint Nextel continues to bring to market innovative and differentiated products and services, the company also announced that John Garcia, president of Sprint/MSO Joint Venture, will assume the role of senior vice president of product management and development, reporting to Chief Marketing Officer Tim Kelly. Garcia will drive the Sprint Nextel product roadmap from design through development. Garcia will continue to have responsibility for product development for the Pivot brand, which is expected to launch in 40 metropolitan areas in 2007, and he will maintain management of Sprint’s MVNO program.

“Keith is a results-oriented individual and will be a strong addition to the Sprint Nextel leadership team,” said Forsee. "He has a track record of performance in communications and technology that will be a tremendous asset to our company as we continue to seek ways to unlock shareholder value.

“John’s successes at Sprint are unparalleled and his keen understanding of convergence will be a key asset in enhancing our mobility product pipeline,” noted Forsee. “John developed and implemented the sales, distribution, handset and marketing strategies that drove Sprint’s initial growth in the wireless industry and he is uniquely qualified to assert our advantages in this competitive marketplace.”

Cowan was most recently executive vice president at Genuine Parts Company. Prior to this role, Cowan spent more than a decade at BellSouth Corporation (now AT&T) holding a number of key leadership positions, including chief planning and development officer; president-Marketing and Product Management; and chief field operations officer. Prior to BellSouth, Cowan was a partner at the law firm Alston & Bird LLP. He holds a Juris Doctorate from the University of Virginia School of Law and a Bachelor of Arts in economics and political science from the University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill.

Reporting to Cowan will be Barry West, chief technology officer and president, 4G Mobile Broadband, Jack Dziak, senior vice president, Strategy and Jim Patterson, currently vice president, Cable Solutions, who will become acting president of the Sprint/MSO Joint Venture, focusing on cable partner relationships, planning and technology integration.

Cowan is 51 years old. Garcia is 53 years old.