Dan Hesse steps down as Sprint CEO, Marcelo Claure to take over
Following in the wake of news late last night that Sprint and Softbank would no longer pursue a merger with T-Mobile, Sprint announced earlier today that Dan Hesse would be replaced as the carrier’s president and CEO.
In his place will be Marcelo Claure, a board member and founder of Brightstar. Softbank, which owns a majority share of Sprint, also owns a majority of Brightstar.
Claure’s new position will take effect on August 11.
From Sprint’s official press release:
Since founding Brightstar in 1997, Claure has grown the company from a small Miami-based distributor into a global business, with $10.5 billion in gross revenue for the year ended in 2013. Brightstar has become the world’s largest specialized wireless distributor and a leading provider of diversified services to the wireless industry. Claure was selected as a Young Global Leader by the World Economic Forum, highlighting exceptional global leaders 40 years of age or younger. Throughout his career, Claure has received several Entrepreneur of the Year and CEO of the year awards.
While Dan Hesse made several public comments in the past about being ready to step aside in the event of a merger, it seems probable now that Hesse is being forced out of his position due to dissatisfaction from Japan. Hopefully Claure knows what he’s up against and can help Sprint turn itself around once and for all.
[Sprint]
