WorldCom Shakes It Up

John Sidgmore isn’t the only one changing positions at WorldCom Inc. (OTC: WCOEQ). Apparently the whole management roster is being shaken up.

The bankrupt company’s CEO of less than five months announced last week that he would be resuming his old position of vice chairman of the company as soon as a replacement for the corner office is found (see WorldCom: See Ya, Sidgmore). Following up on the announcement with an internal memo, obtained by Light Reading, Sidgmore outlined a plan for the “realignment of our organization to provide business unit managers with greater autonomy, and to drive profit and loss responsibility downward in the organization.”

The changes outlined in the memo include: Ron Beaumont becoming President of Global Business Solutions, with 13 executives reporting to him. He will report to Sidgmore. The 13 executives are:

• Frank Grillo, Sr. VP Global Marketing
• Joe McKeown, VP Marketing Services
• Phil Meeks, VP Sales Channel Support and Development
• Sonny Evans, Sr. VP U.S. Customer Service
• Jim Renna, Director Business Operations
• Cindy Andreotti, President Global Accounts
• Jim Turner, President Global Strategic Alliances
• Ed Tagg, President International Sales and Business Operations
• OPEN, President Domestic Business Markets
• Steve Young, VP Corporate Accounts
• Blair Crump, VP Outsourcing and Investment Accounts
• Deborah Surrette, Sr. VP Major and National Accounts
• John Krummel, Sr. VP Telecommunications Wholesale Services
  
  

Sidgmore also outlined additional changes to the management structure in the memo:

• Fred Briggs will continue in his role as President of Operations and Technology, and will also take on responsibilities for the global property management.
• Wayne Huyard will continue as President of Mass Markets; Mike Salsbury will still be in charge of legal public policy and will also take on responsibility for human resources, with Dennis Sickle reporting to him.
• John Dubel, CFO, will also be responsible for a new corporate business planning organization that Jon McGuire will establish.
• Also reporting to the CFO will be Chief Restructuring Officer Greg Rayburn, Chief Marketing Officer Alan Taffel, Sr. VP of Corporate Communications Brad Burns, and VP of Corporate Development Bill Grothe.
  
  

“I am confident that now is the time to begin the process of putting in place a more permanent management structure, and that these changes will be in the best interest of our company,” Sidgmore said in the note. “…Bert [Roberts, Chairman] and I will still be here, working with you to make WorldCom everything we know it can be.”

— Eugénie Larson, Reporter, Light Reading
www.lightreading.com