Melone Takes Over as Verizon CTO

NEW YORK -- Verizon Communications Inc. (NYSE, Nasdaq: VZ) today announced the appointment of Anthony Melone as executive vice president and chief technology officer, with responsibility for Verizon's technology roadmap, including overall platforms integrity and architecture, and product innovation.

Melone was previously senior vice president and chief technical officer for Verizon Wireless. He succeeds Shaygan Kheradpir, effective immediately, following Kheradpir's announcement that he plans to retire this month after a 23-year career with Verizon and its predecessor companies. Kheradpir said he plans to move to London where he will join Barclays Global Retail Banking (GRB) at the start of 2011 as its new chief operating officer and member of its executive committee.

Lowell McAdam, president and chief operating officer of Verizon, said, "Tony is a proven leader, and he has been at the forefront in the planning, engineering and operation of Verizon Wireless' nationwide network and in the build-out and launch of our next-generation LTE network. In his new assignment, Tony has responsibility for finding new ways of integrating and utilizing all our networks, improving the customer experience, and streamlining our current technologies and those now in the pipeline."

Verizon Communications Inc. (NYSE: VZ)