Former FCC Chair William Kennard named AT&T chairman

DALLAS – William E. Kennard Named Chairman of AT&T's Board of Directors The board of directors of AT&T has selected William E. Kennard to serve as its chairman, effective January 2021, upon the retirement of Randall Stephenson, currently AT&T's executive chairman of the board.

AT&T announced earlier this year its plan to elect an independent chairman when Mr. Stephenson retired from the board in January, after serving as chairman since 2007. This change continues AT&T's commitment to strong corporate governance.

Mr. Kennard served as general counsel to the U.S. Federal Communications Commission from 1993 to 1997. In 1997, he was appointed FCC Chairman, a position he held until 2001. From 2009 to 2013, he served as the U.S. Ambassador to the European Union.

Kennard also has held positions with The Carlyle Group, a global asset management firm, at which he led investments in the telecommunications and media sectors, and the law firm of Verner, Liipfert, Bernhard, McPherson and Hand (now DLA Piper), where he was a partner and member of the board of directors.

Mr. Kennard joined AT&T's board of directors in 2014. He currently serves on the corporate governance and nominating committee and the public policy and corporate reputation committee.

Kennard serves on the boards of Duke Energy Corporation, Ford Motor Company and MetLife, Inc. He is also co-founder of Astra Capital Management, a private equity firm.

Kennard received his B.A. in Communications from Stanford University and earned his law degree from Yale Law School. He currently serves on the board of trustees of Yale University.

Read the full announcement here.

AT&T