Sigman leaves AT&T, de la Vega named as replacement

After 42 years at AT&T Inc., Stan Sigman announced his retirement as president and CEO of the company’s wireless unit.
The company said that Ralph de la Vega, group president for regional telecom and entertainment, will immediately take over Sigman’s post at AT&T Mobility. Sigman will help with the transition through the end of this year.
John Stankey, who serves as AT&T’s group president for operations support, will take over de la Vega’s position. Both men will continue to report to AT&T Chairman and CEO Randall Stephenson.
Stephenson called Sigman “one of the industry’s most outstanding and accomplished leaders.”
Sigman was named CEO of Cingular in 2002, and presided over the company’s acquisition of the former AT&T Wireless Services Inc.-a deal that created the largest U.S. wireless carrier. Sigman also moved the carrier through its rebranding to AT&T following the merger of Cingular’s parent companies.
Sigman’s retirement is the second CEO change this week among the four national carriers. On Monday, Sprint Nextel Corp. announced that chairman and CEO Gary Forsee left due to the company’s poor performance, and that the carrier is seeking an outsider to turn the company around.