Rivada Networks names four former Sprint wholesale and enterprise executives to leadership positions
Rivada Networks continues to tap former Sprint executives to fill its ranks, announcing the hiring of four former leaders of the carrier to senior positions at its Rivada Mercury business. The new hires include Pierre Elisseeff, Peter Campbell, Bill Esrey and Todd Rowley.
Elisseeff was named CFO at Rivada Mercury, having previously served as VP and whole business unit CRO at Sprint overseeing the carrier’s Enterprise/Wholesale and Postpaid Consumer businesses.
Campbell joins as CIO, having accumulated more than 30 years of experience in the telecom space, including his position as CIO at Sprint where he led the deployment of operating support and business support systems connected with the carrier’s LTE network build out.
Esrey was named SVP of wholesale and business development, having previously served at Sprint where he was responsible for the growth and retention of the carrier’s largest business customers selling cloud, wireline, wireless, machine-to-machine and mobility applications. Esrey also served in Sprint’s Global Wholesale organization as VP of operations, product, marketing and global sales.
Rowley was tapped as SVP of business development, having spent the past 16 years as VP of business development at Sprint. That work included the development and execution of the carrier’s rural LTE coverage strategy.
Rivada noted the new execs bring their experience in working in Sprint’s wholesale business, which will be a focus for the company as it targets the mobile broadband market.
“Rivada is building the best wholesale and network operations team in the industry as we move to disrupt the way wireless works,” noted company Chairman Declan Ganley, in a statement. “Pierre, Peter, Bill and Todd are second to none at what they do. I look forward to working them as Rivada drives the commoditization of mobile bandwidth.”
RCR Wireless News recently spoke with Ganley on the company’s plans as part of the weekly Carrier Wrap video show.
Rivada previously hired former longtime Sprint CFO Joe Euteneuer as co-CEO and CFO Americas, to run the organization alongside Ganley. Euteneuer left his position as CFO at Sprint last August amidst numerous management changes at the carrier, and was replaced by current CFO Tarek Robiaiti. Euteneuer assumed the CFO position at Sprint in 2011, replacing Bob Brust, and coming over from Qwest Communications.
Rivada Mercury was formed through a recent partnership with a handful of vendors as part of the company’s plans to build-out a nationwide public safety network should it win a part or all of the First Responder Network Authority bidding process. Partners include Harris Corporation, Ericsson, Nokia, Intel Security, Fujitsu Network Communications and Black & Veatch. The companies plan to pool their resources behind Rivada as it bids in the ongoing FirstNet process that is to culminate with the building of a nationwide public safety network using 20 megahertz of spectrum in the 700 MHz band.
While not named, Rivada also is said to be working with a nationwide wireless operator already running an LTE network as well as a number of regional telecom operators. Among established wireless carriers, AT&T Mobility has expressed interest in partnering with FirstNet and its $6.5 billion in funding, while Verizon Wireless has been more guarded in its interest. T-Mobile US has stated it can’t see how a partnership would work for the carrier, while Sprint is not expected to participate in the FirstNet program.
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