REDMOND, Wash., July 30, 2014 /PRNewswire/ -- Microsoft
Corp. on Wednesday announced that John W.
Stanton, a pioneer and innovator in the U.S. and global
wireless industry, has been appointed to the company's board of
directors, increasing the board's size to 11 members.
"John brings extraordinary experience in the mobile
communications industry and deep business acumen, and we are
delighted that he is joining Microsoft's board of directors," said
John W. Thompson, Microsoft
chairman.
Stanton currently serves as chairman of Trilogy Equity Partners,
a private equity fund that invests in early-stage growth
opportunities in the wireless ecosystem, and Trilogy International
Partners, a wireless operator in Central and South America and New Zealand.
"John's insights into mobility around the globe and his
expertise in working with organizations as CEO and as a board
member will be invaluable as we transform Microsoft for growth and
leadership in the mobile-first, cloud-first world," said Microsoft
chief executive officer Satya
Nadella.
Stanton led four of the top wireless operators in the United States over the past three decades,
and operated wireless networks in Europe, Africa, Central and South America, and New Zealand. During the 1980s, he served as
chief operating officer and vice chairman of McCaw Cellular. From
1992 to 2005, he served as chairman and chief executive officer of
Western Wireless Corp. Between 1995 and 2003, he served as chairman
and chief executive officer of VoiceStream Wireless, which was
acquired by Deutsche Telekom and subsequently renamed T-Mobile
USA. He also served as director
and later chairman of Clearwire Corp. from 2008 to 2013.
"I'm happy to be joining Microsoft at such a pivotal moment in
the company's history," Stanton said. "I know firsthand what an
indispensable role Microsoft plays in the technology industry, in
the lives of countless people around the world, and in the Puget
Sound region, so I'm excited to have the opportunity to help shape
Microsoft's future."
Stanton is active in civic and community activities serving the
Puget Sound community. He has chaired or co-chaired the Business
Partnership for Early Learning, the United Way of King County campaign, the Washington
Roundtable, and the Regional Transportation Commission. He
presently serves as chairman of Year Up of Puget Sound, a trustee
of Whitman College, and a director of
the Seattle Foundation.
In addition to the Microsoft board, Stanton serves as a director
of Columbia Sportswear Co. Stanton graduated from Whitman College and received his MBA from
Harvard Business School. He lives in
the Bellevue, Wash., area with his
wife Theresa Gillespie and has two
sons.
Stanton will join the Compensation Committee of the Microsoft
board.
In addition to Stanton, Microsoft's board of directors consists
of John W. Thompson, Microsoft
chairman and chief executive officer of Virtual Instruments;
Steve Ballmer, former chief
executive officer of Microsoft; Dina
Dublon, former chief financial officer of JPMorgan Chase;
Bill Gates, Microsoft founder and
technology advisor; Maria M. Klawe,
president, Harvey Mudd College;
David F. Marquardt, general partner
at August Capital; G. Mason Morfit,
president, ValueAct Capital; Satya
Nadella, Microsoft chief executive officer; Charles H. Noski, former vice chairman of Bank
of America Corp.; and Dr. Helmut
Panke, former chairman of the board of management at BMW
AG.
Founded in 1975, Microsoft (Nasdaq "MSFT") is the worldwide
leader in software, services, devices and solutions that help
people and businesses realize their full potential.
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SOURCE Microsoft Corp.