inducted 2010

Dan Hesse, 56, was named chief executive officer of Sprint Nextel on Dec. 18, 2007.

Prior to his appointment as Sprint CEO, Hesse was the Chairman and CEO of Embarq Corporation, a $6 billion company which provided voice, data, wireless and entertainment services in eighteen states.

From 2000 – 2004, he served as chairman, president and chief executive officer of Terabeam Corporation, a wireless telecommunications service provider and technology company.

Hesse spent 23 years at AT&T. From 1997 – 2000, he served as the President and CEO of AT&T Wireless Services, at the time the United States’ largest wireless carrier. Previously, Hesse launched AT&T’s global online initiatives, which included the AT&T Worldnet family of internet services, as the leader of the Online Services Group. From 1991-1995, he was based in the Netherlands serving as the President and CEO of AT&T Network Systems International, a joint-venture telecommunications technology company with revenues of $2 billion. He also held prior AT&T management assignments in Network Operations, Network Engineering, International Services, Human Resources, Strategic Planning, Product Management and Sales.

He received a master of science degree from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, a master's degree in business administration, with distinction, from Cornell University, and a bachelor of arts degree, with honors, from
the University of Notre Dame. He was awarded the Brooks Thesis Prize for writing the outstanding masters thesis from all masters programs at MIT’s Sloan School of Management.

Hesse has been named “Most Influential Person in Mobile Technology” by LAPTOP Magazine, Wireless Industry “Person of the Year” by RCR magazine, “Executive of the Year” by Wireless Business and Technology magazine, and he received Wireless Week magazine’s Leadership Award. He is a recipient of the Ellis Island Medal of Honor. He also serves on the board of directors of Clearwire Corporation, where Sprint is the largest shareholder, and on the National Board of Governors of the Boys and Girls Clubs of America.

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