Sprint Nextel officials announced that chief financial officer Paul Saleh will be leaving the company as part of a larger shake-up of its senior management ranks. In addition, Tim Kelly, chief marketing officer, and Mark Angelino, president, sales and distribution will depart, effective January 25. William G. Arendt, currently senior vice president and controller, will serve as acting CFO.
Last week, the number three wireless company announced much larger than expected losses of customers for the fourth quarter. It also said it would eliminate about 4,000 jobs.
Arendt was appointed senior vice president and controller at the time of the Sprint Nextel merger in August 2005. At Nextel, he served in senior finance positions from 1997 through the time of the merger.
Saleh joined Nextel Communications Inc. in September 2001 as executive vice president and chief financial officer. Before joining Nextel, Saleh was senior vice president and CFO at Walt Disney International from 1997 to 2001, and also served as senior vice president and treasurer for The Walt Disney Co. Prior to Disney, he served as treasurer of Honeywell where he spent 12 years in various key positions in finance, treasury, investor relations, strategic planning and operations.
“Permanent leaders will be named in conjunction with a review of overall strategy and an effort to streamline operations,” said Dan Hesse, president and CEO, Sprint Nextel. “I have no predetermined timeframe in filling these positions but plan to act as quickly as possible as I consider both internal and external candidates.”