Verizon Shakes Up Executive Team After Tough Year
The shake-up comes as Verizon’s consumer group, its largest division, has struggled to hang on to its core subscriber base in competition from rivals AT&T Inc. and T-Mobile US Inc.
“I think we were sleeping a little bit at the wheel,” Mr. Vestberg said.
He said the consumer business reacted “way too late” last year as the economy soured in March, and that the business has since become more nimble.
“It’s not like everything is fixed because I’ve been there six months,” Mr. Vestberg said.
“next-generation leadership,” though he said he would run the company as long as he has the support of the stakeholders.
During his tenure, Verizon shares have fallen about 26%, compared with a roughly 41% increase in the S&P 500 index over the same period.
Verizon remains the largest U.S. cellphone carrier in terms of subscribers, but it has ceded ground over the past couple of years.
Mr. Vestberg, who is also board chairman, said he searched both inside and outside the company as part of the management changes and will continue to look for a new finance chief.
Verizon needs to balance strengthening subscriber growth with generating more free cash flow, said Timothy Horan, an analyst at investment bank Oppenheimer & Co. It will also need to further reduce the company’s debt pile and lower operating expenses, Mr. Horan said.