AT&T Names Former FCC Head William Kennard to Chairman Job
- He will be first African-American to serve in that position
- Kennard has been on the telecom giant’s board since 2014
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AT&T Inc. named William Kennard, a former head of the Federal Communications Commission and Carlyle Group veteran, as its next chairman, making him the first African American to hold that position in the 135-year history of the company.
Kennard will take over as chairman for ex-CEO Randall Stephenson, who is leaving the board in January, AT&T said on Friday. The carrier previously agreed that its new leader, John Stankey, wouldn’t be taking the chairman role -- a division that investors such as Elliott Management Corp. had sought.