Lowell C. McAdam
Chairman, President and Chief Executive Officer , Verizon Communications
Member
Lowell C. McAdam is president and chief executive officer of Verizon Communications, with responsibility for the operations of Verizon, including all business units and staff functions. In addition, he is chairman of the Verizon Wireless Board of Representatives.
McAdam succeeded Ivan Seidenberg as CEO on Aug. 1, 2011, completing the company’s CEO succession process under way since 2010.
From October 2010 until he assumed his current position, McAdam served as president and COO and had responsibility for the operations of the company’s network-based businesses—Verizon Wireless and Verizon Telecom and Business—as well as Verizon Services Operations. He was also responsible for the technology management and CIO functions.
Before that, McAdam held key executive positions at Verizon Wireless since its inception in 2000 and built the company into the industry’s leading wireless provider, with the nation’s largest, most reliable wireless voice and 3G broadband data network. He was president and CEO of Verizon Wireless from 2007 until being named COO of Verizon, and before that served as Verizon Wireless’ executive vice president and chief operating officer.
Earlier, McAdam was president and CEO of PrimeCo Personal Communications, a joint venture owned by Bell Atlantic and Vodafone AirTouch. He also served as PrimeCo’s chief operating officer, responsible for overseeing the build, deployment and successful launch of the new company’s customer service operations and all-digital network.
McAdam has also served as vice president-international operations for AirTouch Communications and was lead technical partner for cellular ventures in Spain, Portugal, Sweden, Italy, Korea and Japan. McAdam joined AirTouch as executive director of international applications and operations in 1993. From 1983 to 1993, he held various executive positions with Pacific Bell, including area vice president of Bay Area marketing and general manager of South Bay customer services.
McAdam serves on the board of directors of Verizon and is past chairman of the board of directors of the CTIA, the wireless industry trade association. In addition, McAdam is a director of the National Academy Foundation, a partnership between business leaders and educators that assists high schools across the country in establishing and running technical and service academies to better prepare students for college and careers.
He earned a bachelor’s degree in engineering from Cornell University and a master’s degree in business administration from the University of San Diego. He also spent six years in the U.S. Navy Civil Engineer Corps and is a licensed professional engineer.