Ma Bell Hires Baby Bell Exec To Nurse Struggling Unit

Communications Today, March 22, 2001 by Rodney L. Pringle

By Rodney L. Pringle, rpringle@pbimedia.com

AT&T [T] has turned to Betsy J. Bernard, a former Baby Bell executive, to head up its floundering consumer long-distance unit.

Bernard, 45, had most recently headed Qwest Communications International's [Q] consumer and small business unit. She had also served as head of U S West's consumer and business unit before Qwest acquired the Baby Bell.

Bernard is rejoining Ma Bell after working for the company for 18 years. She held executive-level positions with AT&T in marketing, sales, product management and customer service before leaving to head a telecom startup.

In her new job with AT&T, Bernard will lead a business unit that has more than 60 million customers and annual revenues of $18.9 billion.

AT&T's consumer business has taken a beating lately because of shrinking revenues and falling long-distance prices. The company plans to trade the unit as a separate tracking stock after it completes its proposed restructuring later this year.