GlobeNet today appointed Ed Weisbrot as senior vice president, network services, and Eldon E. Blust, Jr. as senior vice president, business development. These appointments mark the second and third such high-level executives to join GlobeNet this month, following the announcement of Jerry DeMartino, former president of MCI International, as Chief Executive Officer.
Combined, the two new executives bring more than 45 years of international telecommunications experience to GlobeNet, which is positioned to be one of the first private submarine cable providers to reach South America with its 22,500-kilometer Atlantica-1 network. The first leg of the 1.28-terabit fiber optic ring is scheduled to be ready for service next September.
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MCI Execs Join GlobeNet
"Adding the talents of executives such as Ed and Eldon to the experienced senior management team at GlobeNet is the next step in positioning ourselves to go head-to-head with Global Crossing in the international submarine cable marketplace," DeMartino said. "We have the vision, the financial resources and the leadership to change the way cables are built and bought."
Weisbrot, with more than 26 years experience in international telecommunications, was instrumental in MCI's precedent-setting entry into international voice and data services and negotiated many of MCI's bilateral operating and technical agreements during the 1980's. In 1989 Weisbrot joined Comsat's International Ventures Group and played a key role in the development of telecommunications infrastructure in Eastern Europe and Central America. He went on to join Sprint International in 1993 to engineer its European voice network that became part of Global One, the joint venture between Deutsche Telekom, France Telecom and Sprint. Weisbrot served as vice president of engineering and operations at Primus since 1998, where he integrated several acquisitions into a thriving Tier 2 international carrier.
"Working with both the traditional carriers and the newly emerging service providers has given me a good sense of the needs of both," said Weisbrot. "I share GlobeNet's vision of positioning itself as the €˜go to' capacity provider to help these carriers meet their business plans."
A 20-year veteran in international telecommunications, Blust was senior director, global strategy and development, and responsible for the management of MCI WorldCom's offshore investments and alliances in Australia (AAP Telecommunications Pty Ltd), Canada (Stentor Resource Centre, Inc.), Mexico (Avantel, S.A.) and New Zealand (Clear Communications Company Limited). His prior MCI assignment was as director, global network services, where he was responsible for all sales, marketing, product management and delivery of MCI's extensive portfolio of international private network services.
"I am excited to be joining the GlobeNet team and I am looking forward to working with the new operators and service providers who are tapping into the opportunities emerging from the Latin American telecom market," said Blust. "With nearly $1 billion raised to build its network, GlobeNet's Atlantica-1 cable will be there next year to carry this traffic where it needs to go."
GlobeNet Communications Group Limited is an independent developer of international fiber-optic cable facilities and a licensed international telecommunications carrier in Bermuda through its wholly owned subsidiary, Telebermuda International Limited. Through TBI, it has been providing a full range of international telecommunications services in Bermuda since its establishment in 1997. GlobeNet is headquartered in St. David's, Bermuda, and has offices in Toronto and Montreal. Its common shares are traded on the Bermuda Stock Exchange (GLOCOM).