Anthony Melone Named Verizon Chief Technology Officer, Responsible for Corporation's Global Technology Roadmap

NEW YORK, Dec. 7, 2010 /PRNewswire/ -- Verizon Communications Inc. (NYSE, Nasdaq: VZ) today announced the appointment of Anthony Melone as executive vice president and chief technology officer, with responsibility for Verizon's technology roadmap, including overall platforms integrity and architecture, and product innovation.

Melone was previously senior vice president and chief technical officer for Verizon Wireless.  He succeeds Shaygan Kheradpir, effective immediately, following Kheradpir's announcement that he plans to retire this month after a 23-year career with Verizon and its predecessor companies.  Kheradpir said he plans to move to London where he will join Barclays Global Retail Banking (GRB) at the start of 2011 as its new chief operating officer and member of its executive committee.

Lowell McAdam, president and chief operating officer of Verizon, said, "Tony is a proven leader, and he has been at the forefront in the planning, engineering and operation of Verizon Wireless' nationwide network and in the build-out and launch of our next-generation LTE network.  In his new assignment, Tony has responsibility for finding new ways of integrating and utilizing all our networks, improving the customer experience, and streamlining our current technologies and those now in the pipeline."

About Kheradpir, McAdam said, "Throughout his career, Shaygan has helped pave new and innovative paths at our company.  As CIO of Verizon, he has been instrumental in helping to bring products and services to market, improving Verizon's internal systems, and making the company run more efficiently.  We thank him for his contributions, and we wish him the best in his future endeavors."

Kheradpir, who began his communications career with GTE in 1987, had been executive vice president and chief information officer for Verizon Communications until October, when he was named to the newly created chief technology officer position.  As CIO, he had been responsible for the information technology initiatives of all Verizon business units.

Prior to this, Kheradpir was senior vice president and chief information officer for Verizon Telecom, with oversight of all information technology initiatives for Verizon's Wireline unit.  Kheradpir led technology development and innovation for key Verizon initiatives, including the systems for Verizon's FiOS all-fiber network.

Melone was appointed Verizon Wireless CTO in 2007, and he has most recently transitioned the Verizon Wireless network from 3G (third-generation) services to this month's commercial launch of 4G LTE (fourth-generation, Long Term Evolution) services.

Prior to this, he served as vice president of network operations, with responsibility for Verizon Wireless' nationwide network operations, including overall quality assurance, implementation of new products and services, and regulatory compliance.

Melone's network operations leadership made Verizon's popular test-man advertising campaign possible.  Also during his tenure, the company launched the nation's first wireless broadband wide-area network and implemented key innovative services including mobile broadband, V CAST Music over-the-air music download service, IP-based Push-to-Talk, and VZ Navigator for turn-by-turn navigation on cell phones.

Melone has 28 years of telecommunications experience, including operations and engineering positions of increasing responsibility with the former Bell Atlantic company.  He joined Bell Atlantic Mobile's network operations group in 1996, and at Verizon Wireless' formation in 2000 was named staff vice president of network planning and administration.

Melone holds a bachelor's degree in electrical engineering from Villanova University and a master's degree in engineering from the University of Pennsylvania.  In 2010, he received the prestigious Villanova University J. Stanley Morehouse Award for outstanding leadership in the engineering profession.

Verizon Communications Inc. (NYSE, Nasdaq: VZ), headquartered in New York, is a global leader in delivering broadband and other wireless and wireline communications services to mass market, business, government and wholesale customers.  Verizon Wireless operates America's most reliable wireless network, serving more than 93 million customers nationwide.  Verizon also provides converged communications, information and entertainment services over America's most advanced fiber-optic network, and delivers innovative, seamless business solutions to customers around the world.  A Dow 30 company, Verizon employs a diverse workforce of more than 195,000 and last year generated consolidated revenues of more than $107 billion.  For more information, visit www.verizon.com.

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SOURCE Verizon Communications Inc.