EarthLink Names Seasoned Financial Executive Mark Droege as Senior Vice President, Treasury & Corporate Services

ATLANTA, Feb. 1, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- EarthLink (Nasdaq: ELNK), a leading IP infrastructure and services company, today announced Mark Droege has joined the company as Senior Vice President, Treasury and Corporate Services. Droege will be responsible for EarthLink's treasury, risk management, procurement and real estate activities.  

Droege is a senior financial executive with over 30 years of experience in a multitude of financial disciplines, stemming from a 20-year career at BellSouth Corporation, including Treasurer and divisional CFO roles. His diverse background includes expertise in strategy, financial analysis, mergers & acquisitions, capital markets, investor relations, financial planning and budgeting, cash management, financial reporting, credit & collections, hedging and risk management.

"EarthLink's business has expanded and evolved and we believe our company will benefit by having an executive of Mark's experience, background and caliber in this key position," commented Bradley A. Ferguson, EarthLink Chief Financial Officer. "Mark brings over thirty years of practical experience in the telecommunications industry with two decades of financial leadership at BellSouth. He is well-versed in the financial complexities of the industry segment to which EarthLink is evolving and highly respected in the financial community."

Droege added, "I am pleased to be joining this dynamic company with a reputation for exceptional customer service. With its recent acquisitions and strong financial position, I believe EarthLink has a wealth of value-creating opportunities ahead."

Droege spent the majority of his career at BellSouth Corporation, serving as Vice President, Treasurer from 1996 to 2000 and again from 2005 until 2007.  From 2000 to 2005 Droege held the position of Chief Financial Officer of BellSouth International. He began his career at BellSouth in 1986, serving in a number of executive-level Strategic Planning, Financial Management, Investor Relations and divisional Chief Financial Officer roles. Since 2007, Droege had been Chief Financial Officer at Nsoro, LLC, and then Intellione, Inc.  Prior to BellSouth, he was Chief Financial Officer of two divisions of International Thomson and began his career at Harris Corporation. Droege holds a B.A. in Mathematics from Carleton College in Minnesota; an MBA in Finance from the University of Michigan; and is a graduate of the Stanford University Executive Program.

About EarthLink

EarthLink, Inc. (NASDAQ: ELNK) is a leading provider of Internet Protocol (IP) infrastructure and services to medium-sized and large businesses, enterprise organizations and over 1.5 million consumers across the United States.  The company has been providing Internet access and communications services for decades and has earned an award-winning reputation for both outstanding customer service and product innovation.  For consumers, EarthLink is a leading Internet Service Provider connecting people to the power and possibilities of the Internet.  EarthLink Business™ provides voice, data, mobile and equipment services over a Southeast fiber network and MPLS-based services nationwide.  For more information, visit EarthLink's website www.earthlink.net.  

SOURCE EarthLink