WIND Mobile has announced this morning Alek Krstajic—the founder and former CEO of Public Mobile—is the company’s new CEO, replacing five-month interim Pietro Cordova, who will be heading back to Vimpelcom’s operations in Europe.
“We are very happy to welcome Alek as our new CEO. His strong operating history will further strengthen WIND as the company solidifies its place in the Canadian wireless landscape,” said Anthony Lacavera, Founder of WIND Mobile.
Krstajic, a former president of Bell Mobility and senior vice president at Rogers Cable, sold his company Public Mobile to TELUS in 2013. He announced in a statement “I’m very excited to join WIND and to work with the executive team and board to establish WIND Mobile as the most customer-oriented wireless provider in Canada.”
Three new board members were added as well: Rob MacLellan (Non-Executive Chairman of Northleaf Capital Partners), David R. Carey (Executive Vice President, Corporate Services of T-Mobile U.S.) and Hamid Akhavan (Principal, Telecom Ventures LLC). As for founder Anthony Lacavera, he transitions to honorary chairman.
WIND Mobile won AWS-3 spectrum licenses in B.C., Alberta and Ontario recently and looks to play a bigger role in the wireless landscape versus incumbents Rogers, TELUS and Bell. The company told the Globe and Mail it plans to model itself on T-Mobile in the U.S., whose “uncarrier” model has proved to be successful.
Board member Carey and Akhavan have ties to T-Mobile in the U.S., with experience at the executive level, while WIND Mobile investor Lawrence Guffey sits on the American carrier’s board of directors.
Many hope WIND Mobile can make a real difference in the wireless landscape, which remains dominated by incumbents. The company needs to launch its LTE network (and boost its existing AWS network), offer competitive plans and offer high end smartphones like Apple’s iPhone to make a real difference.
