Ivan Seidenberg
Chief Executive Officer, Verizon Communications

Ivan Seidenberg is chief executive officer for Verizon. On March 11th, 2002, Verizon announced the acceleration of the transition of Mr. Seidenberg to sole CEO, effective April 1, 2002.

As chief executive of Bell Atlantic, and previously of NYNEX, Ivan Seidenberg was instrumental in reshaping the communications industry through two of the largest mergers in its history: the merger of Bell Atlantic and NYNEX in 1997 and the Bell Atlantic merger with GTE in 2000. He also led efforts in September 1999 to form Verizon Wireless, the nation's largest cellular business composed of the wireless assets of Bell Atlantic, GTE and Vodafone Airtouch.

Mr. Seidenberg began his communications career more than 35 years ago as a cable splicer's assistant. His career has encompassed numerous operations and engineering assignments, including various leadership positions at AT&T and NYNEX.

He has a long-standing commitment to education and is a strong proponent of connecting students and teachers to technology. He championed a special rate for schools and libraries to connect to the Internet. Mr. Seidenberg's activism to provide electronic access to young people led to his involvement with The New York Hall of Science and Pace University, on whose boards he serves.

Mr. Seidenberg also champions diversity both within and outside the company. Under his leadership, the company has made great strides in increasing minority employment and initiated a partnership with the U.S. Small Business Administration to increase the company's purchasing from minority suppliers. Verizon's commitment to diversity has been widely recognized, with the company being cited by Fortune magazine in its list of "The 50 Best Companies for Minorities."

Besides his directorships at The Hall of Science and Pace University, Mr. Seidenberg serves on the board of directors of Boston Properties, Inc., CVS Corp., Honeywell, the Museum of Television and Radio, Viacom Inc., the Verizon Foundation and Wyeth.

He earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in mathematics from City University of New York and a master's degree in business administration and marketing from Pace University.

He and his wife, Phyllis, have two adult children and reside in New York.