22 Feb CEO of TDS Telecom to retire at end of year
Madison, Wis. — TDS Telecom’s James Barr III, 65, is retiring as president and CEO of the company at the end of 2006 after 17 years in the role, the company said on Tuesday.
Barr’s replacement is already on hand: David Wittwer, 44, most recently president of TDS Telecom’s local telecommunications operations, has been named chief operating officer and will step up as president and CEO next year.
Wittwer has been with the company for two decades and was involved in the formation of its competitive local exchange carrier TDS Metrocom, among other projects. His background is in finance; he previously served as CFO for eight years.
In the last 17 years, TDS Telecom’s revenues have quintupled to about $900 million, the firm said, and it has created 1,375 jobs, now employing 3,300 people nationally.
Parent company TDS, which also owns U.S. Cellular, operates in 36 states.