Frontier Communications continued to build its post-bankruptcy leadership team, naming former Verizon Wireless and Audible executive John Harrobin as EVP of its consumer division and appointing a new CFO.
Harrobin will report directly to Frontier president and CEO Nick Jeffery, and be responsible for “all aspects” of the company’s consumer business. That includes consumer products, marketing, digital analytics, sales and distribution and its go-to-market strategy. His appointment follows Frontier’s hire of long-time AT&T executive Veronica Bloodworth as EVP and chief network officer in April.
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Harrobin joins Frontier from Amazon-owned audiobook and podcast service Audible, where he has served as chief marketing officer since 2017. In a press release, Frontier credited Harrobin with leading Audible’s brand turnaround and developing new content marketing capabilities for the company, ultimately helping it double its customer base in just under three years.
Prior to Audible, Harrobin did a brief stint as EVP and CMO at NBCUniversal and before that spent 18 years at Verizon Wireless from 1997 to 2015, working his way up from senior product manager to chief marketing officer.
In a statement, Jeffery hailed Harrobin’s “strong track record for delivering financial and operational results, scaling businesses, building digital engagement, repositioning brands and executing growth strategies.”
Separately, the company announced Scott Beasley as its new CFO to replace outgoing finance chief Sheldon Bruha, who is set to leave Frontier on June 14 "to pursue other opportunities." Beasley most recently served as CFO of infrastructure construction engineering company Arcosa.
Harrobin and Beasley will likely play key roles in the company’s future, as Frontier charts its path forward after emerging from bankruptcy at the end of April. Company executives previously laid out plans to build fiber to 3 million new passings in the near term, including 495,000 in 2021.
RELATED: Fiber execution could make or break Frontier’s future, analysts say
The company suffered a PR stumble fresh out of the gate, after the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) filed a lawsuit against Frontier for allegedly failing to deliver promised internet speeds to consumers. Frontier dismissed the claims as “without merit” and said it planned to mount a strong defense in court.