Former AT&T executive Glenn Lurie has taken the helm at Synchronoss Technologies.
Lurie, 52, stepped down several weeks ago from his role as president and CEO of AT&T Mobility Consumer Operations and had gained prestige at the carrier by negotiating with Apple to secure an exclusive deal for the iPhone. He was named CEO today at Synchronoss, a vendor of cloud, messaging and “digital transformation products.”
Lurie succeeds Stephen Waldis, who will remain chair of the company’s board of directors.
“Glenn is a highly accomplished, transformational and well-respected leader with a proven track record of success and innovation in the telecommunications industry,” Waldis said in a release. “Glenn’s knowledge of the wireless and media space, broad industry relationships and operational acumen are second to none, and make him the ideal leader to drive the next chapter of success for Synchronoss. I have worked closely with AT&T for many years and have seen firsthand the profound impact Glenn can have on all aspects of a company, especially his ability to launch innovative new businesses and products.”
Lurie’s exit from AT&T came amid a series of front-office moves as the carrier expands beyond traditional telecom offerings into the much broader world of digital media and advertising. Bloomberg described the restructuring as “one of the largest at AT&T since ‘Ma Bell’ was broken apart” by U.S. regulators 33 years ago, creating seven regional “Baby Bells.”
Synchronoss’s hiring of Lurie likely is partially related to his experience in the Iot during his time at AT&T. Lurie helped build AT&T Digital Life, a home automation and security offering that the carrier is reportedly looking to offload, while Synchronoss was one of a handful of partners that helped launch AT&T Drive, a mobile platform for developing LTE connected car services, in 2014.