Clearwire

News Analysis: Clearwire elected wireless pioneer John W. Stanton as its new chairman of the board. Stanton was a protégé of his predecessor, founder Craig McCaw and is a major force in the cellular industry in his own right.

Clearwire announced Jan. 8 that wireless industry pioneer John W. Stanton, already a member of Clearwire’s board, would be its new chairman. Stanton succeeds another industry pioneer Craig McCaw in that position.

Stanton already owns a wireless holding company based in Kirkland, Washington (which is where Clearwire is based) that runs wireless systems in Latin America and in the Caribbean. Stanton was responsible for rebuilding much of Haiti’s wireless network infrastructure following the 2010 Haitian earthquake.

What’s notable about Stanton in addition to his roots at the beginning of the cellular industry, is his reputation as a dealmaker. Stanton was responsible for the sale of VoiceStream Wireless to Deutsche Telekom and its transition into T-Mobile USA. He served as T-Mobile’s CEO until he brought in the recently departed Robert Dotson as his successor. Stanton’s wireless companies use both GSM and CDMA services, and he is well-versed in the international aspects of wireless operations.