CTO Journal

SAN DIEGO, Feb. 15, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- Leap Wireless International, Inc. (NASDAQ: LEAP), a leading provider of innovative and value-driven wireless communications services, today announced the appointment of Robert A. Strickland as executive vice president and chief technical officer, effective February 15, 2012.  In his role, Strickland will have responsibility for the Company's information technology, engineering and network operations and is charged with setting and managing Leap's long-term network technology strategy.  Leap also announced the appointment of Bill Ingram as executive vice president, strategy and as acting chief financial officer, effective March 1, 2012.

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Strickland, 50, brings nearly 30 years of information technology and infrastructure management experience to the Company including extensive operational experience in the wireless and communications industry.  Strickland most recently ran his own consulting firm, providing strategic IT and go-to-market operational planning as well as enterprise IT validation to companies and their customers.  From 2006 to 2010 he was senior vice president and chief information officer at T-Mobile USA, responsible for all software development including handsets and related infrastructure elements, the company's billing, customer care and other related systems and all telecommunications platforms.

"We are pleased to welcome Rob, a seasoned executive who will further strengthen Leap's executive team and who brings a solid background of information technology, systems and infrastructure management to support our strategic and growth initiatives," said Doug Hutcheson, Leap's president and chief executive officer. "Rob's appointment is an important step as we grow our business in a rapidly changing industry and continue on our path to becoming the leading provider of nationwide prepaid services."

Prior to joining T-Mobile USA in 2006, Strickland served as senior vice president and chief information officer at EchoStar Communications from 2005 to 2006.  From 2004 to 2005 he served as president and COO of Silas Technologies Holdings, leading the company through a reorganization and new business plan.  From 2001 to 2004 he served as chief executive officer of Xperts, an IT integration and services company.  From 1998 to 2001, Strickland held several chief technology officer positions with Landmark Communications, a privately owned holding company.  From 1984 to 1998, Strickland held a number of IT, engineering and programing roles in the cable, education and computer industries.  Strickland graduated from Brandeis University with a B.A. in mathematics.

Ingram, who joined Leap in 2008, has held various strategy and finance positions with the Company, most recently as senior vice president, strategy.  Ingram also previously served as senior vice president, financial operations and strategy and helped guide the finance and accounting functions during the Company's previous search for a chief financial officer.  Ingram will serve as acting chief financial officer until the Company appoints a replacement.  In his joint role, Ingram will assume an executive leadership position overseeing the management of the Company's finance and accounting functions while also continuing to direct the Company's strategic and business development activities.  The Company will be looking at both internal and external candidates to fill the chief financial officer position and does not expect Ingram to fill the role on a permanent basis.

Ingram has more than 25 years of experience in leading telecommunications and technology businesses. Prior to his time at Leap, he served as president and CEO of Nuera Communications (acquired by AudioCodes, Inc.), an IP voice company that designed and produced telecommunications equipment for converged packet networks.  Nuera was a successor company to Pacific Communication Sciences, where Ingram was chief operating officer of the Clarity Products division.  He holds an M.B.A. from Harvard and an undergraduate degree in economics from Stanford.  

About Leap
Leap provides innovative, high-value wireless services to a young and ethnically diverse customer base.  With the value of unlimited wireless services as the foundation of its business, Leap pioneered its Cricket service. Cricket products and services are available nationwide through company-owned stores, dealers, national retailers and at MyCricket.com.  Through its affordable, flat-rate service plans, Cricket offers customers a choice of unlimited voice, text, data and mobile Web services.  Headquartered in San Diego, Calif., Leap is traded on the NASDAQ Global Select Market under the ticker symbol "LEAP."  For more information, please visit www.leapwireless.com.

SOURCE Leap Wireless International, Inc.