H. Russell Frisby Jr. is resigning as CEO of CompTel/ASCENT. The association made the announcement today. Frisby, who has led CompTel/ASCENT since 1998, plans to remain CEO until a successor is named.
Frisby also will serve as CompTel/ASCENT’s acting chief legal officer.
“After almost seven years, I believe this decision is an appropriate one for me,” Frisby wrote in a letter to association members and staff. Frisby was president of CompTel before that association merged with ASCENT. CompTel previously had merged with ACTA.
Frisby commended CompTel/ASCENT for its work to preserve competition in the telecom industry. “While we have not won every battle, the real measure of our success is that our members have survived and are now serving millions of customers despite the ongoing regulatory, legislative and judicial uncertainty,” he said.
He urged members to continue supporting the association.
Meanwhile, J. Sherman Henderson III, chairman of CompTel/ASCENT’s board of directors and president and CEO of Lightyear Network Solutions LLC, praised Frisby’s tenure.
“During the past six years, the competitive telecommunications landscape has changed dramatically, and with Russell at the helm, CompTel/ASCENT has risen to the challenges and adapted in numerous ways to ensure that the association’s members receive the best representation,” Henderson said. “On behalf of the board and the association’s members, I want to thank Russell for his service as CEO and his dedication to the principles of an open, competitive telecommunications marketplace.”
The CompTel/ASCENT board of directors has formed a committee to find Frisby’s replacement.
