MONTREAL – Bell Aliant CEO Stephen Wetmore and Bell Canada chief corporate officer and EVP Lawson Hunter are the next two executives leaving the company.
Long-time Bell executive Wetmore was the first CEO of Bell Aliant, having led the company from its formation in July 2006. "Stephen has made a tremendous contribution to Bell Aliant. As a result of his work, the company has strong foundations for the future," said Michael Sabia, chair of the Bell Aliant boards and outgoing CEO of Bell Canada.
"With Bell Aliant now on the firm footing we had anticipated at its formation, and with the change in ownership and leadership occurring at our major unitholder BCE, it is the right time for a transition in leadership at Bell Aliant. I am most appreciative of the support of our trustees, board and employees in helping to make Bell Aliant the success it is today,” said Wetmore in the same release.
No replacement has been named.
It was also announced today that Lawson Hunter, executive vice-president and chief corporate officer is leaving to join law firm Stikeman Elliott
"Lawson brought to Bell a passionate belief that consumers benefit when government allows competitive forces to work," said Sabia in a separate release. "He has been relentless not only in the pursuit of more freedom for Bell to offer competitive services to our customers but also in striving to create value for shareholders by making Bell a stronger, better company."
Hunter joined BCE in February 2003, taking responsibility for Bell Canada’s regulatory affairs, “as well as a broader public policy agenda affecting not only Bell but the entire communications industry,” reads the company’s release.
“In that role he was instrumental in championing a campaign to bring the benefits of competition in local telephony to consumers through regulatory reform. This culminated in two landmark decisions by the federal government: its December 2006 order to the CRTC to rely more on market forces, and its April 2007 decision setting out a simple and efficient framework for the CRTC to forbear from regulating local telephone services.”
Hunter also played key roles in every major transaction in which Bell was involved during his time at the company, including those involving CGI, CTVglobemedia and Telesat. He helped lead both the transaction establishing the Bell Aliant Regional Communications Income Fund – serving as its first chair – and the current privatization transaction. In March 2005, Hunter took on the additional role of chief corporate officer, overseeing all corporate services at the company “and driving a cultural change that has led to increased efficiency and a more service-oriented approach,” says the release.
