Windstream COO Resigning

The COO of Windstream is resigning and the company is eliminating that executive position altogether.

The Arkansas-based service provider on Tuesday announced Brent Whittington’s departure will take effect on Sept. 1. After that, Mark Faris, executive vice president of operations, and Randy Nicklas, executive vice president of engineering and CTO, will share the duties Whittington oversaw. Faris and Nicklas will report to Jeff Gardner, president and CEO of Windstream.  

“Brent has been instrumental to Windstream’s success from our formation as a company and throughout our transformation,” Gardner said in a prepared statement. “I thank him for his leadership and counsel, and I wish him the very best in the future.”

Windstream spokesman David Avery told Channel Partners that Whittington decided to step down to “spend more time with his family and then determine what next to do.” Meantime, Faris and Nicklas working together and reporting to Gardner will increase collaboration and oversight, Avery said.

Whittington was named COO five years ago this month. He previously served as executive vice president and CFO and, before that, was senior vice president of operations for Alltel Corp., which spun out Windstream in 2006.