Lightyear Taps Ex-Nextel Exec to Lead Channel

By Khali Henderson

Lightyear Network Solutions Inc., a reseller and VoIP service provider, announced the appointment of veteran industry sales manager Kevin B. Parker as its new vice president of sales with responsibility over direct, agent and MLM channels.

Parker replaces Kevin Shady, who ran direct sales and the agent channel for Lightyear. Shady was named vice president of product development. Parker also takes on sales leadership for Lightyear’s MLM division, Lightyear Wireless (formerly Lightyear Alliance). Josh Henderson, who ran sales for the MLM, is now president of Lightyear Wireless.

Parker reports directly to Lightyears new president Stephen Lochmueller.

Parker has more than 15 years of sales experience in the telecom industry, working in various leadership and sales management roles at carriers, including CellularOne, GTE Wireless and Nextel Partners. During this time, he has managed organization-wide telecom sales channels — direct, indirect, local and national consumer level.

Most recently Parker was a leadership consultant at Resources Global Professionals, which was founded as a division of Deloitte and Touche LLP and later being spun-off. Previously, he spent eight at Nextel Partners, working his way up from the title of indirect distribution manager to director of training and development.

Lightyear resells major carrier networks and also built its own VoIP network in 2004. Its offerings include local PRI, digital T1, Internet services, frame relay, MPLS, private lines, VoIP, local and long-distance, calling cards, conferencing, and wireless voice and data.