Business News - CompTel Names Three to Board

Posted: 10/2000

CompTel Names Three to Board

The Competitive Telecommunications Association
(CompTel, www.comptel.org) has named three new members to its board. Frank
Semple, president, Williams Network, a subsidiary of Williams Communications (www.williamscommunications.com); John Barnett, COO, Data Network Operations,
McLeodUSA, Inc. (www.mcleodusa.com); and Richard Grange, president and CEO, New Global Telecom,
( www.ngt.com) will serve until the next election in February 2001.

Semple fills Williams Network’s seat, held by Williams Network’s former president of carrier services, Gordon C. Martin. Semple previously served as Williams Communications’ senior vice president and chief information officer. He also held numerous management positions with Williams’ energy operations, where he implemented various innovative technologies that positioned Williams as a leader in customer service and systems.

Barnett will represent
McLeodUSA, a new addition to the current board elected in February. Barnett served most recently as president of the WholeSale Services Division of MCI WorldCom Inc.
(www.wcom.com), where he managed the company’s provision of voice, data and Internet products and services to carriers, resellers and local exchange carriers. In that capacity, he also was responsible for IDB Systems Inc.
(www.idbsystems.com), which designed and constructed temporary and permanent satellite earth
stations worldwide.

Barnett joined WorldCom in 1996, taking charge of the company’s international markets for data products and voice services and overseeing the opening of WorldCom’s data operations in Australia, Canada, Mexico and numerous countries in Western Europe and the Far East.

Grange takes over New Global Telecom’s seat, which had been occupied by Mark Scully. Grange, co-founder of New Global Telecom, has more than 18 years of executive management experience in the telecommunications industry. Under his leadership, New Global Telecom has grown from $3 million to more than $135 million in annual revenue in three years. Grange also led New Global Telecom to seven consecutive quarters of positive net income.

Prior to founding New Global Telecom in 1996, Grange was president, CEO and founder of Meridian Telecom International
(www.meridian-telecom.com), a provider of international call termination and operator services. He previously served as president of Technology Resource Group
(www.trgnet.com) an international call-back carrier, after having owned and operated Digilink Communications
(www.digilink.net), a provider of domestic bypass services and Voxcom
(www.voxcom.com), a developer and operator of PC-based automated operator and voice mail systems.