EarthLink President Wetzel To Depart

By Josh Long

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EarthLink Inc. on Thursday revealed that its 56-year-old president and chief operating officer, Joseph Wetzel, is departing at the end of the year.

EarthLink didn’t name a successor. Instead, the company noted Wetzel’s duties will be assumed by “operating level executives” who will be accountable directly to EarthLink’s chief executive, Rolla Huff.

Wetzel’s leaving coincides with the anticipated launch of a major component of the company’s integrated OSS platform, said EarthLink, which revealed the news in a press release announcing its second-quarter results.  

“Joe Wetzel has been an instrumental part of EarthLink’s transformation over the past five years. His leadership and expertise in operational optimization has been a critical driver in moving our company forward,” Huff said in a statement. “Our Board of Directors and I appreciate Joe’s willingness to see EarthLink through the complex and substantial transformation and integration that has been underway the past two years.”

Wetzel is responsible for managing EarthLink’s daily activities, according to a bio on EarthLink’s website. Prior to joining EarthLink in 2007, he was president and chief operating officer of Mpower Communications. He left Mpower following Telepacific Corp’s acquisition of Mpower.