{{Short description|American businessman}} {{mi| {{refimprove|date=May 2025}} {{notability|date=May 2025}}}} '''William T. Esrey''' (born 1940 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania) is an American businessman, who served as Chief Executive of Sprint Corporation.
==Biography== Esrey attended Swarthmore College in 1957, Denison University in 1961, and graduated from Harvard Business School in 1964.
Esrey began his career in telecommunications in 1964 with AT&T. After becoming the youngest executive officer in the history of the company, Esrey left in 1970, joining investment banking firm Dillon, Read & Co. in New York City where after one year he became a managing director. At this point he considered turning his back on business and going to medical school, but eventually decided to stay in business.<ref name=autogenerated2>[http://www.stfrancis.edu/ba/ghkickul/stuwebs/bbios/biograph/esrey.htm William Esrey-Sprint Communications]</ref>
===Sprint Telecom=== In 1980, Esrey joined United Telecommunications as the executive vice president of corporate planning. In 1982, he became president of United Telecom Communications Inc., later named US Telecom. In 1985, Esrey was made president and CEO of United Telecommunications. In 1990, he became chairman of the company, which had now changed its name to Sprint. During his time in charge of Sprint, the company developed from a rural telephone company into a multibillion-dollar international corporation. Esrey served as Chairman of the Board for Sprint and United Telecom from 1990 to May 2003. He received several honors and awards, and was named by ''Business Week'' as one of the top 25 business leaders in the world.{{cn|date=May 2025}} In 1999, the board agreed to a merger with WorldCom, which failed due to antitrust concerns.<ref name=autogenerated3>[https://web.archive.org/web/20021221025357/http://www.forbes.com/2002/04/25/0425ceotenure_print.html Forbes.com - Magazine Article<!-- Bot generated title -->]</ref>
===Tax=== During his time as CEO and Chairman with Sprint, Esrey was paid an average of $25.5million per annum, including cash, bonuses and stock options. Most of this "income" was in stock options whose value was not realized due to the tech crash in 2000.<ref name=autogenerated3 /> Esrey earned a seven-figure salary, with annual bonuses ranging from $220,000 to $1.38 million.{{cn|date=May 2025}}
===Other positions=== Esrey held positions as: *The Equitable Life Assurance Society of the United States - Director *General Mills - Director, since 1989 *Japan Telecom - Chairman<ref>[http://www.findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m0FGI/is_11_14/ai_111694617 Tokyo: former Sprint Corp CEO William Esrey will join Japan Telecom - Newsmap: Asian telecoms this month - Brief Article | Telecom Asia | Find Articles at BNET.com<!-- Bot generated title -->]</ref> *Panhandle Eastern Corp - director *Sprint Corporation - Chairman Emeritus
He served as Chairman of The Business Council from 2001 to 2002.<ref name="business">[http://www.thebusinesscouncil.org/about/background.aspx Official website, Background] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160303213615/http://www.thebusinesscouncil.org/about/background.aspx |date=2016-03-03 }}</ref>
He was a trustee of the University of Kansas City, a trustee of the U.S. Ski and Snowboard Team Foundation, a director of the Heart of America United Way and the NCAA Foundation.
==Personal life== Esrey is married with two children.{{cn|date=May 2025}}
==References== *Chakravarty, Subrata N. "Nimble Upstart" Forbes, Forbes, New York, May 8, 1995. *Silverman, Robin and Christine Riccelli. "William T. Esrey" Ingram's, Ingram Enterprises 1990. {{Reflist}}
==External links== *[https://www.forbes.com/finance/mktguideapps/personinfo/FromMktGuideIdPersonTearsheet.jhtml?passedMktGuideId=60818 Bio at Forbes.com]{{dead link|date=January 2025|bot=medic}}{{cbignore|bot=medic}} *{{C-SPAN}}
{{s-start}} {{s-bus}} {{succession box | before = Paul Harry Henson | title = Sprint CEO | years = 1985-2003<br>Originally United Telecommunications | after = Gary Forsee }} {{s-end}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Esrey, William T.}} Category:1940 births Category:Living people Category:Businesspeople from Philadelphia Category:Swarthmore College alumni Category:Denison University alumni Category:Harvard Business School alumni Category:Sprint Corporation people