John D. Zeglis

John D. Zeglis (born 1947) served as the President of AT&T and the Chairman and Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of AT&T Wireless.

Early life

Mr. Zeglis grew up in the farming community of Momence, Illinois.cite web
last =
first =
title = John Zeglis: A Standout
url=http://www.business.uiuc.edu/insight/summer99/
accessdate = 2008-05-17 ] His father, Donald, worked as a lawyer within the town. As a child, Mr. Zeglis enjoyed playing basketball and golf. Mr. Zeglis continued to play both sports in high school and graduated as a valedictorian.

Mr. Zeglis attended the University of Illinois College of Business. cite web
last =
first =
title = John Zeglis: A Standout
url=http://www.business.uiuc.edu/insight/summer99/
accessdate = 2008-05-17 ] Both of Mr. Zeglis's parents attended the University of Illinois and Mr. Zeglis thought the school was a natural fit. He noted, "Illinois was the big leagues, our Super Bowl...I used to go to football games, and I would think, `Wouldn't it be great to be in school here?' Going to the University of Illinois was perfectly natural."cite web
last =
first =
title = John Zeglis: A Standout
url=http://www.business.uiuc.edu/insight/summer99/
accessdate = 2008-05-17 ] As a student, Mr. Zeglis served as the house president of Beta Theta Pi and was a member of Sigma Iota Epsilon. He attained admission to two major honor societies including Beta Gamma Sigma and Phi Kappa Phi. He graduated Bronze Tablet in 1969 with a Bachelor of Science degree in finance.

After attending the University of Illinois, Mr. Zeglis gained admission to Harvard Law School. He served as the senior editor to the Harvard Law Review and graduated magna cum laude with a Juris Doctorate in 1972.

Career

John Zeglis began his career in 1973 at the law firm now known as Sidley Austin, one of the largest law firms based out of Chicago, Illinois.cite web
last =
first =
title = John Zeglis: A Standout
url=http://www.business.uiuc.edu/insight/summer99/
accessdate = 2008-05-17 ] He became a partner five years later. While at Sidley, Mr. Zeglis worked on the AT&T account. The Federal Communications Commission ordered the break up of the telecommunications company and Mr. Zeglis helped oversee the transition. By 1984, AT&T had successfully broken up into the "Baby Bells". Soon after, Mr. Zeglis joined AT&T as a vice-president and general counsel.

Boards and other associations

John Zeglis has served on a number of corporate, educational, and philanthropic boards.cite web
last =
first =
title = UIUC College of Business: Class Notes
url=http://www.business.uiuc.edu/insight/spring99/classnotes.htm
accessdate = 2008-05-17 ] A list of these affiliations is provided below.
*Sara Lee Corporation Board of Directors
*Helmerich and Payne Corporation Board of Directors
*Illinova Corporation Board of Directors
*George Washington University Board of Trustees
*Brookings Institute Board of Trustees
*Culver Education Foundation Board of Trustees
*UIUC College of Business Advisory Council
*Kellogg School of Management Advisory Board

References