John Zeglis
John D. Zeglis | |
|---|---|
| Born | May 2nd, 1947 Momence, Illinois, USA |
| Education | University of Illinois College of Business, Harvard Law School |
| Occupation(s) | President of the Fort Wayne Mad Ants, President of AT&T, Chairman of AT&T Wireless, and Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of AT&T Wireless |
| Children | 3 (Mark, Julie, Brian) |
John D. Zeglis (born May 2, 1947) served as the President of AT&T and the Chairman and Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of AT&T Wireless.
Early life
Zeglis grew up in the farming community of Momence, Illinois. His father, Donald, worked as a lawyer within the town. As a child, Zeglis enjoyed playing basketball and golf. Zeglis continued to play both sports in high school and graduated as a valedictorian.[1]
Zeglis attended the University of Illinois College of Business. Both of Zeglis's parents attended the University of Illinois and 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." As a student, 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.[1]
After attending the University of Illinois, Zeglis gained admission to and attended 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.[1]
Law career
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. He became a partner five years later. While at Sidley, Zeglis worked on the defense of the AT&T account during the antitrust lawsuit United States v. AT&T — and then when the case resulted in the breakup of the AT&T/Bell System, he helped restructure the whole system. By 1984, AT&T had successfully broken up into the "Baby Bells". Soon after, Zeglis joined AT&T as a vice-president and general counsel.[1]
NBA D-League
In 2007, Zeglis helped found the Fort Wayne Mad Ants,[2] an NBA D-League Team. When created, they were the first minor league basketball team in Fort Wayne since the Fort Wayne Fury of the Continental Basketball Association. Zeglis served as the President of the Mad Ants. The team won an NBA D-League title in 2014. In September 2015, the Indiana Pacers bought the Mad Ants, and they became the Pacers' one-on-one affiliate. The Mad Ants play in the Allen County War Memorial Coliseum in Fort Wayne, Indiana
Boards and other associations
Zeglis has served on a number of corporate, educational, and philanthropic boards of trustees and directors[3] A list of these affiliations is provided below.
| Name of Organization/Institution | Board Status |
|---|---|
| Sara Lee Corporation | Directors |
| Helmerich and Payne Corporation | Directors |
| Illinova Corporation | Directors |
| George Washington University | Trustees |
| Brookings Institution | Trustees |
| Culver Education Foundation | Trustees |
| Manchester University | Trustees |
| UIUC College of Business | Advisors |
| Kellogg School of Management | Advisors |
| State Farm Mutual Automobile Insurance Company | Directors |
References
- ^ a b c d "John Zeglis: A Standout". Retrieved 2008-05-17.
- ^ "Home - Fort Wayne Mad Ants". Fort Wayne Mad Ants. Retrieved 2016-12-01.
- ^ "UIUC College of Business: Class Notes". Retrieved 2008-05-17.