Jacobs to Give Presentation at Executive Forum

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MACON and ATLANTA– President of Georgia Operations for BellSouth Corporation Phil Jacobs will speak at Mercer University’s Executive Forum on Tuesday, March 23. His presentation is entitled “The Communications Industry–Change is the Only Constant.”

He will give a breakfast presentation at 7:30 a.m. in the Trustees Dining Room on the Atlanta Campus. He will give a lunch presentation at noon in the Religious Life Center on the Mercer’s Macon Campus. Israel’s presentation is part of 2003-2004 speakers series of The Executive Forum, a business outreach program of Mercer’s Eugene W. Stetson School of Business and the Office of Advancement.
 
Telecommunications is one of the most rapidly evolving areas of technology and service today, and Jacobs, is at the forefront as one of the industry’s most respected leaders. Considered among the most modern telecommunications networks in the world, BellSouth is a Fortune 100 company with $49.8 billion in assets.

Jacobs’ career in telecommunications spans a 30-year period. The Washington, D.C., native began his telephone career at Southern Bell Corporation in 1973 as a marketing communications consultant. In 1983, Jacobs was named operations manager of strategic planning in the newly formed BellSouth Corporation, where he worked on the formation of what would become BellSouth Advanced Systems, the Corporation’s unregulated marketing subsidiary.  He was appointed regional sales manager of BellSouth Advanced Systems in 1984 and was responsible for the Georgia and North and South Carolina operations until 1988, when he was appointed vice president of sales for BellSouth Advanced Systems.

In 1989, he was named vice president of sales for the national accounts division of BellSouth Communications. In this new position, he became responsible for directing marketing efforts for BellSouth’s largest customers, including the U.S. Federal Government. Jacobs was named president of BellSouth Business Systems in 1993, responsible for the $4 billion multi-state large business services marketing unit.

In 1996, Jacobs was named chief operating officer at Optus Communications, an Australia-based company of which BellSouth owned 24.5 percent. At Optus, Jacobs was responsible for overseeing all operations of the $3 billion Australian company. Following the sale of BellSouth’s interest in Optus, Jacobs returned to Atlanta where he was named president of Georgia Operations for BellSouth.

The Executive Forum is open to members and their guests. Anyone interested in joining the Executive Forum, should call the Office of University Advancement at (478)301-2724.

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