T-Mobile USA names Legere as its new CEO

(AP)—T-Mobile on Wednesday named the former CEO of Global Crossing, John Legere, as its new chief executive.

T-Mobile USA, which is based in Bellevue, Wash., is the U.S. cellphone business of Germay's Deutsche Telekom AG. The country's fourth-largest wireless carrier, it has been struggling to compete against its larger rivals.

The 54-year-old Legere takes over the post from interim CEO Jim Alling. He had served in that position since late June, when former CEO Philipp Humm resigned. Alling will now return to his role as chief operating officer.

Humm had taken the reins in November 2010, with a mission to reverse the slow slide of the business without help from Deutsche Telekom. But revenue continued to decline during every quarter that he was at the helm.

In the company's most recent quarter, T-Mobile lost subscribers and struggled to lure lucrative smartphone users.

Before working at Global Crossing, a long-distance telecommunications provider, Legere served as CEO of a Microsoft, Softbank and Global Crossing joint venture called Asia Global Crossing. He has also been an executive of Dell Computer Corp. and AT&T.