Sol Trujillo

Trujillo was born in Cheyenne, Wyoming to Solomon and Theresa (née Lujan) Trujillo.{{cite web |url=http://www.smh.com.au/news/cbd/say-it-isnt-sol--and-we-wont/2007/05/15/1178995156923.html |title=Say it isn't Sol - and we won't | publisher=The Sydney Morning Herald |date=May 16, 2007 |access-date=April 12, 2015}} Trujillo attended Cheyenne's East High School and the University of Wyoming, where he earned his Bachelor of Business degree (BBus) and an MBA.{{cite journal |url=http://www.latinomagazine.com/fall2012/features/trujillo.htm |title=Lessons of Leadership |access-date=April 12, 2015 |journal=LATINO Magazine |year=2012 |issue=Fall 2012}}

In 1973, Trujillo married Corine (née Fresquez) Trujillo. He currently lives with his wife in Dana Point, California, which is between San Diego and Los Angeles, and he has three adult daughters.

Trujillo was awarded an honorary doctorate from the University of Melbourne in 2000.{{Cite web|url=http://www.uwyo.edu/profiles/notable-alumni/trujillo.html|title=UW Profiles -- Sol Trujillo|website=University of Wyoming|access-date=February 22, 2017}}

Trujillo is on several corporate boards in the US, Europe and China, including WPP,{{cite web|title=WPP Leadership|url=http://www.wpp.com/wpp/about/whoweare/leadership/|website=WPP|access-date=August 11, 2017}} Target, Promerica Bank and Silk Road Technologies.{{Cite news |url=http://www.smh.com.au/business/wpp-dials-up-trujillo-for-its-board-20101012-16hv8.html |title=WPP dials up Trujillo for its board |last=Lee |first=Julian |date=October 13, 2010 |newspaper=The Sydney Morning Herald |access-date=May 14, 2017}}

Trujillo began his business career in 1974 as an economic forecaster in the Mountain Bell division of AT&T. At 32, Trujillo was selected State Vice-President, and chief executive of Mountain Bell's operations in New Mexico, making him the youngest officer in the history of AT&T.{{cite journal | url=https://books.google.com/books?id=desAhYRNCKsC&q=Solomon+Trujillo+vice+president+of+mountain+bell&pg=PA14 | title=NHEA Executive of the Year | author=Soto, Rose | journal=Hispanic Professional | year=1995 | volume=2 | issue=1 | pages=14}}

In 1996, Trujillo was named president of US West. He advanced to president and CEO in 1998, becoming America's first native-born Latino CEO of a Fortune 200 company.{{Cite news|url=https://www.wsj.com/articles/how-latinos-power-the-american-economy-1457907023|title=How Latinos power the American economy|last=Cisneros|first=Henry|date=March 13, 2016|work=The Wall Street Journal|access-date=January 1, 2017}}

Trujillo stepped down as CEO of US West in 2002, following the company's merger with Qwest Communications CEO Joe Nacchio, citing differences in vision between the two. During his time at the company, Trujillo was credited with shifting US West's reputation as the "smallest local phone network" into one focused on high-speed Internet and other technology, such as Voice over IP.{{Cite news|url=https://www.cnet.com/news/us-west-ceo-trujillo-to-resign/|title=US West CEO Trujillo to resign|last=Borland|first=John|date=January 2, 2002|work=CNET|access-date=January 4, 2017}}

In November 2000, Trujillo became chairman and CEO of Graviton, a La Jolla-based startup that produced wirelessly-connected sensor technology for public and private applications.{{cite web |title=Solomon D. Trujillo, Former Head of US West, Named Chief Executive Officer of graviton | work=Business Wire | date=November 15, 2000 |url=http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m0EIN/is_2000_Nov_15/ai_66954070}} He was recruited by director Brook Byers, of Kleiner Perkins Caufield & Byers. In addition to Kleiner Perkins, other investors in the startup, which raised more than $60 million, included Qualcomm, Siemens, Royal Dutch/Shell GroupIn-Q-Tel, and Sun Microsystems.{{Cite news|url=https://www.cnet.com/news/graviton-receives-35-million/|title=Graviton receives $35 million|last=Kawamoto|first=Dawn|date=January 2, 2002|newspaper=CNET|access-date=February 2, 2017}}{{Cite news|url=https://www.cnet.com/news/building-a-wireless-nervous-system/|title=Building a wireless nervous system|last=Gilbert|first=Alorie|date=May 12, 2004|newspaper=CNET|access-date=January 28, 2017 }}

Trujillo left the company shortly before its sale to Xsilogy, another wireless sensor and monitoring company, for an undisclosed sum.{{Cite web|url=https://www.bloomberg.com/research/stocks/private/snapshot.asp?privcapId=1682956|title=Company Overview of Xsilogy, Inc.|date=February 22, 2017|website=Bloomberg|access-date=February 22, 2017}}{{Cite news|url=https://www.wsj.com/articles/SB10571001617659700|title=Tiny Wireless Sensors Are Poised for Market|last=Prince|first=Marcello|date=July 1, 2003|newspaper=Wall Street Journal|access-date=January 31, 2017}}

After two years as a member of the Orange S.A. board of directors, Trujillo was tapped to be CEO of the company in 2003. He was the first American to lead a CAC 40 company.

At Orange, Trujillo pursued, "an aggressive growth strategy," to combat the large debt load that he inherited.{{Cite news|url=https://www.wsj.com/articles/SB1045173039526846223|title=Orange Hands Top Job to Trujillo Among Turmoil|last=Delaney|first=Kevin|date=February 14, 2003|access-date=January 18, 2017|work=The Wall Street Journal}}{{Cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2005/06/10/business/worldbusiness/exchief-of-us-west-to-lead-australian-telephone.html|title=Ex-Chief of US West to Lead Australian Telephone Giant|last=Arnold|first=Wayne|date=June 10, 2005|work=The New York Times|access-date=January 10, 2017}} This clashed with the business direction of state-owned France Telecom, Orange's parent, which eventually bought out minority shareholders and absorbed the company.{{Cite news|url=https://www.wsj.com/articles/SB108066787891669167|title=Orange SA Chief Executive Resigns|last=Delaney|first=Kevin|date=March 31, 2004|work=The Wall Street Journal|access-date=January 12, 2017}}

Trujillo stepped down as CEO of Orange in March 2004, having "accomplished his mandate," and returning to the US. Under his leadership, Orange added five million new customers and grew its revenue profit margins by 10 and 7 percent, respectively.

Trujillo was appointed Chief Executive Officer of Telstra Communications, Australia's largest telecommunications and media company, on July 1, 2005.{{cite news |author=AAP |author-link=Australian Associated Press |title=Trujillo named as new Telstra CEO |url=http://www.smh.com.au/news/Business/Trujillo-named-as-new-Telstra-CEO/2005/06/09/1118123941944.html |work=The Sydney Morning Herald |date=June 9, 2005 |publisher=Fairfax Media |access-date=June 4, 2008}} Amid news of his appointment, The Economist named the position "Australia's toughest corporate job," as Trujillo's mandate was to prepare the firm for Australia's largest public offering in history.{{Cite news |url=http://www.economist.com/node/4113468|title=A wise move? |date=June 23, 2003 |newspaper=The Economist |access-date=January 24, 2017}} The firm, formerly Telecom Australia, was originally state-owned, but saw a minority stake sold off between 1997 and 1999, raising about A$30 billion. Approximately 51.8 percent of the company remained at the time of Trujillo's appointment, which was successfully concluded for A$15.5 billion in 2006.

Telstra's share price had underperformed due to poorly-calculated bids during the tenure of the firm's previous CEO, Ziggy Switkowski, including the purchase of Hong Kong mobile communications operator CSL and the attempted purchase of John Fairfax Holdings, a large Australian newspaper. The state-run telecom business was described as "lumbering," and falling behind its competition prior to its complete privatization, as its fixed-line business was undercut by its rivals internet and mobile services.{{Cite news |url=http://www.farmweekly.com.au/news/agriculture/agribusiness/general-news/so-long-sol-trujillo-leaves-telstra/1444731.aspx |title=So long Sol: Trujillo leaves Telstra|last=O'Sullivan|first=Matt|date=February 26, 2009|newspaper=Farm Weekly |access-date=May 14, 2017}}{{Cite news|url=http://www.economist.com/node/6911256|title=Calling Canberra|date=May 11, 2006|newspaper=The Economist|access-date=December 25, 2016}}

Following his appointment, Trujillo announced a five-year turnaround plan based on "principles" to make the company more responsive to shareholder concerns.{{Cite news|url=http://www.computerworld.co.nz/article/495796/telstra_trujillo_says_transformation_about_principles/|title=Telstra's Trujillo says transformation is about principles|last=Rossi|first=Sandra|date=March 27, 2008|newspaper=Computer World|access-date=February 22, 2017}} In addition to trying to streamlining the company's systems and paring down staff, Trujillo sought to upgrade aging networks and systems.{{Cite news|url=http://www.economist.com/node/8142934?zid=292&ah=165a5788fdb0726c01b1374d8e1ea285|title=Mood music|date=November 9, 2006|newspaper=The Economist|access-date=February 10, 2017}} This led to the deployment of a nationwide 3G, 850 MHz mobile Internet to replace the then-current CDMA mobile network.{{Cite news|url=https://www.zdnet.com/home-and-office/networking/telstra-to-slash-tech-costs-under-review/|title=Telstra to slash tech costs under review|last=Ferguson|first=Ian|date=November 14, 2005|newspaper=ZD Net |access-date=January 16, 2017}} The network, built between November 2005 and September 2006, launched in October 2006. The largest and fastest network in the world, the network doubled the volume of total data traffic carried on all of Telstra's wireless networks.{{Cite news|url=http://www.theage.com.au/news/business/telstra-to-make-next-g-biggest-fastest-in-world/2007/02/13/1171128974088.html|title=Telstra to make Next G biggest, fastest in world|last=Barker|first=Gary|date=February 14, 2007|newspaper=The Age |access-date=February 5, 2017}} After three years on the job, Trujillo was named "CEO of the Year" by Australian Telecom Magazine in recognition of his achievements in the privatization and transformation of Telstra.{{Cite web|url=http://science.newsarticles.net.au/Telecommunication/The-8th-Annual-Media,-Entertainment-_-Telecommunication-Awards-Announced.htm|title=The 8th Annual Media, Entertainment & Telecommunication Awards Announced|date=July 15, 2008 |website=NewsArticles.Au }}

Despite its successes, Telstra repeatedly ran into regulatory issues as it tried to grow. In August 2006, a regulatory dispute forced Telstra to abandon a project to build a high-speed fiber-optic network in the country's five largest following a disagreement over how much the company could charge its competitors access to the network. Conscious of his duty to shareholders, Trujillo threatened not to build the network: "My duty is to our shareholders—including 1.6m ordinary Australians. I will only invest where I can earn an economic return."

After a high-profile bid, the company was removed from the bidding process to build a national high-speed broadband network by the Rudd Government.[https://web.archive.org/web/20090131072929/http://www.zdnet.com.au/insight/communications/soa/Is-Sol-Trujillo-about-to-leave-Telstra-/0,139023754,339294597,00.htm zdnet article][https://web.archive.org/web/20090130090731/http://www.theaustralian.news.com.au/business/story/0,28124,24945099-5013584,00.html The Australian]{{Cite news|url=https://www.wsj.com/articles/SB124199910787704987|title=Australia's Telstra Names New Chief Amid Frayed Government Relations|last=McFarland|first=Lyndal|date=May 11, 2009|newspaper=The Wall Street Journal|access-date=January 25, 2017}} In February 2009, Trujillo announced he would stand down as Telstra's CEO and return to the United States.O'Sullivan, Matt: [http://business.theage.com.au/business/trujillo-to-leave-telstra-in-june-20090226-8i9v.html Trujillo to leave Telstra in June], The Age, 26 February 2009. He was replaced as CEO by David Thodey, formerly head of the government affairs for the company, who insisted that he planned to see out the end of Trujillo's five-year plan.Bingemann, Mitchell: [https://web.archive.org/web/20090521170225/http://www.theaustralian.news.com.au/business/story/0,28124,25505122-643,00.html Sol Trujillo departs for US ahead of schedule], The Australian, 19 May 2009.{{Cite news|url=https://www.wsj.com/articles/SB124174280301599077|title=Telstra Picks CEO, Chairman|last=McFarland|first=Lyndal|date=May 7, 2009|newspaper=The Wall Street Journal|access-date=January 25, 2017}}

Trujillo is recognized as a combative CEO who frequently locked horns with Australia's government, but was pivotal in shifting Telstra's position from a government-run monopoly to a more nimble, competitive company.{{Cite news |url=https://www.zdnet.com/home-and-office/networking/why-trujillo-was-the-best-ceo-for-telstra/|title=Why Trujillo was the best CEO for Telstra|last=Braue|first=David|date=June 23, 2011|newspaper=ZD Net|access-date=February 2, 2017 }}{{Cite news |url=http://www.theaustralian.com.au/business/technology/former-telstra-boss-sol-trujillo-to-join-board-of-tech-startup-unlockd/news-story/a408a212167c33463167db5470aeb9ef|title=Former Telstra boss Sol Trujillo to join board of tech start-up Unlockd |last=Adhikari |first=Supratim|date=July 18, 2016|newspaper=The Australian |access-date=February 22, 2017 }}

Trujillo joined a team of directors at Australian mobile phone startup Unlockd in July 2016. The startup, which raised $12 million in Series A funding, partners with telecommunications companies to display advertisements on consumers' devices in exchange for a discount on their monthly bill.{{Cite news|url=http://www.smh.com.au/business/cbd/unlockd-the-mobile-disrupter-that-lured-sol-trujillo-back-to-corporate-australia-20160719-gq8oyw.html|title=Unlockd: the mobile disrupter that lured Sol Trujillo back to corporate Australia|last=Kruger|first=Colin|date=July 19, 2016|access-date=December 16, 2016|work=Sydney Morning Herald}}{{Cite news|url=https://techcrunch.com/2016/04/25/unlockd-series-a/|title=Unlockd raises $12M to offer ad-funded discounts on your cell phone bill|last=Ha|first=Anthony|date=April 25, 2016|newspaper=Tech Crunch|access-date=January 5, 2017}}

• Honorary Doctorate, Whittier College (2017).{{Cite news|url=http://www.whittierdailynews.com/social-affairs/20170420/whittier-college-graduation-speaker-announced|title=Whittier College graduation speaker announced|date=April 20, 2017|publisher=Whittier Daily News|access-date=May 16, 2017}}{{Cite web|url=https://www.whittier.edu/alumni/poetnation/honorary|title=Honorary Degrees {{!}} Whittier College|website=www.whittier.edu|access-date=2020-02-27}}
• "National Hero of the Year" award by United States Hispanic Leadership Institute (USHLI) for accomplishments in business and the private sector and contributions as a positive influence and role model for the Latino community (2013).{{Cite web|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OnwrybVps-U |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/varchive/youtube/20211215/OnwrybVps-U |archive-date=2021-12-15 |url-status=live|title=Sol Trujillo accepting USHLI National Hispanic Hero Award speech in Chicago 02.16.13|date=February 22, 2013|work=YouTube|access-date=May 15, 2017}}{{cbignore}}
• NACD Top-100 Directors from the National Association of Corporate Directors (2012){{cite news |url=https://www.nacdonline.org/directorship100/2012honorees.cfm | title=NACD Directorship 100: Directors | publisher=nacdonline.org |access-date=May 15, 2017 |website=NACD Online}}
• "CEO of the Year" by Australian Telecom Magazine, in recognition of his achievements in the privatization and transformation of Telstra (2008).{{cite news |url=http://science.newsarticles.net.au/Telecommunication/The-8th-Annual-Media,-Entertainment-_-Telecommunication-Awards-Announced.htm | title=The 8th Annual Media, Entertainment & Telecommunication Awards Announced| publisher=Newsarticles.net |access-date=May 15, 2017 |website=News Articles}}
• Honorary Doctorate, University of Colorado (2002).{{Cite web|url=http://www.cu.edu/regents/honorary-degrees-university-medals-and-distinguished-service-awards-2001-pres|title=Honorary Degrees, University Medals and Distinguished Service Awards 2001-pres.|date=2002|publisher=Colorado University|access-date=May 15, 2017}}
• Corporate Recognition Award from A Better Chance, in recognition of his commitment to supporting and advancing educational opportunities for students of color (2000).{{Cite news|url=https://www.thefreelibrary.com/A+Better+Chance+Presents+Corporate+Recognition+Award+to+U+S+West...-a063018712|title=A Better Chance Presents Corporate Recognition Award to U S West Chairman Solomon D. Trujillo.|date=June 28, 2000|publisher=thefreelibrary.com|access-date=May 15, 2017}}
• Honorary Doctorate, University of Wyoming (2000).{{Cite web|url=http://www.uwyo.edu/honorarydegree/past_honorary_degree_recepients/|title=University of Wyoming Honorary Degree Recipients|date=2000|publisher=University of Wyoming|access-date=May 15, 2017}}
• "Ronald H. Brown Corporate Bridge Builder Award" by President Clinton for creating opportunities for women and minorities (1999).{{Cite news|url=http://www.diversitybusiness.com/Resources/news/1999/November/PrezClintonBridgeBldr111299.html|title=President Clinton Presents Ronald H. Brown Foundation 1999 Corporate Bridge Builder Award to U S WEST's Sol Trujillo - Trujillo Honored for Creating Opportunities for Women and Minorities|date=November 12, 1999|publisher=Diversitybusiness.com|access-date=May 15, 2017}}{{cite news | title=Presidente Clinton honra a Sol Trujillo de US West |page= 12| publisher=El Hispanic News |date= November 17, 1999 }}

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Category:1951 births

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Category:American people of Mexican descent

Category:American technology chief executives

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Category:Businesspeople from Wyoming

Category:Living people

Category:Orange S.A.

Category:People from Cheyenne, Wyoming

Category:Telstra people