Pamela Lackey, President, AT&T South Carolina Operations

MidlandsBiz:

When did you become state President for AT&T?

Pamela Lackey:
I took over the leadership role on October 1, 2007.

MidlandsBiz:
Where were you born and raised?  What is your educational background?  How did you end up at AT&T?

Pamela Lackey:
From a business perspective, my background is a bit unorthodox.  I was raised in Alabama and went to the University of Alabama.  My undergraduate degree was in education and I subsequently became a school library specialist.  When I came to South Carolina in 1980, I took a job in my field as an elementary school media specialist, and I really never thought I would ever do anything else.

But when a job to work with all the libraries in the state opened up under Superintendent of Education, Charlie Williams, I left the school environment to work in administration.  Under Superintendent Barbara Nielsen, I became the Director of Technology, and eventually her Senior Executive Assistant for a division called Policy that covered areas such as testing, technology, textbooks, and curriculum standards.

Our goal was to provide high speed internet access to all the schools and libraries in the state.  In that capacity, I worked directly with the General Assembly to get the program implemented and approved, and it was there that I got to know the folks at BellSouth.

In 1997, BellSouth asked me to join them to work with all the schools and colleges in the state as their Education Sales Manager. 

In 2001, Harry Lightsey and Gregg Morton asked me to move into the government relations role as a lobbyist for BellSouth.

MidlandsBiz: 
Describe your leadership style? 

Pamela Lackey:
In order to achieve our strategic goals, I am always asking myself the following questions:

What members of my team would be best suited for each task?  What resources does my team need to get the job done?  What obstacles does my team see in their way? How can I help remove these obstacles?  

MidlandsBiz:
What leaders do you admire and have influenced you as a business person?

Pamela Lackey:
My parents.  They taught me the value of hard work. 

As far as career mentors, no one person immediately comes to mind, but at each step along the way, I have always tried to observe certain people around me that I believed were credible and ethical and, as best I could, to emulate their style.

When I was a librarian, a woman named Jane Smith had a talent for helping children see the joy in reading.  Children always had a fun time when they came into the library.  

When I was a lobbyist, I watched several people closely because I liked the way they communicated with others who were often on the opposite side of an issue. 

Here at BellSouth I had the privilege of working the longest with former President Harry Lightsey so he probably had the greatest influence on me.  I liked the way he conducted himself. 

MidlandsBiz:
Talk about what it is like to be a woman in a key leadership role for a large company? 

Pamela Lackey:
I have been overwhelmed by the kind comments and best wishes that I have received.  Most, but not all, of these have come from women who are excited to see a female president.

I have also received a number of calls from men who are happy that they can show their 20 year old daughters that It can be done, so to speak.

If this helps inspire more bright young women to stay in South Carolina, then we will all benefit greatly.

MidlandsBiz:
What advice would you give to young men and women today?

Pamela Lackey:
I have never had a job where I didn’t have to read voraciously.  Sometimes you only get five minutes to read and comprehend vast amounts of written material.  Read.

We also need to communicate to young men and women today that it’s all right if they don’t know right now exactly what they want to be.  Educators and parents need to encourage our young people to continuously consider what kind of things do they like to do, and what they are good at? 

I came out of college to be a library media specialist, and I had every intention of doing that for the rest of my life.  But the skill set that I learned in teacher’s college has helped me throughout my diverse career.  Young people need to gain knowledge from every situation.

In whatever you do, whether you are a salesman, a lobbyist, an educator – your job is to help people understand – to teach them – that what you’re asking them to do, will benefit them.  Communication skills are critical.

MidlandsBiz:
Beyond your business strategic goals, is there a particular issue that you feel you can impact as state president?

Pamela Lackey:
Harry Lightsey challenged me to find an area where I could make my mark and help the state of South Carolina, and naturally, I would like to focus on improving education.  That is my passion.  

At the national level, the AT&T Foundation is currently focusing 100 million dollars on an effort to improve the high school completion rate. That’s a significant problem not just in South Carolina, but throughout the country. By helping students graduate from high school and encouraging them to continue their education or start building their careers, we can help them succeed – not just in school but in life.

MidlandsBiz:
Why did AT&T and BellSouth merge? 

Pamela Lackey:
The telecommunications industry and our ability to communicate with each other have advanced tremendously over the past 10 years. 

Our customers are telling us that they want to connect to their customers, friends and family, anytime and anywhere. Our goal is to be better at doing that than anyone in the world.  This merger will strengthen our position in the market against very robust competitors in the marketplace. 

MidlandsBiz:
What challenges have you faced in combining the two companies?

Pamela Lackey:
The challenge with any merger is combining two cultures.  We went from a company of around 85,000 employees in the 9 Southeastern states to a company of more than 300,000 employees worldwide.  The cultures that we pulled together, SBC, AT&T and BellSouth all had a tradition of giving back to their local communities.  We have always felt that your customers will want to do business with you when they know you are locally connected.  In that sense, it was a great fit. 

We know that if we donate our time and money, then we will have strong communities.  Community involvement is not just something we need to do; it is part of our culture.

This commitment to local involvement will not change; in fact it will be enhanced by this merger.

MidlandsBiz:
Under the new merger, has your vision statement changed?

Pamela Lackey:
Our vision is to connect people to their world; everywhere they live and work, and do it better than anyone else.  Our Chairman, Randall Stephenson, has challenged us to think about what it is exactly that we are selling.  Customers are telling us that they want speed.  What we are really selling here is velocity.

Velocity is enhanced by quality connectivity, so every day we invest in technology that will improve the network that allows us to connect and to communicate with each other.  That network has lot of on ramps, from your land line at home, to your wireless connection, to your high speed Internet connections, your PDA.  Whatever your preference, you want to use it now, and you want a quality connection.

MidlandsBiz:
Are local and long-distance still considered your core business? 

Pamela Lackey:
Our wireless business and data business are our fastest growing business sectors.  In fact, we’re the nation’s largest wireless carrier based on subscribers, with 71.4 million.

Our customers are telling us that they want to combine everything – video, voice, data, wireless, internet all under one roof and they want for it to be priced fairly.  I’d say our core business is combining all of the ways in which we communicate for our customers. 

MidlandsBiz:
Are land lines going to become a thing of the past?

Pamela Lackey:
People are relying on wireless a lot to deliver their voice service, but when it comes to data, broadband, video and entertainment, the best and most reliable way is still some sort of physical wiring.  Who knows where we will be in five years, but at least that is where we stand today.  Until someone creates the wireless technology that will overcome the line of sight issues that are inherent to both wireless and satellite, then in my opinion, we are going to have both.

MidlandsBiz:
What cool new products will you be rolling out in the next year or so?

Pamela Lackey:
The sector that holds the most promise for AT&T going forward is video. People may not think of us in that role – yet – but it’s a fast growing sector.  We’ve launched our U-verse service in Atlanta, Georgia and are looking forward to continuing the rollout through the Southeast, including South Carolina.  AT&T U-verse (SM) service is a next-generation service that delivers interactive TV, broadband and voice.  By the end of 2008, we expect to have more than 1 million U-verse TV customers nationally.  

U-verse TV features more than 40 HD channels in every market, the ability to record up to four programs at once using a DVR, Web and Mobile Remote as well as built-in picture-in-picture (PIP) channel surfing that works on any TV, and so much more – like AT&T Online Photos from Flickr, AT&T U-bar, which lets you view customizable weather, sports, stock and traffic information from your TV screen, YELLOWPAGES.COM TV, which lets you search for local business information from their TV screen using the most-preferred local directory and AT&T Yahoo! Games, to play Sudoku, Solitaire, JT’s Blocks, Mah-jongg Tiles and Chess using your remote control.

We are doing great with the product in the areas of the country where we are competing head to head with the cable companies.  

MidlandsBiz:
How will that be delivered?

Pamela Lackey:
It’s delivered to your house using your existing broadband connection.  AT&T is investing $250 million in S. C. over the next several years to enhance our network to deliver video and other advanced services.  

MidlandsBiz:
Talk about your partnership with Apple, the launch last June of iPhone, and how this has impacted your business? 

Pamela Lackey:
It’s been a huge hit. As you can imagine, it’s quickly become one of the most popular devices in our wireless portfolio. The iPhone combines three amazing products — a mobile phone, a widescreen iPod and a breakthrough Internet device — into one small, lightweight, hand-held device that is redefining how consumers think about what can be done on a wireless phone.

MidlandsBiz:
How good is AT&T at innovation? 

Pamela Lackey:
We have been providing a steady stream of innovation to the market for well over a century.  We file two new patents a day out of AT&T labs and we have received 7 Nobel Prizes.

MidlandsBiz:
What role do you see AT&T playing in helping to position South Carolina in the growth of high-tech industry?

Pamela Lackey:
We not only participate directly in advancing the knowledge-based economy, we benefit from it directly – as everyone will do if we are successful in creating opportunities for high paying jobs in this region.

MidlandsBiz:
What do we need to do in order to be successful at creating a knowledge-based economy in South Carolina?

Pamela Lackey:
I’m on the board for the Endowed Chairs program in the state so this is a question that we are constantly asking.

We have to make sure that everyone in the state hears about our success stories, not just the people at USC, MUSC, and Clemson.

For example, a doctor at MUSC has started a stroke center that allows rural hospitals to connect instantly to emergency services in Charleston. 

MidlandsBiz:
What business book would you recommend? 

Pamela Lackey:
No matter what the industry, people need to understand that change is continuous. Our company merger has forced all of our employees to deal with an enormous amount of change.

One of the most important books about change is Who Moved My Cheese.  It’s a short read, but it deals with change in a really profound way and helps people understand that everyone deals with change differently.  Personally I think change is invigorating and exciting, but as a leader, it is also my job to help people deal with change.