Roxanne Austin has been named president and chief operating officer of
DirecTV Inc, succeeding Odie Donald, Hughes Electronics Corp., the
direct-broadcast satellite provider's parent, announced Tuesday.
Part of a restructuring in the executive chambers at both companies, the
appointment of Austin -- Hughes' chief financial officer since June 1997 -- is
effective immediately, as Donald, who had served as president since April 2000,
is leaving DirecTV to pursue other personal and professional interests,
according to Hughes. Donald will continue to serve as a consultant to DirecTV
into 2002.
Austin will also retain her position as executive vice president of Hughes
and remain a member of its executive committee.
She is succeeded by Michael Gaines, who has been promoted to corporate vice
president and CFO. Gaines has also been named to the Hughes executive and
management committee.
Eddy Hartenstein, corporate senior vice president of Hughes and chairman of
DirecTV Global, continues as chairman and CEO of DirecTV.
'Roxanne Austin is known for her sharp intellect, her decisiveness, her
energy and her passion for business,' Hughes CEO Jack Shaw said in a prepared
statement. 'She has demonstrated superb leadership as CFO for Hughes and as a
member of the Hughes executive committee. Eddy and Roxanne will be a powerful
team to lead DirecTV and stimulate DirecTV sales despite the challenging
economic climate and period of change we now face.'
In recent weeks, General Motors Corp. has moved ahead in its negotiations to
merge Hughes' DirecTV into News Corp.'s SkyGlobal Networks unit
Elsewhere, Patrick Doyle has been named treasurer of Hughes while retaining
his existing responsibilities as corporate vice president, controller and chief
accounting officer.
Yvonne Perlberg has been appointed Hughes corporate vice president, keeping
her current duties as vice president and general auditor in charge of corporate
assurance and advisory services.
Jonathan Rubin has been promoted to vice president of Hughes investor
relations from director, a position he had held since 1998.
