John D. Zeglis
Encyclopedia
John D. Zeglis served as the President
of AT&T
and the Chairman and Chief Executive Officer
(CEO) of AT&T Wireless.
. His father, Donald, worked as a lawyer within the town. As a child, Mr. Zeglis enjoyed playing basketball
and golf
. Mr. Zeglis continued to play both sports in high school
and graduated as a valedictorian
.
Mr. Zeglis attended the University of Illinois
College of Business
. Both of Mr. Zeglis's parents attended the University of Illinois and Mr. Zeglis thought the school was a natural fit. He noted, "Illinois was the big leagues, our Super Bowl
...I used to go to football games, and I would think, `Wouldn't it be great to be in school here?' Going to the University of Illinois was perfectly natural." As a student, Mr. Zeglis served as the house president of Beta Theta Pi
and was a member of Sigma Iota Epsilon
. He attained admission to two major honor societies
including Beta Gamma Sigma
and Phi Kappa Phi
. He graduated Bronze Tablet in 1969 with a Bachelor of Science
degree in finance
.
After attending the University of Illinois, Mr. Zeglis gained admission to Harvard
Law School
. He served as the senior editor to the Harvard Law Review
and graduated magna cum laude with a Juris Doctorate in 1972.
, one of the largest law firms based out of Chicago, Illinois. He became a partner five years later. While at Sidley, Mr. Zeglis worked on the AT&T account. The Federal Communications Commission
ordered the breakup of the telecommunications company and Mr. Zeglis helped oversee the transition. By 1984, AT&T had successfully broken up into the "Baby Bells
". Soon after, Mr. Zeglis joined AT&T as a vice-president and general counsel
.
John is currently a co-owner of the NBA D-League team the Fort Wayne Mad Ants
with his son-in-law Jeff Potter.
. A list of these affiliations is provided below.
President
A president is a leader of an organization, company, trade union, university, or country.Etymologically, a president is one who presides, who sits in leadership...
of AT&T
American Telephone & Telegraph
AT&T Corp., originally American Telephone and Telegraph Company, is an American telecommunications company that provides voice, video, data, and Internet telecommunications and professional services to businesses, consumers, and government agencies. AT&T is the oldest telecommunications company...
and the Chairman and Chief Executive Officer
Chief executive officer
A chief executive officer , managing director , Executive Director for non-profit organizations, or chief executive is the highest-ranking corporate officer or administrator in charge of total management of an organization...
(CEO) of AT&T Wireless.
Early life
Mr. Zeglis grew up in the farming community of Momence, IllinoisMomence, Illinois
Momence is a city in Kankakee County, Illinois, United States. The population was 3,171 at the 2000 census, and 3,063 in 2009. It is part of the Kankakee–Bradley Metropolitan Statistical Area and the Chicago–Naperville–Michigan City, IL-IN-WI Combined Statistical...
. His father, Donald, worked as a lawyer within the town. As a child, Mr. Zeglis enjoyed playing basketball
Basketball
Basketball is a team sport in which two teams of five players try to score points by throwing or "shooting" a ball through the top of a basketball hoop while following a set of rules...
and golf
Golf
Golf is a precision club and ball sport, in which competing players use many types of clubs to hit balls into a series of holes on a golf course using the fewest number of strokes....
. Mr. Zeglis continued to play both sports in high school
High school
High school is a term used in parts of the English speaking world to describe institutions which provide all or part of secondary education. The term is often incorporated into the name of such institutions....
and graduated as a valedictorian
Valedictorian
Valedictorian is an academic title conferred upon the student who delivers the closing or farewell statement at a graduation ceremony. Usually, the valedictorian is the highest ranked student among those graduating from an educational institution...
.
Mr. Zeglis attended the University of Illinois
University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
The University of Illinois at Urbana–Champaign is a large public research-intensive university in the state of Illinois, United States. It is the flagship campus of the University of Illinois system...
College of Business
UIUC College of Business
The College of Business is the business school at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. It offers programs in accountancy, business administration, and finance....
. Both of Mr. Zeglis's parents attended the University of Illinois and Mr. Zeglis thought the school was a natural fit. He noted, "Illinois was the big leagues, our Super Bowl
Super Bowl
The Super Bowl is the championship game of the National Football League , the highest level of professional American football in the United States, culminating a season that begins in the late summer of the previous calendar year. The Super Bowl uses Roman numerals to identify each game, rather...
...I used to go to football games, and I would think, `Wouldn't it be great to be in school here?' Going to the University of Illinois was perfectly natural." As a student, Mr. Zeglis served as the house president of Beta Theta Pi
Beta Theta Pi
Beta Theta Pi , often just called Beta, is a social collegiate fraternity that was founded in 1839 at Miami University in Oxford, Ohio, USA, where it is part of the Miami Triad which includes Phi Delta Theta and Sigma Chi. It has over 138 active chapters and colonies in the United States and Canada...
and was a member of Sigma Iota Epsilon
Sigma Iota Epsilon
Sigma Iota Epsilon is a National Honorary and Professional Management Fraternity. The stated goals of Sigma Iota Epsilon are;*To stimulate interest and achievement in the field of management;*To stimulate scholarship in management;...
. He attained admission to two major honor societies
Honor society
In the United States, an honor society is a rank organization that recognizes excellence among peers. Numerous societies recognize various fields and circumstances. The Order of the Arrow, for example, is the national honor society of the Boy Scouts of America...
including Beta Gamma Sigma
Beta Gamma Sigma
Beta Gamma Sigma or ΒΓΣ is an honor society for business students and scholars. Founded in 1913 at the University of Wisconsin, it has over 650,000 members, selected from over 500 chapters in AACSB-accredited business schools...
and Phi Kappa Phi
Phi Kappa Phi
The Honor Society of Phi Kappa Phi is an honor society established 1897 to recognize and encourage superior scholarship without restriction as to area of study and to promote the "unity and democracy of education"...
. He graduated Bronze Tablet in 1969 with a Bachelor of Science
Bachelor of Science
A Bachelor of Science is an undergraduate academic degree awarded for completed courses that generally last three to five years .-Australia:In Australia, the BSc is a 3 year degree, offered from 1st year on...
degree in finance
Finance
"Finance" is often defined simply as the management of money or “funds” management Modern finance, however, is a family of business activity that includes the origination, marketing, and management of cash and money surrogates through a variety of capital accounts, instruments, and markets created...
.
After attending the University of Illinois, Mr. Zeglis gained admission to Harvard
Harvard University
Harvard University is a private Ivy League university located in Cambridge, Massachusetts, United States, established in 1636 by the Massachusetts legislature. Harvard is the oldest institution of higher learning in the United States and the first corporation chartered in the country...
Law School
Harvard Law School
Harvard Law School is one of the professional graduate schools of Harvard University. Located in Cambridge, Massachusetts, it is the oldest continually-operating law school in the United States and is home to the largest academic law library in the world. The school is routinely ranked by the U.S...
. He served as the senior editor to the Harvard Law Review
Harvard Law Review
The Harvard Law Review is a journal of legal scholarship published by an independent student group at Harvard Law School.-Overview:According to the 2008 Journal Citation Reports, the Review is the most cited law review and has the second-highest impact factor in the category "law" after the...
and graduated magna cum laude with a Juris Doctorate in 1972.
Career
John Zeglis began his career in 1973 at the law firm now known as Sidley AustinSidley Austin
Sidley Austin LLP, formerly known as Sidley Austin Brown & Wood LLP, is one of the oldest law firms in the world. It is the sixth-largest U.S.-based corporate law firm with more than 1,650 lawyers, annual revenues of more than one billion dollars, and offices in 17 cities worldwide, with the most...
, one of the largest law firms based out of Chicago, Illinois. He became a partner five years later. While at Sidley, Mr. Zeglis worked on the AT&T account. The Federal Communications Commission
Federal Communications Commission
The Federal Communications Commission is an independent agency of the United States government, created, Congressional statute , and with the majority of its commissioners appointed by the current President. The FCC works towards six goals in the areas of broadband, competition, the spectrum, the...
ordered the breakup of the telecommunications company and Mr. Zeglis helped oversee the transition. By 1984, AT&T had successfully broken up into the "Baby Bells
Regional Bell Operating Company
The Regional Bell Operating Companies are the result of United States v. AT&T, the U.S. Department of Justice antitrust suit against the former American Telephone & Telegraph Company . On January 8, 1982, AT&T Corp. settled the suit and agreed to divest its local exchange service operating...
". Soon after, Mr. Zeglis joined AT&T as a vice-president and general counsel
General Counsel
A general counsel is the chief lawyer of a legal department, usually in a corporation or government department. The term is most used in the United States...
.
John is currently a co-owner of the NBA D-League team the Fort Wayne Mad Ants
Fort Wayne Mad Ants
The Fort Wayne Mad Ants are a team of the NBA Development League, located in Fort Wayne, Indiana. The Allen County War Memorial Coliseum is the home venue for the team. The team is the first minor league basketball franchise to play in Fort Wayne since the Fort Wayne Fury...
with his son-in-law Jeff Potter.
Boards and other associations
John Zeglis has served on a number of corporate, educational, and philanthropic boardsBoard of directors
A board of directors is a body of elected or appointed members who jointly oversee the activities of a company or organization. Other names include board of governors, board of managers, board of regents, board of trustees, and board of visitors...
. A list of these affiliations is provided below.
- Sara Lee Corporation Board of Directors
- Helmerich and Payne Corporation Board of Directors
- Illinova Corporation Board of Directors
- George Washington UniversityGeorge Washington UniversityThe George Washington University is a private, coeducational comprehensive university located in Washington, D.C. in the United States...
Board of TrusteesTrusteeTrustee is a legal term which, in its broadest sense, can refer to any person who holds property, authority, or a position of trust or responsibility for the benefit of another... - Brookings Institute Board of Trustees
- Culver Education Foundation Board of Trustees
- UIUC College of BusinessUIUC College of BusinessThe College of Business is the business school at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. It offers programs in accountancy, business administration, and finance....
Advisory Council - Kellogg School of ManagementKellogg School of ManagementThe Kellogg School of Management is the business school of Northwestern University in Evanston, Illinois, downtown Chicago, Illinois and Miami, Florida. Kellogg offers full-time, part-time, and executive programs, as well as partnering programs with schools in China, India, Hong Kong, Israel,...
Advisory Board