BERNARD J. EBBERS

Bernard J. Ebbers has served as president and chief executive officer of MCI WorldCom since 1985, and as a director of the company since its inception in 1983. Among the founding fathers of the company, then known as LDDS, Mr. Ebbers was a passive investor before he became CEO in April 1985. As a result of an aggressive acquisition strategy, MCI WorldCom has attained its position as one of the fastest growing communications companies in the world. Today MCI WorldCom provides comprehensive local-to-global communications services via its end-to-end owned facilities. The company's integrated communications package includes domestic and international long distance, local services, data and Internet access throughout the United States and worldwide.

The $37 billion merger of WorldCom and MCI Communications was at the time one of the largest corporate mergers in history. With more than 22 million customers and 75,000 employees, MCI WorldCom is the number four communications company in the U.S. MCI WorldCom has been recognized by FORBES, BUSINESS WEEK, FINANCIAL WORLD, FORTUNE and INC. magazines, among others, for its rapid growth and stellar stock performance. Included in the Standard & Poor's Index, MCI WorldCom has climbed to number 80 in the FORTUNE 500 list. In the WALL STREET JOURNAL's Shareholder Scoreboard, MCI WorldCom was ranked number one among telecommunications companies in return on shareholder investment in 1997, 1998 and 1999.

Mr. Ebbers served as chairman of the board of directors of the Competitive Telecommunications Association from 1993 through 1995. Because of his commitment to developing jobs and resources in Mississippi's telecommunications industry, Mr. Ebbers was inducted into the Mississippi Business Hall of Fame in May 1995 and received on the company's behalf the "Business of the Year" award from the MetroJackson Chamber of Commerce in December 1998. In 1992 Mr. Ebbers received Mississippi College's highest honor, the Alumnus of the Year award, and was granted an honorary Doctor of Laws degree. Currently he serves on the Mississippi College board of trustees. In addition, Mr. Ebbers was granted an honorary doctorate from Tougaloo College in May 1998.

Top of page