Ousted Verizon boss could still pocket most of $20M salary as company cuts 15,000 jobs: report

Core Insights - The former CEO of Verizon, Hans Vestberg, who was ousted last month, may still receive a significant portion of his $20 million pay package despite the company's struggles with customer losses and stock decline [1][3][11] Compensation and Performance - Vestberg's total compensation for the previous year was $24.16 million, which included a $1.5 million base salary along with stock awards and bonuses [2][7] - He is eligible for most of his compensation package if he meets certain performance thresholds [3][11] Customer Loss and Market Position - Verizon lost 7,000 net customers in Q3, missing Wall Street expectations of adding 19,000 customers [3][20] - The company has experienced two consecutive quarters of customer losses, with a third expected [4][11] Leadership Changes - Mark Bertolini, the new chairman, indicated that Verizon's poor performance necessitated a leadership change, noting a drop from the number one position in market cap, bond ratings, and market share to number three [8][10] - Dan Schulman, former PayPal CEO, has been appointed to take over immediately [10][13] Strategic Decisions and Financial Impact - Under Vestberg's leadership, Verizon invested over $50 billion in 5G spectrum but has not seen the expected returns, continuing to lose customers to competitors like AT&T and T-Mobile [10][11] - Schulman plans to implement cost cuts, potentially leading to the layoff of about 15,000 employees [16][17] Future Outlook - Schulman emphasized the need for Verizon to become more customer-focused and less bureaucratic, acknowledging the company's failure to perform for shareholders [21][22]