Bell Labs Management

Marketing has landed on top in the latest management shuffle at Lucent Technologies. On 15 October, Bill O’Shea replaced Arun Netravali as president of Bell Labs, Lucent’s R&D arm. O’Shea, who joined Bell Labs in 1972, will also continue as Lucent’s executive vice president for strategy and marketing.

O’Shea’s appointment raised eyebrows among some current and former Bell Labs scientists. They question promoting a manager who, as they see it, shares responsibility for Lucent’s recent financial fiascoes. And they worry that his appointment signals a further veering away from science (see Physics Today, October 2001, page 26 , and November 2001, page 31 ). Some wonder aloud whether other Bell Labs scientists in management positions will exit soon, too.

Netravali, for his part, is considering opportunities in academia and venture firms. He is also staying on as Lucent’s chief scientist, a new position reporting directly to Lucent chief executive Henry Schacht.

Also on 15 October, Jeffrey Jaffe’s title was ratcheted up to president of Bell Labs research and advanced technologies, just two weeks after he succeeded William Brinkman as vice president of research.