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Lucent's Russo Appointed by President Bush to NSTAC

WASHINGTON, D.C., April 25, 2003 - President Bush announced yesterday that he is appointing Patricia F. Russo, Chair and Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Lucent Technologies, to the President’s National Security Telecommunications Advisory Committee (NSTAC).

The President's NSTAC is composed of up to 30 presidentially appointed industry leaders (usually chief executive officers). In its advisory role to the President, the NSTAC provides industry-based analyses and recommendations on a wide range of policy and technical issues related to telecommunications, information assurance (IA), infrastructure protection, and other national security and emergency preparedness concerns. The current NSTAC chair is Dr. Vance D. Coffman, Chairman and CEO of Lockheed Martin Corporation.

Ms. Russo was one of the founding executives who helped launch Lucent in 1996 and has spent 20 years of her career managing some of Lucent and AT&T's largest divisions and most critical corporate functions. Lucent Technologies is one of the largest suppliers of communications hardware, software and services to the world's communications service providers.

Before returning to Lucent in 2002, Ms. Russo served as President and Chief Operating Officer of Eastman Kodak Company, overseeing the day-to-day operations of Kodak's operating divisions and serving as the CEO's strategic partner in pursuing new business opportunities. Prior to this appointment, Russo was Chair of Avaya Inc., one of the world's leading enterprise communications businesses.

From 1999 to 2000, Ms. Russo served as Executive Vice President and CEO of Lucent's Service Provider Networks Group and had responsibility for $24 billion in sales, distribution, installation and development of products and systems for Lucent's service provider customers worldwide.

Ms. Russo also served as Executive Vice President, Corporate Operations at Lucent, from 1997 to 1999. She was responsible for the executive management and oversight of strategy and business development as well as human resources development, public relations, investor relations, advertising, government affairs, global procurement and real estate services.

From 1992 through 1996, Russo was president of Lucent's Business Communications Systems unit (now Avaya Inc.). She led the business through a successful restructuring and financial turnaround, making it Lucent's second largest global business. She led the global sales and service operations in Business Communications Systems before becoming president.

Prior to 1992, Ms. Russo held key management and executive positions throughout AT&T in strategic planning, marketing, human resources and operations. Before joining AT&T in 1981, she spent eight years in sales and marketing at IBM.

Ms. Russo serves on the boards of Avaya, Schering Plough Corporation and Georgetown University. She received her undergraduate degree from Georgetown University and completed the Advanced Management Program at Harvard University in 1989. She also received an Honorary Doctorate in Entrepreneurial Studies from Columbia College in South Carolina.

She was named to the Fortune magazine list of the 50 Most Powerful Women in American Business in 1998, 1999 and 2001.

Photo courtesy of Lucent Technologies

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