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a telecommunications career that has spanned 28 years, Cathy Coughlin has seen her industry evolve in ways that were almost impossible to imagine when she joined the telephone company fresh out of Northwestern University. As Ms. Coughlin sees it, there has never been a better time to work in telecommunications.
Ms. Coughlin joined Southwestern Bell in her native St. Louis in 1979. She has grown with the company as it evolved from a five-state telephone operation to the world’s largest telecommunications services provider. Today, AT&T leads the industry in wireless, business, Internet access, voice and directory, and the company is gaining momentum in the TV market.
Ms. Coughlin has served as senior vice president of Marketing for Southwestern Bell Yellow Pages, vice president of Consumer Marketing for SBC Operations and senior vice president of Business Communications Services & Global Markets for SBC.
Before becoming global marketing officer for AT&T in June 2007, Ms. Coughlin was president and chief executive officer of AT&T Midwest, where she led the company’s wireline network sales and customer service operations in Illinois, Indiana, Ohio, Michigan and Wisconsin.
In her current position, Ms. Coughlin oversees brand strategy, advertising, corporate communications, corporate responsibility, events and sponsorships worldwide. She reports to Randall Stephenson, AT&T chairman and CEO. Ms. Coughlin is charged with completing the integration of advertising and communications for wireless and the Southeast following the completion of the BellSouth merger late last year, and further building AT&T’s brand and reputation for service among its customers worldwide.
Throughout her career, and with the encouragement of AT&T, Ms. Coughlin has sought to balance her job with her responsibility to give back to the community. Recent activities include serving on Chicago’s 2016 Olympic Committee and participating in the United Way Day of Caring program. She serves on the board of directors of several organizations, including Northwestern University.
Ms. Coughlin holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in economics from Northwestern University and a Master of Business Administration degree in finance from St. Louis University. | 