Lumen Technologies Announces Board Chair Transition, New Director Nominee and Executive Role Expansions
DENVER--( BUSINESS WIRE)--Lumen Technologies, Inc. (“Lumen”) (NYSE: LUMN) today announced that Mike Glenn, Chair of Lumen’s Board of Directors (the “Board”), and Hal Stanley Jones, a director and Chair of the Audit Committee, have advised the Board that they will retire and not stand for re-election at Lumen’s 2026 Annual Meeting of Shareholders (the “Annual Meeting”).
As part of a planned succession process, the Board has selected General Kevin P. Chilton (USAF, Ret.), an existing member of the Board since 2017, to serve as the next Chair of the Board, effective following the Annual Meeting. The Board has also identified a successor for the Audit Committee Chair, underscoring its commitment to continuity, effective risk oversight, and disciplined governance.
The Board also nominated Michael Collins, a partner at Bain & Company, for election to the Board at the Annual Meeting, subject to shareholder approval. Collins brings more than three decades of experience advising global companies on growth strategy, disciplined capital allocation and executing complex operational transformations.
“Mike and Hal have provided exceptional leadership during a pivotal chapter for Lumen, strengthening our governance, sharpening our strategic focus, and advancing the company’s transformation,” said Lumen CEO Kate Johnson. “Mike has been a steady, values-driven Board leader, and a trusted partner to me and our leadership team. Hal’s financial expertise and discipline – particularly in his role as Audit Committee Chair – have been invaluable. On behalf of the full Board and the entire company, we are deeply grateful for their service and lasting impact.”
To maintain company momentum, Glenn and General Chilton will partner closely over the next two months to support a smooth leadership transition, including continued engagement with management and Board committees.
“Hal and I have been proud to help guide Lumen through an important period of change,” said Mike Glenn. “The company has a strong leadership team, a clear growth strategy, and a Board committed to doing what it takes to win in the next era of digital network infrastructure. I am confident this transition – supported by a thoughtful hand-off to Kevin – will be seamless and will keep Lumen positioned to create value for customers and shareholders.”
Johnson continued: “We are pleased to name General Chilton as our next Board Chair and nominate Michael Collins to our Board. Kevin is a proven leader with deep engineering and operational experience – leading mission-critical organizations where reliability, security, precision execution, and risk management are non-negotiable. Michael brings complementary expertise in scaling complex businesses and driving long-term value creation. Together, they strengthen our Board with the experience and perspective needed as we accelerate into the growth phase of our transformation.”
General Chilton retired from the U.S. Air Force as a four-star General in 2011, concluding a 34-year career with service as Commander of U.S. Strategic Command, where he oversaw plans and operations spanning strategic deterrence as well as the Department of Defense’s space and cyberspace missions. He also previously served as Commander of Air Force Space Command, as a NASA astronaut on three space shuttle flights and as Deputy Program Manager of the International Space Station. At Lumen, he has served as a Board member and the Chair of the Risk and Security Committee since 2018, contributing significant expertise in cybersecurity, risk management and scientific innovation.
“I’m honored to be selected as the Board’s next Chair,” said General Chilton. “Mike and Hal have helped position Lumen for its next phase, and I am committed to building on that foundation. Lumen’s enterprise and public sector customers depend on secure, resilient, high-performance networks, and I look forward to supporting Kate and the leadership team as they continue executing with speed, operational excellence, and customer focus.”
Collins is a partner at Bain & Company, where he oversees the company’s portfolio of specialized consulting businesses spanning digital innovation, design and procurement solutions. During his tenure as Chief Operating Officer and Chief Financial Officer, Bain more than tripled in size and was repeatedly recognized as a top global workplace. Over his 30-plus year career at Bain, he has advised companies across telecommunications, retail, consumer products, automotive and media industries. Collins serves on the Board of Directors of Jacobs Solutions Inc., a global professional services company focused on infrastructure and advanced facilities.
“Lumen has reached a pivotal moment in its transformation and is well positioned as essential digital infrastructure for enterprise and public sector customers,” said Michael Collins. “I’m excited to join the Board at this next phase of growth and to support the management team as they execute on a disciplined long-term strategy to create value for customers and shareholders.”
As Lumen enters the growth phase of its transformation, the company is also announcing expanded leadership roles to align with its enterprise growth strategy and AI-driven future:
“These leadership expansions position us to execute with speed, scale and clarity as we accelerate the growth phase of our transformation,” said Johnson.
About Lumen Technologies
Lumen is unleashing the world's digital potential. We ignite business growth by connecting people, data, and applications – quickly, securely, and effortlessly. As the trusted network for AI, Lumen uses the scale of our network to help companies realize AI's full potential. From metro connectivity to long-haul data transport to our edge cloud, security, managed service, and digital platform capabilities, we meet our customers’ needs today and as they build for tomorrow.
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Forward-Looking Statement
This press release contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. All statements contained in this press release that do not relate to matters of historical fact should be considered forward-looking statements, including statements regarding management’s expectations with respect to our business, strategy and operations as well as statements identified by words such as “estimates,” “expects,” “anticipates,” “believes,” “plans,” “intends,” “will,” and similar expressions. These forward-looking statements are not promises nor guarantees of future results, are based on our current expectations only and are subject to various risks and uncertainties, including those described in our most recent Annual Report on Form 10-K and Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q, as updated in our other filings with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission from time to time. Actual results may differ materially from those anticipated by us in these statements due to several factors, including those referenced in our filings with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission.