Verizon Untethered

A Publication Chronicles Innovation and Disruption

At the turn of the 21st century, the telecommunications industry was at the center of the information revolution. No company loomed larger than Verizon, the enterprise built from a regional Bell System spinoff into a national—and now global—powerhouse. When Verizon’s chief architect, Ivan Seidenberg, retired as chairman and CEO, he was encouraged by company and industry leaders to share his unique vantage point. Seidenberg wasn’t interested in writing yet another self-serving CEO memoir, but rather a book that would tell the remarkable story of Verizon’s rise in the rapidly changing telecommunications and technology industries.

History Factory approached the book not as a retelling of Seidenberg’s career but as a collaborative recollection. As such, a key component was interviews with more than 50 key stakeholders and participants in Verizon’s founding. Their insights and observations formed the book’s cornerstones, showing how to address a broad range of business challenges applicable to any leadership team. Bestselling author Ram Charan, a management expert and longtime confidant of Seidenberg, was included in the project to offer insights that put key events from the book in a broader context. The book was a collaborative exercise that was carefully researched, analyzed and synthesized into a compelling narrative—a direct reflection of Seidenberg’s leadership style and Verizon’s culture.

“Verizon Untethered: An Insider’s Story of Innovation and Disruption” was the No. 1 book on Amazon in the Business and Mergers and Acquisitions category within a few days of release.