Jerry Elliott to Join Leap as Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer

SAN DIEGO, April 23, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- Leap Wireless International, Inc. (NASDAQ: LEAP), a leading provider of innovative and value-driven wireless communications services, today announced that Jerry Elliott is joining the Company and will be appointed as executive vice president and chief financial officer, effective May 1, 2012.

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Elliott has nearly 25 years of financial and operational experience with both public and private companies, including extensive experience as a chief financial officer with several large companies.  In addition, Elliott has significant experience in the wireless and telecommunications field serving as chief financial officer and later as president of Frontier Communications, chief executive officer at Global Signal and chief financial officer at Virgin Media.  Elliott also recently served as chief financial officer and chief administrative officer at The Weather Channel.

"Jerry's demonstrated track record as a successful business leader and his hands on business experience make him the perfect candidate to step into this important role on our management team to support our financial strategy and growth initiatives," said Doug Hutcheson, Leap's president and chief executive officer.  "We welcome Jerry to the Leap team and believe his strong operational experience as a CFO along with his excellent external investor relations experience will benefit Leap and its shareholders."

Elliott is currently the owner of Jerry Elliott Interests, LLC, a provider of strategic capital and operating leadership to select businesses.  Prior to joining the Weather Channel in 2009, Elliott served as chief financial officer of Virgin Media, Inc. where he led all aspects of finance, strategy and planning, purchasing, facilities and information services.  In 2008 he served as chief operating officer and chief financial officer of Cengage Learning, Inc., a digital and print provider of higher education materials.

From 2006 until it was acquired by Crown Castle in 2007, Elliott served as the president and chief executive officer of Global Signal, Inc., the owner, lessor and manager of communication towers and other communications sites.  From 2002 to 2006, he served as chief financial officer, and later as president and a board member of Frontier Communications, a provider of communication services.  From 1987 to 2002, Elliott held a number of financial, legal and management roles in the investment banking and legal fields.

Elliott graduated from Baylor University with a B.B.A. in Accounting and Finance in 1981 and a J.D. in 1983.  He holds an LL.M. in Taxation from New York University.  He has served as chairman or a member of the board of directors of many public (NYSE, NASDAQ and London listed) and private-equity owned companies including Global Signal, Frontier, nTelos, SunCom Wireless and Tekelec.

About Leap

Leap provides innovative, high-value wireless services to a young and ethnically diverse customer base. With the value of unlimited wireless services as the foundation of its business, Leap pioneered its Cricket service. Cricket products and services are available nationwide through company-owned stores, dealers, national retailers and at MyCricket.com.  Through its affordable, flat-rate service plans, Cricket offers customers a choice of unlimited voice, text, data and mobile Web services. Headquartered in San Diego, Calif., Leap is traded on the NASDAQ Global Select Market under the ticker symbol "LEAP." For more information, please visit www.leapwireless.com.

SOURCE Leap Wireless International, Inc.