Career

Whitey Bluestein has more than 25 years in business development, building early-stage companies, growing new businesses, managing complex business relationships, negotiating commercial and strategic deals, and creating and managing ventures and alliances in the US, Europe, Asia and Canada. He has advised several companies in the telecom, entertainment, wireless, retail and healthcare fields.

Prior to returning to strategic advisor and dealmaking, Bluestein was Executive Vice President for Corporate and Business Development at Visage Mobile, a San Francisco-based firm specializing in providing outsourced solutions to national brands providing private label wireless services to their customers.

Before Visage, Bluestein was Executive Vice President and Chief Development Officer of NorthPoint Communications, where he:

Negotiated strategic distribution deals (and investments totaling     $94 million) with Microsoft, RadioShack, Global Crossing,     Cable & Wireless, XO and others, and its acquisition by Verizon. Led a partner vetting process, then negotiated and managed     international joint ventures in Europe with Versatel, and in Canada     with Sprint-Canada. Managed all key strategic relationships, and sat on Boards     of Directors of VersaPoint and NorthPoint Canada.

Earlier, Bluestein held executive positions at (pre-WorldCom) MCI Communications Corp. From 1995 through 1997, he was Vice President of Wireless Strategy and Development for MCI, where he created MCI’s wireless virtual network strategy (including the first MVNO), negotiated wireless service arrangements with leading mobile operators, and managed strategic relationships with service providers.

From 1994 to mid-1995, Bluestein was BT/Concert Alliance General Manager, where he managed MCI’s strategic relationship with British Telecom and launch of the Concert joint venture, and implemented MCI’s BT/Concert strategy and direction. He reported to the CEO of MCI on this assignment.

Prior to rejoining MCI in early 1994, Bluestein was Vice President of Strategic Business Development and Market Expansion at CENTEX Telemanagement. He managed geographic expansion for the San Francisco-based company, recognized as the fastest growing service company in the US by Inc. Magazine.

From 1982 to 1988, Bluestein held various positions in corporate development, cellular/paging development, carrier relations, external affairs, and business marketing with MCI in Washington, DC and San Francisco.

His role and success in the cellular telephone market consolidation of 1984 is described in Wireless Nation: The Frenzied Launch of the Cellular Revolution in America, by James B. Murray (Perseus, 2001). Recently, an industry veteran observed that, "Whitey Bluestein has probably negotiated more wireless deals in his career than anyone else in the US."

Before joining the telecoms industry, Bluestein was a player in "Clean Tech" long before it came into vogue. He was at the Department of Energy, first at the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission and then in the Office of Renewable Fuels, where he wrote testimony for the Secretary of Energy, drafted an Executive Order on use of alternate fuels in Federal vehicles signed by President Carter, and prepared a report to Congress on synthetic fuel price guarantees on assignment directly for the US Secretary of Energy.

Bluestein has appeared on CNBC SquawkBox, CNN and Bloomberg Television, has been quoted in the Wall Street Journal, New York Times, Washington Post, USA Today, Christian Science Monitor and other newspapers, authored articles appearing in Telephony, Wireless Week, Public Utilities Fortnightly and other trade publications, and is a frequent speaker on wireless topics at conferences, including Informa UK (Chair), Kagan (Keynote), Telestrategies (Keynote), Bear Stearns, CIBC, ALTS, EDR, IIR/UK (Keynote), and GSM World Congress. He also writes a blog on wireless and telecoms industry topics, Out of the Blue.

In addition to his work for companies large and small, Bluestein is committed to a healthy environment, and sits on the Boards of Directors of Friends of the Earth and Bluewater Network, and is an advisor to The Baum Foundation.

Bluestein received his B.S. in Business from Indiana University (Bloomington) and his Juris Doctor with Honors from George Washington University Law School. He also completed the NARUC Advanced Regulatory Studies Program, at the Institute of Public Utilities, Michigan State University, in East Lansing. Bluestein is admitted to practice law in Indiana and the District of Columbia, and before the US Supreme Court.

He enjoys acoustic guitar, photography, sailing and kayaking. He is a member of the St. Francis Yacht Club. Bluestein is married with two teenagers and lives in Marin County, California.