Sandy Knechtel Joins Alaska Communications as Chief Operations Officer

ANCHORAGE, Alaska--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Experienced local business leader, Sandy Knechtel, will join Alaska Communications as chief operations officer (COO).

“I’m pleased to welcome Sandy Knechtel back to Alaska Communications to lead operations,” said Bill Bishop, Alaska Communications president and CEO. “There is a lot of opportunity in front of us and Sandy will help us focus and achieve our vision of becoming the provider of choice for Alaskans.”

Knechtel served in various management roles with Alaska Communications from 2009-2015. Since then, he has served as area manager for Alaska and Hawaii for Gartner, a global research and advisory company. Under his leadership at Gartner, he helped grow its business in these markets significantly.

“Sandy and his family are committed to Alaska,” said Bishop. “He knows our industry, our company and the local market.”

“It’s an exciting time to be in telecommunications,” said Knechtel. “Broadband is life-changing. I’m thrilled to return and help Alaska Communications further its efforts to close the digital divide and bring transformational change to Alaskans.”

Knechtel will lead and support operations, opportunity management, sales, product and strategy, marketing and information technology.

Learn more about Alaska Communications’ management team and advisory board.

About Alaska Communications

Alaska Communications, an affiliate of ATN International, Inc. (NASDAQ: ATNI), is the leading provider of advanced broadband and managed IT services for businesses and consumers in Alaska. The company operates a highly reliable, advanced statewide data network with the latest technology and the most diverse undersea fiber optic system connecting Alaska to the contiguous U.S. For more information, visit www.AlaskaCommunications.com.