Mal Gurian is one of the pioneers of the personal communications industry.
BRADENTON, FL, May 13, 2019 /24-7PressRelease/ -- Marquis Who's Who, the world's premier publisher of biographical profiles, is proud to present Mal Gurian with the Albert Nelson Marquis Lifetime Achievement Award. An accomplished listee, Mr. Gurian celebrates many years of experience in his professional network, and has been noted for achievements, leadership qualities, and the credentials and successes he has accrued in his field. As in all Marquis Who's Who biographical volumes, individuals profiled are selected on the basis of current reference value. Factors such as position, noteworthy accomplishments, visibility, and prominence in a field are all taken into account during the selection process.
With more than 70 years of professional experience, Mr. Gurian founded Mal Gurian Associates in Bradenton, FL, since 2002 and serves as President. The company is a telecommunications advisory firm. Mal Gurian is one of the pioneers of the personal communications industry. He began his career as the Vice President of Radio Telephone Corporation in New York City in 1960. In 1963 he joined Aerotron, Inc. a Siemens Company in Raleigh, NC and became senior vice president before leaving in 1980.
In 1980, three years before the launch of the first commercial cellular service in the United States, Mr. Gurian was recruited by OKI Electronics Industry Company of Japan. Oki was credited for designing and manufacturing the first factory made cellular terminal for Bell Telephone Labs in December 1976. Mr. Gurian's priorities were to start-up and build OKI Telecom's cellular telephone division in the United States. Operating offices were built in Fairlawn, NJ and a robotic manufacturing plant in Norcross, GA, the first of its kind in the U.S.
While CEO/President and member of the board of directors of OKI Telecom's Cellular Telephone division, Mr. Gurian having achieved many great things throughout his career was responsible for OKI receiving the first FCC type certification for a cellular telephone. Following the divestiture of AT&T in 1984, he was instrumental in negotiating for OKI the only private label contracts with all of the seven Regional Bell Operating Companies.
Under Mr. Gurian's leadership, OKI telecom quickly became the premier provider of cellular phones to the U.S. market. Also, he was instrumental in the company's introduction and successful marketing of several new products, including the first briefcase portable cellular phone, the OKI/Chrysler "Visor Phone" and OKI's credit card "Swipe" phone. The first commercial cellular call was made on October 13, 1983 to Alexander Graham Bells great grandson in Germany on an OKI cellular phone. Mr. Gurian remained a member of the OKI board of directors and served as an advisor after leaving OKI in 1988.
In 1989 Cellcom Corporation, a cellular re-seller in Fairfield, NJ brought Mr. Gurian into the company as President and he remained until the company was successfully sold to their closest competitor in 1991. Mr. Gurian was sought after and joined Universal Cellular in Anaheim, CA as the CEO, President from 1991 to 1993.
In 1994 Mr. Gurian was a co-founder and Chairman of GlobalLink Communications, Inc. in Irvine, CA until 1997. In addition to his primary roles at GlobalLink, he was a co-founder at Authentix Network, Inc./SimplySay in Tucson, AZ in 1995 and retained the title of Chairman, CEO and President until 2001.
Mr. Gurian has developed strong relationships with all the major cellular carriers and is frequently consulted by industry leaders on important issues affecting the industry. He serves as a moderator and speaker in numerous conventions and forums. In addition, he was an advisor to many major corporations such as Sony, TRW Wireless, Murata, BMW and Ford. He served on many board of directors and was an arbitrator for the American Arbitration Association specializing in telecommunications.
A respected voice in his areas of interest, Mr. Gurian has been affiliated with a number of professional organizations. He is a fellow and lifetime member of the Radio Club of America, where he has been a member since 1969 and recognized as president emeritus, having served as president in 1994. He is a Board member of "NABER" (National Association of Business & Educational Radio), "APCO" (America Association of Public Safety Communications Officers), and on the Advisory Committee for "SIRSA" (Special Industrial Radio Service Association).
Before entering the telecommunications industry, he was an industrial photographer in the construction industry, which comprised a large amount of aerial photography from 1946 to 1970. Mr. Gurian enlisted in the U.S. Marine Corp. serving in World War II in the South Pacific from 1943 to 1946. He was decorated with an Air Medal.
Throughout his career, Mr. Gurian has been recognized for his contributions. The Radio Club of America honored him with the Special Service Award in 1986, the Sarnoff Citation in 1988, and the Fred Link Award in 1989. The National Association of Business and Educational Radio paid tribute to him in 1985 with the Chairman's Award. In 1995, Mr. Gurian received an Honorary Medal from the Alexander S. Popov Scientific Society at St. Petersburg Electrotech University, St. Petersburg, Russia in May 1995.
Civically from 1966 to 1997 Mr. Gurian was an active volunteer member of the Old Tappan First Aid Corp. in Old Tappan, NJ.
In 2003 Mr. Gurian was inducted into the Wireless Hall of Fame. He shares this honor with other awardees whom he admires including Edwin Armstrong, the inventor of Frequency Modulation, Robert Galvin, past chairman of Motorola, Dr. Irwin Jacobs, chairman of Qualcom, Fred Link, Father of Two Way Radio, Morgan O'Brien, founder of Nextel, Dennis Strigl, past President and CEO of Verizon Wireless, and Martin Cooper, Chief Engineer of Motorola.
He has also been featured in numerous honor publications, including multiple editions of Who's Who in the East, Who's Who in the Media and Communication, Who's Who in America, and Who's Who in the World.
In recognition of outstanding contributions to his profession and the Marquis Who's Who community, Mal Gurian has been featured on the Albert Nelson Marquis Lifetime Achievement website. Please visit www.ltachievers.com for more information about this honor.
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