Richard J. “Dick” Sherwin was a senior vice president of Graphic Scanning during the formative years of the non-wireline cellular industry. At a critical time in the birth of the cellular industry, old rivalries and distrust could have impeded the ability of non-wireline applicants to reach market-wide settlements and avoid hearings and lotteries that would have significantly delayed competitive wireless services. Dick’s determination and honesty won over adversaries and his efforts were key elements in the formation of settlement partnerships that expedited non-wireline service to the public.
As a member of the boards of directors of several of the early non-wireline cellular settlement partnerships that were created in the top 30 markets, Dick was involved in the senior management of several of the subsequently formed non-wireline companies in markets 31-90. He also played a major role in the initial cellular activities of Telocator, the non-wireline trade association, as the industry was being built out and standards implementation among systems of different carriers was an important concern.
Dick subsequently led the efforts of Metromedia Telecommunications to develop wireless properties in Eastern Europe. He was instrumental in establishing approximately 47 telecommunications ventures in Eastern Europe and the former Soviet Union Republics in the areas of cellular mobile telephony, cable television and radio paging.
He is currently the CEO of Spot On Networks, a leading wireless internet service provider offering managed WiFi networks to multi-tenant properties, hotels and commercial spaces. Dick was inducted into the Wireless Hall of Fame in 2016.