DISH Network has announced that President and Chief Executive Officer Joseph Clayton will retire from his position effective March 31t 2015. Clayton, who is a 42-year veteran of the consumer electronics industry, leaves the post he assumed in June of 2011.

DISH Co-founder and Chairman Charles Ergen, who has previously served as DISH’s President and CEO, will succeed Clayton in those roles.

“Over the last four years, Joe’s leadership has been instrumental to DISH as we have worked to engineer a fundamental transformation of our business,” said Ergen. “He has set the stage for what will become a new company, and with that he has prepared a new class of management to address the adventures coming our way.”

“This team has done what it said it would – our operations are stronger, our leadership is deeper, our outlook is as positive as it ever has been,” said Clayton. “We were able to launch the Hopper, dishNet and Sling TV, navigate two spectrum auctions and deliver for our customers throughout. All of it was with great success – I am proud to have served with such a remarkable team.”

Meantime telcos like AT&T have heavily criticised Ergen for ‘stock piling’ spectrum after his successful $13.3 billion bid eventhough the company does not offer wireless services to consumers or have plans to do so.

Ergen has been acquiring spectrum through Dish and a handful of other companies since 2007, and controls about 15 per cent of industry capacity. Some analysts estimate Ergen’s treasure trove of airwaves to be worth in excess of $50 billion.

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