Payne leaves Qwest

James Payne, who served as senior vice president and general manager of Qwest Government Services, is no longer with the company, industry insiders said.

Those insiders say that Payne, who had held the position since 1999, left earlier this week. The circumstances surrounding his departure, however, are unclear.

Qwest spokeswoman Claire Mylott declined to confirm or comment, citing a policy of not discussing personnel matters. Payne could not be reached.

The company's Web site still listed him as leading the company's government division as of May 20.

Speculation is swirling around the apparent sudden departure of Payne, who is generally well-regarded among other telecommunications executives.