Document:

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                                                                   Exhibit 10.17
                [Letterhead of WorldPort Communications, Inc.]

June 29, 1999

Mr. John T. Hanson
1361 Bridgewater Lane
Long Grove, IL  60047

Dear Mr. Hanson,

I am pleased to confirm our offer to you for the position of Chief Financial
Officer at WorldPort Communications, Inc. In this position you will report to me
and work out of our Chicago office.

Your starting base salary will be at the annual rate of $235,000 to be paid at
regular intervals under the standard WorldPort payroll system.  You will also be
eligible for an annual bonus of $90,000.  You may actually make more or less
than the targeted amount based on you and the company achieving objectives.  You
are guaranteed to receive your full bonus for 1999.

Upon the approval of the board of directors, you will receive a stock option
grant of 150,000 shares of WorldPort Communications, Inc. stock with a strike
price set at 85% of closing market price on June 29, 1999.  1/3 of these shares
will vest on each of the first three anniversaries of the grant.  A detailed
option agreement will be provided separately.

Should there be a change of control of the company resulting in the involuntary
termination of your employment you will be guaranteed a severance payment equal
to one year of your base salary.  In addition, if such change of control takes
place, all of the above mentioned options will vest at the time of that change
of control.

You will also be eligible for the standard WorldPort benefits including health,
dental, vision, LTD, AD&D and insurance.  As soon as you return the signed offer
agreement we will forward the necessary enrollment paperwork.

This offer of employment is the entire offer to you.  There are no other
expressed or implied promises, representations or contracts being offered to
you.  Your employment at WorldPort will be "at will."  You or the company will
have the right to terminate your employment at any time with or without cause.

In order for WorldPort to comply with the Immigration Reform and Control Act of
1986 as amended you will have to provide WorldPort with the necessary
documentation which verifies your legal right to work in the United States of
America at the time of your employment

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John, we are excited about the future of WorldPort and about your joining our
team.  Please indicate your acceptance of this offer by signing below and
returning an original copy to the attention of Maria Haug in Human Resources at
our Atlanta office July 6, 1999.  You may retain the second copy I have enclosed
for your records.

Sincerely,

/s/ Carl Grivner
-------------------------
Carl Grivner
President & CEO

/s/ John T. Hanson
-------------------------
John T. Hanson

June 29, 1999
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                                                                   Exhibit 10.18

EMPLOYMENT CONTRACT

The undersigned:

1.    The company limited by shares WorldPort Communications Inc., having its
      registered office at 1825 Barrett Lakes Center, Suite 100, Kennesaw, GA
      30144, hereinafter to be called "employer", in this matter legally
      represented by Dan Wickersham, CEO of WorldPort Communications Inc., Party
      of the first part,

and

2.    Mr. David Hickey born on June 21st 1960 and currently living at Ireland,
      hereinafter to be called "the employee", Party of the second part,

declare that they have agreed as follows:

Article 1.  Employment Contract

1.1.  Employer and the employee enter into an employment contract, to the effect
      that employer engages the employee and the employee will carry out work
      for employer in the position referred to in Article 2.1 of this employment
      contract.

1.2.  The employment contract enters into effect as from September 26th 1998 and
      has been entered into indefinitely.

Article 2.  Position

2.1.  The employee has been appointed as and is employed in the position of
      General manager Europe - Corporate Development WorldPort. The position of
      General Manager Europe - Corporate Development Worldport has been
      classified in job group I.

2.2.  The employee commits himself also to perform other duties or carry out
      other work which is equivalent to his position and is fitting considering
      his capabilities and experience.

2.3.  The employee carries out his work arising from his position referred to in
      Article 2.1, initially from the operational base of Rotterdam. This
      operational base may change at a later date. The nature of the position
      entails that the employee is bound to also carry out his work outside the
      operational base referred to above. The Employee will not be required to
      relocate his residence from Ireland.

Article 3.  Additional Functions

Without prior explicit permission from employer, for the duration of the
employment the employee is not allowed to carry out additional functions,
professional or otherwise, in any way,

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either directly or indirectly, specifically in the area in which the employer's
company operates, in favour of either third parties or himself.

Article 4.  Termination

4.1.  The employment contract may be terminated at the end of any calendar month
      by means of a registered letter observing a notice period of two calendar
      months.

4.2.  If termination by the Employer is not motivated exclusively or mainly by
      actions or negligence on the part of the Employee, for example in the
      event of the dissolution of WorldPort Communications Inc., a merger
      takeover or fundamental alteration of policies, the Employer will pay a
      compensation sum to the Employee upon termination of the employment. This
      compensation sum will amount to 6 times the monthly salary.

4.3.  In the event of a prolonged period of disability the employment contract
      is terminated, on the basis of the stipulations in Article 7:670 paragraph
      3 BW, after at least two years of disability, to be calculated from the
      first day of disability, observing the notice period referred to in
      Article 4.1. Periods of disability which succeed one another with
      intervals of less than 30 days will be added together.

4.4.  The employment contract terminates legally, without stating reasons and
      without the necessity of giving notice, on the day on which the employee
      reaches the retirement date within the meaning of the pension provisions
      as referred to in Article 11 of this employment contract.

Article 5.  Income

5.1.  Employer allows the employee a Total Fixed gross annual Income (TFI) of
      NLG 300,000. The statutory gross holiday allowance is part of the TFI and
      currently therefore it amounts to 8/108 part of the TFI. After deduction
      of statutory and other deductions agreed in this employment contract, the
      TFI is paid out in twelve equal monthly terms. The salary is paid out as
      is customary with WorldPort Communications Inc., which is currently
      monthly at the end of the month.

5.2.  The employee will be given the available premium of 17.7% of the TFI minus
      the applicable Dutch old age franchise ("AOW-franchise) in the year
      concerned. The basis-including the franchise- will be revised yearly and
      will be set on every January 1st.

5.3.  The employee will also be eligible for a bonus opportunity targeted at 50%
      of his annual pay. He may actually make more or less than the targeted
      amount based on achieving his objectives. He will receive the details of
      the plan under separate cover.

5.4.  The details of his stock option plan will be send under separate cover.

Article 6.  Compensation of Expenses

6.1.  The employee will receive a fixed monthly compensation to cover
      representation costs and small expenses. Therefore one cannot make
      separate claims for one's own meals

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      during business trips, small travel expenses, professional literature,
      home office supplies, representation costs, presents and gifts for
      colleagues, parking fees, ferry fares and tolls, etc.

6.2.  The fixed allowance for job group I amounts to a monthly sum of NLG 500
      net.

6.3.  Business expenses which the employee incurs in connection with the
      performance of his duties and which are not included in the fixed monthly
      compensation referred to in Article 6.1, are paid back to the employee
      after approval by the direct supervisor on a reimbursement basis after
      production of invoices and/or proof of payment.

Article 7.  Company Car

7.1.  The use of a company car is linked to the position referred to in Article
      2.1 of this employment contract. Employer makes a leased car available to
      the employee, the class of which is linked to the job group in which the
      position referred to in Article 2.1 of this employment contract is
      categorised. For job group I the maximum monthly lease sum for a company
      car is NLG 2.800.

7.2.  The actual limits are determined in line with the lease prices as they
      would apply at a standardised use of 40,000 km per year of 42 months of
      use with LPG or diesel fuel. The fuel selection is at employer's
      discretion and approval, based on the expected actual use. The
      corresponding limits are reviewed twice yearly on the basis of current
      lease prices.

7.3.  If the maximum lease price is exceeded, the employee owes a contribution
      over the maximum. In the event of extremely high private use over the
      commuter travel, the employee may be charged a contribution.

7.4.  The driver is allowed to drive a car of a class which is maximally one
      class higher than the class of car belonging to his job group, and if the
      Management approves, two classes higher than the class of car belonging to
      his job group. In all cases the price difference is at the diver's expense
      and will be deducted each month from the salary payment.

7.5.  If a driver wants to drive a car from a lower class than he is allowed, no
      refund will take place.

7.6.  A driver's agreement is entered into with the driver.

Article 8.  Working Hours

The working time for all employees is an average of 40 hours a week on a monthly
basis.

Article 9.  Holidays and Days Off
9.1.  The employee is entitled to 20 holidays per calendar year and to 5 extra
      days off per calendar year on full pay of the salary referred to in
      Article 5 of this employment contract.

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9.2.  After consultation with the person involved, the management determines the
      dates on which holidays and days off are taken. The employee may only take
      whole or half days off.

9.3.  If an employee has not used up all his holidays by the end of the year,
      the management will schedule them, after consultation, to be taken within
      the first quarter of the subsequent calendar year.

9.4.  Annual days off which an employee has not taken may be converted to money
      in the month of December, so that the equivalent in money (deducting taxes
      and premiums due) may be paid out. The department of P&O shall be informed
      of an employee's wish to convert days off to money by 1 December of any
      year. For this type of settlement the price of a full day has been set at
      the monthly salary divided by 21,75.

9.5.  The employee shall be available to furnish the necessary information or
      consult during his holidays or days off in the event of urgent matters
      which have to be dealt with in employer's interest without further delay.

9.6.  Special days of leave which are not deducted from the employee's holiday
      entitlement are:

      4 days    -death of partner;
                -death of child;
      2 days    -marriage;
                -delivery by partner
                -death of parent
      1 day     -death of grandparent;
                -death of sister or brother (in law);
                -death of daughter-in-law, son-in-law, or grandchild
                -25, 40, or 60-year wedding anniversary, also of parents
                 (-in-law);
                -moving house at employer's request.

9.7.  The employer may determine a number of collective days off at the
      beginning of each calendar year. Collective days off may be for instance:
      the Monday before or the Friday after the Queen's official birthday
      (Koninginnedag); the Monday before or the Friday after Christmas; the
      Friday after Ascension.

9.8.  At present holidays are the legal (Christian) holidays during which the
      company is closed and which count as extra days off, i.e. New Year's Day,
      Easter Monday, Ascension, Whit Monday, the Queen's official birthday
      (Koninginnedag), Christmas Day, Boxing Day and Irish Bank Holidays. If New
      Year's Day, Koninginnedag, Christmas Day, or Boxing Day fall on a weekend
      day, the employees are not entitled to another day off or to a settlement
      in money. Good Friday and 1 May are not considered holidays within the
      meaning of this regulation; 5 May is only considered a holiday within the
      meaning of this regulation if this date falls on a working day in the
      calendar years ending in 0 or 5.

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9.9.   If the employee enters the employment on September 26th 1998, the
       employee is entitled to 6 days off.

9.10.  Holidays and days off are determined in consultation with co-workers who
       are directly involved and they are granted after your direct supervisor
       has approved them. If one wants to take more than 15 consecutive days off
       (having full-time employment), special permission from the authorised
       managing director(s) is required.

Article 10.  Health Insurance

The employee will maintain his own Health Insurance with an Irish company (such
as VHI).  As a compensation for the costs the employee will be given a yearly
amount of NLG 4,000.  This amount may be revised from time to time to cover the
actual costs of Health Insurance.

Article 11.  Illness and Disability

11.1.  If the employee is unable to carry out the agreed work due to illness,
       the employee is entitled to 70% of the gross salary applicable in the
       period directly preceding the disability, insofar as the salary does not
       exceed the maximum daily wages referred to in Article 9, first paragraph
       of the Social Insurance Co-ordination Act (Coordinatiewet Sociale
       Verzekeringen) excluding compensation for overtime or other
       compensations, but at least at the legal minimum wage applicable to
       employee. This entitlement continues to exist for a period of a maximum
       of 52 weeks calculated from the first day of illness, but at most until
       the end of the employment.

11.2.  During the period in which the employee is unable to carry out the agreed
       work due to illness, employer will supplement the sum referred to in the
       previous paragraph to 100% of the gross salary applicable in the period
       directly preceding the disability excluding compensation for overtime or
       other compensations, for a period of maximum of 52 weeks, but at most
       until the end of the employment.

11.3.  The periods during which employee has been unable to carry out the agreed
       work due to illness will be added together, if these period succeed each
       other with intervals of less than 30 days.

11.4.  The following sums are deducted from the salary payable by employer:

       a.  the sum of a benefit to which the employee is entitle don the basis
           of a statutory insurance or whatever reason, or of any (social) fund
           the participation in which has been agreed or which results from this
           employment contract;

       b.  the sum of the income from work which the employee has carried out
           despite the illness elsewhere than with employer, either with or
           without there being a relationship of employment.

11.5.  If the employee's inability to work is the result of an event for which
       someone else is liable, the employee shall forthwith provide employer
       with full information and do everything in his power to enable employer
       to exercise his right to recourse referred to in Article 6:107a BW.

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11.6.  If the illness continues after the period of 52 weeks, employer will
       supplement the benefit pursuant to the Disability Insurance Act (Wet op
       de Arbeidsongeschiktheidsverzekering WAO) to 70% of the gross salary
       applicable in the period directly preceding the disability excluding
       compensation for overtime or other compensations, for a period of a
       maximum of 12 months, but at most until the end of the employment. In the
       event of partial disability, a proportionate percentage will be
       supplemented.

11.7.  The obligation to supplementation is cancelled if the Insurance Board
       (Bedrijfsvereniging) decides not to grant a WAO benefit.

11.8.  Supplementing insurance to the WAO benefit will be concluded. The
       employer will be fully responsible for payment of the premiums.

Article 12.  Confidentiality

12.1.  The employee shall observe strict confidentiality with respect to all
       information or data of which the employee obtains or has obtained
       knowledge, in the widest sense, including in any case strategy, long-
       range plans, operational plans, business secrets, calculations, pricing,
       turnover, margins, product/market combinations and purchasers, regarding
       employer, its subsidiaries, its participations, joint-ventures, or
       companies otherwise affiliated with employer.

12.2.  The employee is forbidden to communicate in any way with third parties
       regarding the information or data referred to, or to use them in any
       manner. In the event of non-compliance with or breach of this
       obligation/this prohibition, the employee forfeits a penalty of NLG
       100,000, immediately payable without judicial intervention or notice of
       default. Employer will regard a breach of confidentiality during the
       employment as urgent grounds for instant dismissal.

Article 13.  Intellectual Property

Employer holds the copyright within the meaning of the Copyright Act on works
created by the employee in the performance of his duties. If employer publishes
these works, the employee's name will always be mentioned. Before oral or
written publications by the employee which may affect employer's interests,
prior permission from employer shall be obtained. Such permission will only be
denied on serious grounds relating to these interests.

Article 14.  Industrial Property

14.1.  The employee is obliged to notify employer immediately of everything he
       accomplishes during the period of this employment contract, which may
       result in industrial property rights in the Netherlands or elsewhere,
       including within the meaning of this employment contract in any case
       inventions, as well as accomplishments in the field of industrial design,
       computer programs, and training systems.

14.2.  The inventions and other accomplishments referred to above belong to
       employer. The employee is obliged to hand over the connected rights,
       except in the case provided for in Article 14.3, both in the Netherlands
       and elsewhere, to employer, or to a third party to be

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       appointed by employer, at any rate in so far as these rights do not
       already belong to employer in accordance with the law. Employer will not
       be obliged to pay any compensation for these rights over and above the
       income earned by the employee referred to Article 5 of this employment
       contract.

14.3.  In so far as in employer's opinion the rights referred to above are not
       connected with employer's activities or the activities of an affiliated
       business, employer will communicate this to the employee in writing,
       within six months after employer has been informed of the accomplishment
       at issue in writing. From that moment onwards the employee may freely
       make use of those rights.

14.4.  The employer is obliged, also after the employment contract has
       terminated, to render employer any assistance which employer may require,
       in order to establish, dispose of and maintain the rights referred to
       above which have been entrusted to or handed over to employer. Any costs
       resulting from this assistance are at employer's expense.

14.5.  Employer is not obliged to apply for legal protection for rights to
       referred to in this Article which belong to or have been handed over to
       employer. In the event of patent applications employer will, as much as
       possible, strive to have the employee named as the inventor in the patent
       specification.

Article 15.  Non-Competition Clause

15.1.  Without previous written permission from employer, either during or
       within 6 months after the termination of the employment, the employee is
       not allowed to be involved professionally or financially for himself or
       others, either directly or indirectly, in activities which are directly
       related to employer's field and/or the field of affiliated companies or
       which are connected with activities in that field.

15.2.  In the event of a breach of paragraph 1 of this Article, the employee
       will forfeit a penalty of NLG 100,000 for each breach, as well as a
       penalty of NLG 2,500 for every day that the breach continues.
       Alternatively employer is entitled to claim full compensation, while
       during the employment employer is also entitled to impose a disciplinary
       punishment or to terminate the employment immediately on urgent grounds.

Article 16.  Gifts

Without explicit prior permission the employee is not allowed to accept gifts or
services from third parties, of which he can suspect that they exceed accepted
standards, or are meant to influence his freedom or independence with respect to
making business decision.

Article 17.  Alterations
Employer will confirm any alteration to this employment contract agreed with the
employee to the employee in writing.

Article 18.  Government Measures

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Both Parties commit themselves to consult together on the consequences in the
event that the Health Insurance Act (Ziektewet), the General Disability Benefits
Act/Disability Insurance Act (AAW/WAO), and/or the currently existing medical
insurance system are subject to alterations.  A point of departure is that
employer will not automatically compensate for financial disadvantages to the
employee.

Article 19.  Applicable Law

The Netherlands law applies to this employment contract. Disputes will be
decided by a competent Netherlands Court.

Article 20.  Concluding Clause

The Parties declare that this employment contract, fully reflects the employment
conditions agreed between them.  Any earlier written employment conditions are
hereby cancelled.  New agreements shall be confirmed in writing.

Made out in duplicate and signed at Rotterdam, on September 27, 1998.

WorldPort Communications Inc.          For approval,

/s/ Dan M. Wickersham                  /s/ David Hickey

Mr. D. Wickersham                      Mr. D. Hickey
President

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