In today’s business environment, companies cannot settle for incremental improvement, but sometimes periodically undergo leadership transitions to execute their next critical phase of growth. For all we hear about businesses undergoing a digital transformation, surprisingly one reads very little about the role of one important person: the CEO. The role of the CEO is unique in that they stand at the helm of the organization and all other members of the business take cues from them.
One company that has undergone a change in leadership is FiberLight, LLC, a provider of high-capacity fiber- based network connectivity solutions. Just recently, FiberLight promoted Don MacNeil, who joined FiberLight as Chief Operating Officer in September 2017, to Chief Executive Officer. With the appointment, the company’s CEO of the last three years, Jim Lynch, will assume the exclusive Executive Chairman role.
Mr. Lynch offered commentary on the announcement.
“We are in the midst of an unprecedented transformation in a networked, all-digital world. This transformation is enabled by cloud technologies and mobile platforms and devices, all of which require fiber-based connectivity to power reliable, efficient solutions. Don’s experience and accomplishments make him the right leader for the next stage of FiberLight’s growth, and the timing couldn’t be better to position FiberLight as the go-to partner for enterprise and wholesale digital transformation initiatives,” Mr. Lynch stated. “Don is also focused on maintaining FiberLight’s culture and values, which have brought us this far. I have been very impressed with the positive impact he has had with our Sales and Operations teams in a short period of time. Further, my first-hand knowledge and his career successes have increased my confidence in his ability to lead FiberLight to continued success and innovative evolution.”
FiberLight delivers reliable, mission-critical network connectivity solutions and infrastructure. The company’s high-bandwidth networks and organizational agility enable it to meet the growing data requirements of regional and global technology companies.
“During my first few months as COO, I have spent considerable time with the FiberLight teams and seen the immediate impacts of recent investments in our network, our people and our back-office systems. We are poised to refresh our strategy and go-to-market planning, which will align the company for our next phase of growth,” stated Mr. MacNeil. “I continue to be impressed by the people who have built the company’s success to date and by the assets FiberLight has developed. By combining my past experience in the data center and service provider networking segments with FiberLight’s expertise and strategic network reach, we will be able to meet the challenges posed by hyperscale connectivity, evolving wireless solutions and the needs of our enterprise customers. I am honored to have earned the trust of Thermo Capital Partners, of Jim, who will continue be a valued mentor and steward of the business, and of FiberLight’s employees.”
Mr. MacNeil is well-respected across the data center solutions and broader internet infrastructure markets. He previously served as Chief Technology Officer for EdgeConneX®, which successfully built a national portfolio of 29 Edge data centers across the U.S. and Europe. What’s more, Mr. MacNeil has held a variety of leadership roles in engineering, operations, sales, and marketing teams. He culminated his 14-year tenure with XO Communications as the company’s COO.
To learn more about FiberLight, click here.
