Cequel 3 CEO and leadership

Jerry Kent is a recognized entrepreneur and trailblazer in the telecommunications and technology industries with an outstanding track record for customer service and delivering superior returns for investors. Prior to assuming the role of TierPoint’s CEO, he served as its chairman. He also serves as CEO of Cequel III, which he co-founded in January 2002.

Cequel III is a technology management company. Previously, the Cequel III team built AAT Communications into the largest privately owned cell tower company in the United States before selling that enterprise in 2006. Cequel III and Jerry also managed Suddenlink Communications, building it into the seventh-largest U.S. cable company with operating results among the best in its industry before it was sold to Altice Group in 2015 for an enterprise value of $9.1 billion.

Jerry began his career as a CPA with Arthur Andersen in 1979, and in 1983 left to head up acquisitions and finance for an upstart cable company, Cencom Cable Associates, Inc. He later became CFO of Cencom, which grew by acquisition and eventually served 550,000 customers in the U.S. before it was sold in 1991.

After serving a year with Cencom’s acquirer, Jerry left and co-founded Charter Communications, Inc., in January 1993. He led Charter to become one of the 10 largest cable operators in the U.S., serving 1.3 million customers. In 1998, Microsoft co-founder Paul Allen acquired Charter, providing substantial rewards for Charter’s private investors. Jerry continued as President and CEO, growing Charter to serve more than 7 million customers and making it the nation’s fourth-largest cable company at the time. The company went public in November 1999, in what was then the third-largest IPO in U.S. history. Charter consistently led the industry in superior operating results and from the IPO date until September 2001, the month Jerry left, Charter’s was the best performing public cable stock.

Multichannel News named Jerry its Executive of the Year in 2011. In 2012, he was inducted into the Broadcasting & Cable Hall of Fame and received the cable industry’s Distinguished Vanguard Award for Leadership. In 2013, he was named CED Magazine’s co-person of the year, with Suddenlink CTO Terry Cordova, and in 2014, Jerry was inducted into The Cable Center Hall of Fame.

A native of the St. Louis metropolitan area, Jerry is very active in the community. He is Chairman of the Compensation Committee and serves on the Board of Trustees and Executive Committee for his alma mater, Washington University, from which he earned his bachelor’s degree and MBA. He is Vice Chairman of The Magic House/St. Louis Children’s Museum Board. He is also a member of the Board of Directors for the St. Louis Zoo and a Commissioner of the St. Louis Zoological Park Subdistrict Commission.

Consumer products and services executive with senior-level leadership background in both agency and client-side organizations. Diverse brand experience, across multiple industries ranging from CPG, travel and the service-based cable/internet communications industry. Consistent track record of driving profitable growth on both a national and global scale. Participated in multiple private equity turn-around scenarios resulting in successful transitions. An entrepreneurial team leader focused on driving change via insightful experience, curiosity for learning and an enthusiasm for what’s new.

Specialties: Leadership roles in dynamic, high growth environments in technology and content industries

Robert 'Bob' Putnam is a Senior VP/CIO at Cequel Communications LLC, Senior VP/CIO at CEQUEL III, and Senior VP/CIO at Suddenlink Communications PAC. He has worked as VP:Consulting at Information Builders and Senior VP at Hitachi. Robert studied at Missouri State University.

Terry Cordova are a Chief Executive Officer at First Alliance Bank, Senior VP/CTO at Cequel Communications LLC, and Senior VP/CTO at CEQUEL III and are based in Overland Park, Kansas. They have worked as Vice Chairman, Business Development at Cablevision; SVP Engineering at Charter Communications; and Exec VP/CTO at Altice USA. Terry work or have worked as MEMBER at Institute of Electronic & Electrical Engineers. They studied at Kansas State University.

Thomas 'Tom' McMillin is a Non Executive Director at Service Express Inc; Chief Financial Officer at AMFM INC; and Non Executive Director (Chairman Audit Committee) at WOW! Internet, Cable & Phone and is based in St. Louis, Oklahoma. He has worked as Exec VP/CFO at UniTek Global Services Inc; President & COO , BOD Member at TierPoint LLC; and Non Executive Director - Ascent Capital Group at Brink's. Thomas works or has worked as Co-President/COO at CEQUEL III, MEMBER at SCTE, and MEMBER at Women in Cable elecommunications. He attended University of Missouri-Columbia between 1979 and 1983.