WOW! Internet competitors

Bob Udell is the President and CEO of Consolidated Communications. Prior to being named President and CEO in 2014, Udell served as the Company's President and COO, and as Senior Vice President upon joining the Company in April 2004. Udell has more than 25 years of telecommunications leadership experience including profit and loss management and operations at large- and mid-sized local exchange companies. He served in leadership roles at TXU Communications including Executive Vice President of Business Development, Regulatory and Administration, and Chief Operating Officer. He served in leadership roles at McLeodUSA as Senior Vice President of Network Services and Vice President and General Manager of the company’s Indiana operations, and he held management roles at Bell Atlantic in operations, carrier sales and marketing. Udell serves on the USTelecom Board of Directors and formerly served as Chairman of the Independent Telephone and Telecommunications Alliance. He also serves on the boards of the Greater Conroe Economic Development Council and The John Cooper School Board of Trustees. He holds a master's degree in business administration from the Katz Graduate School of Business at the University of Pittsburgh and a bachelor's degree in electrical engineering from the University of Pittsburgh. Udell completed the Advanced Technology Innovations Program at Carnegie Mellon University in Pittsburgh.

Chris Ripley is a President & Chief Executive Officer at SINCLAIR BROADCAST GROUP INC, Dir:Investor at hibu, and Member Board of Directors (Audit Committee Chair) at hibu and is based in Reading, Reading, United Kingdom. He has worked as Managing Director - Head of Los Angeles Investment Banking at UBS, Chief Financial Officer at SINCLAIR BROADCAST GROUP INC, and Mng Dir:Global Media Group at UBS Investment Bank. Chris attended University of Western Ontario/The and Ivey Business School.

Rocco Commisso is a Chairman/CEO/Founder at Mediacom Communications, Board Member at Mediacom Communications, and Board Member at C-SPAN. He has worked as Exec VP/CFO at CABLEVISION INDUSTRIES CORP, Board Member at AMERICAN INDEPENDENCE CORP, and Board Member at CABLEVISION INDUSTRIES CORP. Rocco works or has worked as MEMBER at Cable Tv Pioneers, BOARD MEMBER at Natl Cable Television Assn, and BOARD MEMBER at Natl Italian American Foundation. He studied at Columbia University.

Brandon Burgess is the Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of ION Media. Since taking the role as CEO, he orchestrated the company’s successful financial recapitalization and re-invented ION as a leading independent television company that has delivered consistent profitable growth under his watch. Burgess led the transformation of the ION Television flagship network into a household TV brand by building a portfolio of high-quality popular original series, made-for-TV films, as well as syndicated dramas and theatrical movies. This strategy has delivered sustained audience growth and made ION Television a top-rated national entertainment network in record time. Burgess expanded ION’s TV station portfolio through targeted acquisitions, giving it the largest U.S. UHF spectrum footprint, with 62 large-market stations, including ownership in each of the top 20 U.S. metropolitan areas. Burgess pioneered the U.S. multicast category with the nation’s first two national over-the-air special interest broadcast networks in 2007, incubating ION’s multi-network portfolio strategy. He has since been a thought leader on broadcast spectrum matters, advocating industry focus and R&D for wireless content delivery. Most recently he oversaw ION’s financially successful participation in the 600 MHz spectrum auction, while preserving ION’s full nationwide wireless footprint. Before joining ION, Burgess was the head of Business Development and Global Strategy for NBCUniversal, where he is credited with evolving the NBC broadcast network into a global multimedia company. He was the architect of NBC's acquisition of Universal Entertainment, leading to the creation of NBCUniversal. Burgess was also responsible for the acquisition of Bravo; NBC’s first entertainment cable channel, NBC’s entry into Hispanic broadcasting, and leading business strategy change for the NBC broadcast network. In prior positions, Burgess worked in Corporate Strategy for PepsiCo and in the Investment Banking Division at Goldman Sachs. Burgess was recognized in the World Economic Forum’s inaugural class of ''Young Global Leaders'' in 2005, and was honored with Broadcasting & Cable’s “Technology Leadership Award” in 2008 for his industry work in spectrum Research & Development. Burgess was named to the Paley Center for Media’s Board of Trustees in 2014, and also serves on the Board of the National Association of Broadcasters. Burgess is a graduate of the European Business School and the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania.

Pat Esser is president of Cox Communications, a multi-service broadband communications and entertainment company with about six million residential and commercial customers. The company is known for its broadband leadership and pioneering efforts in commercial services; customer care; cable telephone and its ability to create outstanding workplaces. The company’s pioneering spirit continues today with industry-leading programmatic advertising offered via its Cox Media division; its 1 Gigabit offerings; security and automation services known as Cox Homelife as well as its premium video offering that includes predictive search, a voice remote and integrated Netflix experience. Esser’s philosophy and the Cox family’s long-held belief is that making Cox’s local communities more vibrant is its responsibility and a call to action. As such, the company is answering the need for low-cost Internet for families in need with its Connect2Compete program. Esser brings more than 30 years of experience in cable and telecommunications to his role as Cox’s top executive, a position he has held since 2006. He joined Cox in 1979 as director of programming in Hampton Roads, VA, and was part of the original management team that pioneered Cox’s advertising sales division now known as Cox Media. Named corporate vice president of advertising sales in 1991, Esser was presented with the Cabletelevision Advertising Bureau President’s Award just three years later. Esser became vice president of operations for Cox’s Western Division in 1999, and a year later was promoted to senior vice president of operations. In 2004, Esser was promoted to executive vice president and chief operating officer. Cox has earned numerous accolades during Esser’s tenure as president; many tied to his personal passion for diversity and inclusion. In 2006, Cox first appeared in DiversityInc’s listing of the Top 50 Companies for Diversity and has now made the list thirteen times. Women in Cable Telecommunications (WICT) regularly points to Cox among the top operators for women. In 2007 Esser was personally honored with Multichannel News’ first “Executive of the Year” award. At the 2013 Cable Show, Esser was awarded with the National Cable & Telecommunications Association’s (NCTA) Distinguished Vanguard Award for Leadership - the industry’s highest honor. Customer service excellence is a Cox hallmark under Esser’s leadership. Cox has consistently ranked highly in annual J.D. Power and Associates’ studies of consumer satisfaction, with a total of 36 top honors across multiple residential and business product categories. Esser serves on the board of directors of C-SPAN, CableLabs and the National Cable & Telecommunications Association. Additionally, he serves as an adviser to the National Association for Multi-Ethnicity in Communications. Esser also serves as chair of the Southeastern Trustees and on the national Board of Governors of the Boys & Girls Clubs of America. A graduate of the University of Northern Iowa, Esser holds a B.A. and M.A. in communications media, and in 2003 was presented the university’s Heritage Honors Alumni Achievement Award. In 2009, he was inducted into the Broadcasting and Cable Hall of Fame.