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James F. Geiger
James F. Geiger has been Cbeyond's Chairman, President and Chief Executive Officer since he founded the company in 1999.
Prior to founding Cbeyond, Mr. Geiger was Senior Vice President and Chief Marketing Officer of Intermedia Communications. He was also in charge of Digex, Intermedia's complex web-hosting organization, since acquisition and until just prior to its carve-out IPO.
Before he joined Intermedia, Mr. Geiger was a founding principal and CEO of FiberNet, a metropolitan area network provider, which was sold to Intermedia in 1996.
In the 1980's Mr. Geiger held various sales and marketing management positions at Frontier Communications, Inc. He began his career at Price Waterhouse (now PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP) and received a bachelor's degree in accounting and pre-law from Clarkson University.
In addition, Mr. Geiger serves on the board of directors of the Marist School, an independent Catholic School of the Marist Fathers and Brothers, the Hands On Network, a national volunteer organization that promotes civic engagement in communities, and ReachLocal, a privately held, venture capital-backed company headquartered in Woodland Hills, CA, focused on online advertising and search optimization for small businesses.
J. Robert Fugate
J. Robert Fugate leads Cbeyond's financial and accounting operations, business development and investor relations, and is a founder of Cbeyond.
From 1988 until the founding of Cbeyond, Fugate served as chief financial officer for several telecommunications and technology companies. Those companies included Splitrock Services, Inc., a nationwide Internet and data network services provider, and Mobile Telecommunication Technologies Corp. (now SkyTel Communications Corp.), an international provider of wireless data services. While at these companies, Fugate oversaw numerous public securities offerings and other financial transactions.
Fugate was previously an investment banker at Prudential-Bache Securities. He began his career at Mobile Communications Corporation of America.
He received an MBA from Harvard University and a bachelor's degree from the University of Mississippi.
Robert R. Morrice
In his role as Executive Vice President and Chief People Officer, Robert R. Morrice oversees recruiting, training and Human Resources. In 2008 he spearheaded the creation of Cbeyond University, a recruiting, on-boarding, and training organization, and in less than one year the program has grown to support more than 600 employees. Prior to taking on this role, Mr. Morrice was responsible for the development and launch of Cbeyond's sales and distribution channels.
Most recently, Morrice was vice president of retail sales and an officer of Intermedia Communications, where he built one of the most successful CLEC sales forces in the nation. In four years under Morrice's leadership, Intermedia expanded its sales force from eight people to 800 and increased its offices from four to more than 50 nationwide. Morrice also guided all aspects of Intermedia's retail sales, generating more than $650 million in annualized revenues.
Previously, Morrice developed sales efforts for Precision Systems, Inc., a Florida-based telecommunications software company. Earlier in his career, he was regularly promoted at Sprint Communications, where he began as a national account manager, then became a branch manager and eventually Southeast regional director.
Morrice has a bachelor's degree in social sciences from Campbell University and a master's degree in education psychology from Wayne State University.
Richard J. Batelaan, P.E.
Richard J. Batelaan manages Cbeyond's operations units including customer care, field operations, systems operations, network operations, network planning, provisioning, service activation and ILEC relations.
Before joining Cbeyond in 2001, Batelaan was cofounder and chief operations officer of BroadRiver Communications, a provider of Voice Over IP (VOIP), Internet access and VPN services. At BroadRiver, he directed seven operations units and developed plans for launching the company's bundled services in three markets.
Previously, Batelaan spent 12 years with BellSouth, a regional ILEC based in Atlanta. He started there as an engineer and moved up steadily through the company, serving in several different divisions. During the 1990s, Batelaan was promoted to director of technical support for BellSouth Business Systems and later was named director of operations for that group's data customer support center. Eventually, Batelaan moved to the Internet services arm of the company, BellSouth.net, where he served in numerous roles including director of network operations, director of engineering, vice president of operations, and chief operations officer.
Batelaan holds a bachelor's degree in electrical engineering from Georgia Institute of Technology and a master's degree in information networking from Carnegie-Mellon University.
Brent Cobb
As Chief Customer Officer, Brent Cobb is responsible for all of Cbeyond's customer-facing teams, including network operations, services planning, account management, retention, customer care, technical support, and network intelligence. He joined the company in 2005 to launch the wireless service as a general manager of mobile with responsibility for marketing, product management, and new product development.
Prior to Cbeyond, he was the executive vice president of strategy, services planning, and business development at SK-EarthLink, a joint venture between SK Telecom of South Korea and EarthLink that ultimately became Helio. He created the business case for the joint venture, secured $440 million of funding and established the venture in the United States.
Before joining Helio, Mr. Cobb held a variety of executive management positions at EarthLink and Scott, Madden & Associates, a management consulting firm focused on the energy and telecom industries.
He holds a bachelor's degree in mechanical engineering from Clemson University and a master's degree in business, focusing on international finance, from the Goizueta Business School at Emory University.
Christopher C. Gatch
Christopher C. Gatch is responsible for Cbeyond's Engineering department as well as on-going network technology research and development. He has worked at Cbeyond since its inception in 1999. He began as vice president of business development, later becoming vice president of product development, vice president of engineering, and now chief technology officer.
Prior to his arrival at Cbeyond, Gatch worked at Intermedia Communications, where his last role was senior director of strategic marketing. In this capacity, he focused on research and development of Voice Over IP alternatives for the company.
Gatch has a bachelor's degree in computer engineering from Clemson University and a master's degree in the management of technology from the Georgia Institute of Technology. He also serves on the board of the SIP Forum, an organization dedicated to advancing the adoption of products and services based on the Session Initiation Protocol.
Joseph A. Oesterling
Joseph A. Oesterling is responsible for Cbeyond's internal technology including Operational Supports Systems (OSS), Business Support Systems (BSS), Business Intelligence tools, internal infrastructure and support. He also provides executive oversight for Cbeyond's billing operations, and facilities. His team at Cbeyond has created a next-generation OSS featuring a high degree of flow-through provisioning and an industry leading customer self-service Web site CbeyondOnline™.
Before joining Cbeyond, Oesterling held leadership roles in information technology with Capital One, Security Capital Group, Booz-Allen & Hamilton, Sony and IBM.
Mr. Oesterling is very active in the Atlanta community serving on the Board of Directors for Consumer Credit Counseling Services of Greater Atlanta (www.cccsatl.org) , TechBridge (www.techbridge.org), and Synchronicity Performance Group (www.synchrotheatre.com) while serving on the Advisory Board for the Georgia CIO Leadership Association.
Mr. Oesterling holds an MBA from the University of Texas at Austin and a Bachelor of Science degree in computer science from Purdue University.
Brooks A. Robinson
Brooks Robinson leads Cbeyond's sales and marketing organization. He has held leadership positions with Cbeyond since early 2000.
Prior to joining Cbeyond, Robinson worked for Cambridge Strategic Management Group (CSMG), a strategy consulting firm in Boston. While at CSMG, he managed consulting engagements that focused on strategy development and business case due diligence for the telecom and high tech sectors.
Previously, Robinson managed consulting engagements for Deloitte Consulting in Toronto and held various engineering positions at Nortel in Ottawa.
Robinson is the past-board chair and current board member of The Edge Connection (www.theedgeconnection.com), a not-for-profit organization that offers an in-depth and affordable entrepreneurial training program designed for low- to moderate-income individuals aspiring to start or expand a business.
He holds a bachelor of applied science degree in electrical engineering and management science from the University of Waterloo (Canada) and the University of Queensland (Australia).
Kurt J. Abkemeier
Kurt J. Abkemeier, Vice President, Finance and Treasurer for Cbeyond, is responsible for the finance, treasury and investor relations departments.
Prior to joining Cbeyond, Abkemeier was Director of Finance and Strategic Planning for AirGate PCS, Inc., a regional wireless telecommunications service provider and Sprint affiliate. Abkemeier also held various senior management positions within telecommunications-related companies and was a senior sell-side research analyst at JP Morgan & Co. analyzing telecommunications companies.
Abkemeier graduated with a Bachelor of Science degree in Applied Economics from Cornell University.
Ashish Bisaria
As vice president of customer service operations, Ashish Bisaria is responsible for Cbeyond's strategic and day-to-day customer services operations including customer care, technical, mobile, billing research, executive escalation, smart start and major accounts teams.
Prior to joining Cbeyond, Mr. Bisaria served as director of customer experience at Sprint where he was responsible for running call center operations, staffing 35,000 agents across 72 call centers.
Previously, Mr. Bisaria was the strategic and operational call center leader for US Cellular, a Chicago-based company with 6 million mobile users. In this role, he oversaw the company's six call centers.
During his career, Mr. Bisaria has also served as a consultant in KPMG's information and telecom practice advising clients on numerous strategic initiatives including operations, market launches, and merger and acquisitions. Mr. Bisaria worked in seven different countries during the eight years he was with the firm.
He earned a bachelor degree in science from the University of Delhi and a master's degree in business from the University of Bombay.
Mary N. Ford
Mary Ford is responsible for Cbeyond University, community affairs, and internal communications. Ms. Ford created Cbeyond University, a recruiting, on-boarding, and training organization, in 2008, and in less than one year the program has grown to support more than 600 employees. She also leads Cbeyond Community Connections, an employee-focused community involvement program that enables employees to become community leaders through volunteer service, professional networking and career development opportunities. Additionally, Ms. Ford leads company-wide internal communications programs, focusing on the use of social media technologies.
In her previous role as vice president of marketing, Ford oversaw corporate communications, public relations, and sales operations for Cbeyond. Since joining the company in 2000, Ford has been instrumental in the strategic development of Cbeyond's BeyondVoice service offering. She has also defined the company's sales operation program, which has generated significant year-over-year customer growth.
Prior to joining Cbeyond, Ms. Ford held a senior management position in the Mass Markets Division of MCI WorldCom. In this role, she managed product development efforts for the company's local phone service offering and the Specialty Brands suite of products, including 1-800-COLLECT, and online sales and service. She began her career as a senior consultant for Andersen Consulting.
Ms. Ford is a board member for Dress for Success Atlanta, where she has served as secretary and is currently vice president. She is an active member of the Technology Association of Georgia, where she served as a board member for the Marketing Society. She is also an active member of Women in Technology and the Public Relations Society of America. She is a founding member of the Cbeyond Women's Network, an organization designed to foster professional development for Cbeyond women through a variety of educational sessions and networking events. She is an active member of the Holy Spirit Catholic Church, where she serves as a lector. Additionally, Ms Ford is a pace group leader for the Galloway Marathon Training group's Atlanta Chapter, through which she has completed 13 marathons.
In 2008 Ms. Ford was named one of the Top 25 Professional Women to Watch by Atlanta Woman magazine.
She holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in Economics from the University of Virginia and a Master of Arts degree in Telecommunications from George Washington University.
Cleveland A. Lewis
As vice president of sales, Cleveland A. Lewis is responsible for Cbeyond's direct sales force. Most recently, Lewis served as regional vice president of direct sales after proving instrumental in the development and implementation of Cbeyond's sales methodology. Prior to this, Lewis held several leadership roles within Cbeyond, including vice president of the Denver market as well as director of New Markets, where he was responsible for the launch of the Atlanta, Dallas and Denver offices.
Prior to joining Cbeyond, Lewis was regional sales director for MCI Direct and PST, Inc., a marketing firm for MCI. Lewis also served as regional sales director with Prism Communications, a national DSL provider, and as a Global Account Manager for USA.net, a leading provider in advanced messaging.
Lewis is a graduate of Brandeis University with a bachelor's degree in Social Sciences and African American Studies.
Henry C. Lyon
Prior to joining Cbeyond, Lyon was Vice President and Corporate Controller, Chief Accounting Officer for World Access, Inc., a provider of international long distance service focused on markets in Europe. Lyon also held positions as Vice President and Corporate Controller for Nova Corporation; principle for Broadstreet Development Company, LLC and audit manager for Ernst & Young, LL.
Lyon graduated from the University of Georgia in 1986 with a Bachelor of Business Administration in Accounting.
Joan L. Tolliver
Joan L. Tolliver has been instrumental in the development and growth of the HR function within Cbeyond. Since joining Cbeyond in 2000, the company has grown from 35 to more than 1,000 employees. Her responsibilities include the design and administration of compensation and benefits; employee relations; recruitment & staffing; management and compliance training; and facilities management.
Previously, Ms. Tolliver set up and ran the HR Department at Dallas-based NexTrend, Inc. She began her HR career at Intermedia Communication as the Director of HR, where during her tenure, the company grew from 26 to more than 900 employees. She is experienced in the education field as both an educator and school counselor.
Ms. Tolliver is a member of the Society for Human Resource Management, SHRM Atlanta, and a member of the board of directors for two non-profits, Sophia Academy and Tapestri.
She has a bachelor's degree in education from the University of North Dakota and a master's degree in education from the University of Texas, where she also completed the course work for a master's degree in counseling. Additionally, Ms. Tolliver has an HR Professional Certification from SHRM.
Terry S. Trout
Terry S. Trout brings more than 25 years of leadership experience to her role as vice president of customer experience for Cbeyond where she champions the customer experience strategically across the organization aligning cross-departmental initiatives to ensure the highest level of customer satisfaction. Through motivation, metrics and mechanics, these initiatives have resulted in a 99-percent monthly customer retention rate and a customer referral rate of greater than 30-percent.
Previously, Ms. Trout was responsible for customer care, service delivery, technical support, collections and operations training. Ms. Trout led the development of CbeyondOnline™, an online account management tool that simplifies bill payment and gives customers complete control of their account. She also launched Cbeyond's community service program enabling Cbeyond employees to give back to the communities where they work and live.
Prior to joining Cbeyond, Ms. Trout was vice president of marketing communications for Intermedia Communications, an integrated communications provider. Previously, she was vice president of East Coast operations and corporate marketing for Marcone Appliance Parts Center, the nation's fastest-growing distributor of repair parts. In this role, Ms. Trout helped lead the company's start-up, acquisition and restructuring initiatives.
Ms. Trout is actively involved in a variety of leadership and mentoring activities. She founded Cbeyond's Women's Network, an organization designed to foster professional development for Cbeyond women through a variety of educational sessions and networking events. She hold board positions at The Sullivan Center and with WIT – Women in Technology. Additionally, Ms. Trout is a mentor for WEDA (Women's Economic Development Association), and an active associate of the Marist School Communications Committee and her parish, Holy Spirit Catholic Church's, Liturgy Committee.
Ms. Trout was chosen as one of Atlanta Women Magazine's Top 25 Power Women to Watch in 2006, which recognized her contribution to community and leadership activities. She was also a finalist in the Women in Technology (WIT) Woman of the Year award in 2006, and won the award in 2007.
Ms. Trout has a bachelor's degree from Quincy University in Quincy, Illinois, and an MBA from Southern Illinois University.
Minaz K. Vastani
In his role as Vice President of Operations Support Systems (OSS) at Cbeyond, Minaz K. Vastani is responsible for the development and enhancement of Cbeyond's next generation OSS ecosystem, which includes CRM, eCommerce, EAI, service management and business intelligence systems. Since joining Cbeyond in 2000, he has built a team of talented directors, managers and engineers and developed a superior OSS, which is a distinct strategic advantage for the organization.
Prior to joining Cbeyond, Mr. Vastani worked for Verizon (formerly GTE Corp) where he was responsible for developing online customer self service channels for Verizon's domestic and international subsidiaries. In this role, he led a team of 25 software engineers on four strategic, mission critical ecommerce projects budgeted at $8 million. He was recognized for his contribution to the organization by receiving the Leslie Warner Award for Technical Innovation for GTE.com.
Mr. Vastani began his career at FedEx's STAR Center, a research arm of FedEx focused on delivering innovative solutions to the enterprise.
He holds a Bachelors and Masters degree in Computer Engineering from the University of Texas at Austin, where he graduated with high honors in both programs. Mr. Vastani actively gives back to the community through his affiliation with TechBridge, Technology Association of Georgia, Hands On Network and TiE Atlanta.
William H. Weber
Mr. Weber joined Cbeyond in early 2006 as the company's first in house counsel. Today, as Chief Administrative Officer, he leads Cbeyond's Legal and Regulatory Departments.
Prior to joining Cbeyond, Mr. Weber was the Vice President, Regulatory Affairs & Operations, at Covad Communications. He joined Covad in 2002 as a regulatory attorney for the seven-state BellSouth region, and spent the following four years there in various positions including Senior Counsel and Regional Vice President. When he left Covad in 2006, Mr. Weber was responsible for leading the regional teams controlling all of the company's regulatory and legislative affairs in 35 states.
Mr. Weber grew up in Decatur, Georgia. He attended the United States Naval Academy where he received a B.S. in English in 1987, graduating with honors and accepting a commission as a second lieutenant in the United States Marine Corps. As a Marine tank platoon commander stationed in Camp Pendleton, California, Mr. Weber completed deployments to Okinawa, Japan and to Korea. Later, during Operations Desert Shield and Storm, he served as a platoon commander in the 1st Light Armored Infantry Battalion. Following the conclusion of hostilities, Mr. Weber was awarded the Bronze Star Medal with Combat "V" for his actions in the Al Burquan oil fields on February 25, 1991. Five other Marines under his command were also awarded the Bronze Star Medal.
The Marine Corps sent Mr. Weber to law school at the University of Georgia where he graduated cum laude in 1996. He practiced law for the Marine Corps at Parris Island, South Carolina, but acted as military defense counsel in numerous courts martial in other parts of the country. After leaving the Marine Corps as a major in 1999, Mr. Weber taught trial and appellate advocacy at the law school at the University of Georgia before moving to a commercial litigation practice at a large Atlanta law firm in 2000 and then in-house in 2002.
Mr. Weber and his wife, Kristen, have been married for nineteen years and have six children. They live in Marietta, Georgia.
Carrie A. Wheeler
Carrie A. Wheeler joined Cbeyond in 2009 and leads Cbeyond's Information Technology Strategy & Planning teams. In this role, Carrie is responsible for strategic planning and capital management, systems delivery release management and analysis, delivery of business support systems, quality assurance, service management and billing operations.
During her career, Carrie had held a variety of IT leadership positions at AT&T, MCI Communications and Accenture Consulting. Prior to joining Cbeyond, Carrie worked for AT&T where she was responsible for Consumer Broadband IT Services supporting 10+ million customers, 14 Global Customer Care 24x7 operations, and $4 billion in revenue. In previous roles, she held leadership positions across a variety of organizational functions spanning IT strategy, merger and acquisition planning and execution, customer operations, program management and capital management.
Carrie holds a Masters in Business Administration from Southern Methodist University and a Bachelor of Science degree in Marketing & Finance from Trinity University.
Stephen P. Zimba
Stephen P. Zimba brings more than 21 years of communications and technology experience to his role as Vice President of Marketing. In this role, Mr. Zimba is responsible for product and channel marketing, public relations, advertising, product management, product development, alliance management, and sales engineering.
Prior to joining Cbeyond, Mr. Zimba was managing director for Microsoft's $1.5 billion Global Telecommunications Business. He led an organization focused on enabling telecommunications companies to introduce innovative products and services and to deploy next generation infrastructure using Microsoft technologies.
Before joining Microsoft, Mr. Zimba served as Director of Strategic Business Development at BellSouth where he spearheaded the development of key strategic next generation services including BellSouth's hosting, storage and IT services, VoIP services, and broadband entertainment services.
Prior to BellSouth, Mr. Zimba held Management positions in the Telecommunications and IT industries with Cap Gemini and American Management Systems.
Mr. Zimba is an Advisory board member with U4EA Technologies, a founder and board member of the Wireless Technology Forum, an Advisory Board Member of Exchange Magazine, and serves on the Telecommunications Committee of the US Israeli Chamber. He is also past board member of the University of Southern California Center for Telecommunications Management.
Mr. Zimba earned a bachelor's degree in economics and policy studies and a master's degree in public finance and administration from the Maxwell School at Syracuse University.
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