Cablefax The Magazine - July 2015 - 16

2015 Top Ops Awards
MSO REGIONAL EXECUTIVE OF THE YEAR
Dave Gilles
Suddenlink
It's a well-known maxim, 'The
bigger they are, the humbler
they are.' That certainly fi ts
Dave Gilles. At Suddenlink,
there are few bigger or more
respected than this SVP, Operations
for the Southwest Region.
Yet getting Gilles to talk about
himself or his management style
is diffi cult-he'd rather tout his
team, which is nearly half of all
Suddenlink employees, serving
the company's largest unit, the
six-state Southwest Region, with
some 720,000 residential subscribers. We'll grant his wish, giving
wide berth to his Suddenlink colleagues.
After you learn about Gilles's thinking on corporate culture, his ability to
lead and motivate and his concern for customers-he's known for his
saying 'How will this effect customers?'-it's not surprising to discover
Southwest has been Suddenlink's top region in customer relationship
growth for eight years and consistently outperforms on key metrics.
A telling moment comes when we ask Gilles what makes him most
proud. It's seeing people on his team succeed, reaching heights
" they didn't think they could attain, " he says without hesitation. Mike
Nelson, Suddenlink's VP of Fiscal Operations for the West Region,
concurs: " Dave's can-do attitude pushes everyone to achievements
we wouldn't have thought possible on our own. " Adds Tim Archer,
Director of Operations for Amarillo, TX, " He has an innate calling that
drives his devotion to those with whom he works. "
" Dave not only has the ability to motivate individuals, but the unique
ability to inspire, helping everyone around him achieve their full
potential, " says West Region VP of Operations Aimee Doane.
To understand how Gilles leads his team to excel, you need to look
at his road to cable. An accountant, Gilles spent 10 years after
graduating summa cum laude from Illinois State " going into thouFAST
FACT
Fast Fact
uMarried for 25 years and a father of fi ve, Gilles's community
involvement includes being president of the
Lubbock-Cooper Independent School District board and
a board member of the Texas Cable Association and the
Lubbock United Way among others.
16
cablefaxmag.com
HANDS DOWN: Gilles (fifth from left) is most proud of the accomplishments
of his team.
sands of companies " doing tax and audit work. That formed Gilles's
perspective on business. " I learned what all good companies have
at their core: A great culture that empowers folks... it gives folks a
place to go so they know how to operate if you defi ne your culture
and live your culture. "
After a decade of accounting experience Gilles joined Charter's fi nance
department in Michigan in 2000. It was an eye opener. " I probably got
seven years experience during that fi rst year, " he says. After fi nishing his
" day job " in fi nance, " I'd move my laptop into Rodney [Lanham's] offi ce
and listen to his conference calls... it was a great learning experience...
I know much about a lot of stuff based on that year and a half. " Incidentally,
today Lanham is Suddenlink's VP of network engineering.
That fi rst year showcased Gilles's skills in teambuilding, execution
and leadership by example as Charter was combining fi ve acquisitions,
consisting of 4K employees and more than 550K customers.
That was the launch pad; we'll dispense with more about Gilles's
rise and let others talk about him. " He took a chance on me, standing
by me as I learned the ropes...he was my biggest cheerleader, "
says Wendy Purnell, Director of Operations - Eureka, CA. While
Gilles is known as a bold business leader, he's fi ercely concerned
about his employees as people. In 2010 he urged his entire region
to improve their personal lives. One challenge, to improve physically,
resulted in 100 employees running a half marathon and one dozen
quitting smoking. Then there's Gilles's sense of humor and the parties
with his team, where he's known to grill a mean pork chop.
John McNelly, VP of Sales & Marketing- West Region, sums it up
well. " I've only worked for a couple of people that I thought were
exceptional leaders of people. Dave Gilles is far and away the most
extraordinary leader I have worked with. " We'll let Suddenlink chairman/CEO
Jerry Kent have the last word with an understatement:
" Dave's people love working for him so much that I truly believe
they'd run through a brick wall for him. "
- Seth Arenstein
July 2015
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Cablefax The Magazine - July 2015

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