Cablefax The Magazine - May 2016 - 31

REGIONALS
Collins is a seasoned telecom professional who has
risen in the ranks at Comcast due to his strategic
approach. His leadership has helped the Heartland
Region grow revenue and cash flow while improving net
increases across the business - in video, data, voice
and home security. Heartland region's employees tend
to grow long-term careers with Comcast, which can be
credited in part to Collins' compassionate and effective
leadership.
What was your first job? Assisting the milkman with
home deliveries on Saturdays.
What was the last costume that you wore and
why? Cowboy hat, because it's easy to put on and
take off
Best way to spend a Saturday night: Movie and a
late dinner with my wife
Hoverboard, driverless car or drone: Driverless car,
they are coming sooner than you think
Favorite vacation spot: Northern Michigan
16. CALIFORNIA DREAMING
Amy Lynch
Title: Regional VP & GM
of Operations, California
Region, Comcast Cable
Years in Cable: 17
Education: BA,
UCONN; Leadership
Certificates from
Harvard and Tuck
One Word that Best
Describes Me: Driven
Lynch plays a crucial
role on the company's
senior leadership team, and carries the responsibility
for leading 2,500 employees. She and her team are
responsible for the delivery and service of Comcast's
video, data, voice and security products - servicing
more than 2.2 million residential and business
customers in California. A world traveler, Lynch and her
husband have visited more than 21 countries.
What excites you most about DOCSIS 3.1? Our
customers continue to crave speed and consume capacity
at a compounding rate...DOCSIS 3.1 is the next
evolution of speed....it's the latest version of the Data
Over Cable Service Interface Specification (DOCSIS)
standard - helping us to continue to own the speed
space by allowing for much faster speeds by creating
around 50% more capacity on the cable by transmitting
data much more efficiently and using much more of the
available spectrum.
What should cable do to improve its image? Improving
our image requires a constant focus in looking
at people, process and results from the customer lens...
it's not just changing our image, rather it is in creating
a customer-centric culture that helps us win and keep
customers!
Best way to spend a Saturday night: My favorite
way to spend a Saturday night is by the beach playing
various games with family and friends, and good wine
and grilling!
My cable industry mentor and why: I've been
Cablefax: The Magazine
Robert Gessner
Title: President, MCTV
Years in Cable: 38
Education: Bachelors of Business Administration,
College of William & Mary
One Word that Best Describes Me: Independent
Heading up MCTV isn't just a job for Gessner-it's a
legacy. His parents, Richard and Susan, founded the
company in 1965. While MCTV is small, it's a densely
packed operation surrounded by large providers. A huge
issue that Gessner is addressing is consumer choice
by using MCTV's broadband plant to give customers
more of the control that they want. As if running a
cable system wasn't enough work, Gessner also stay
busy advocating for ACA members as chairman of the
association for independent cable operators.
The biggest innovation in cable over the last
year: For us, an affordable IPTV system to launch full
triple-play GPON.
What does the future look like for skinny bundles
and flexible packaging? Difficult. The large content
companies will be very loathe to give up the annuity
revenue stream that has been created.
My dream would be for: Me to be disconnected from
the Internet of Things
Virtual reality is: Not nearly as real as real reality
What was your first job? After college, low man in
the commercial traffic department at WEWS (ABC in
Cleveland)
Favorite charity event you work with: Gessner
Family Foundation's varied grants to local charities
What excites you most about DOCSIS 3.1? Not
planning to use it; GPON overlay instead.
" Star Trek " celebrates its 50th Anniversary this
year. So if Mr. Spock's motto is " Live Long and
Prosper, " mine is... I have to grow old, but I don't
have to grow up.
If this election year was a reality TV series, it
would be called... " None of the Above. "
What was the last costume that you wore and
why? Anubis to a charity costume party.
What should cable do to improve its image?
Clearly explain that " cable " is not " content. " Truly
May 2016
fortunate to have several mentors over my career both
women and men whom have taken an interest in helping
me develop and grow. Among them are Hank Fore,
Marty Robinson and my husband.
Favorite vacation spot: I love history and traveling; it
allows met to meet new people and gives me perspective.
My favorite vacation spot is Rome, Italy, because of
the rich history, art, food and wonderful people.
17. FAMILY AFFAIR
provide great customer service.
My favorite hashtag is: Never used one
Best way to spend a Saturday night: At home with
friends
Name of my favorite Spotify playlist: Never used it
New favorite binge: None
My cable industry mentor and why: My father. He
gave me both support and latitude.
Hoverboard, driverless car or drone: Can I just walk
instead?
I watch the majority of programming on this
device: Television
Favorite Podcast: None
My favorite newfound hobby: Slack line
My personal theme song is: Blessed silence
The technology that will most benefit cable over
the next year is: For us, GPON.
Favorite vacation spot: The next one
My typical breakfast is: Three eggs, scrambled, four
strips of bacon.
My Starbucks order: Never been
18. RIDE THE WAVE
Steve Weed
Title: Founder & CEO,
Wave Broadband
Years in Cable: 35
Education: Harvard Business
School
One Word that Best Describes
Me: Broadband Guy
Harold Zeitz
Title: President & COO,
Wave Broadband
Years in Cable: 2
Education: BA, Economics,
Northwestern; MBA, Stanford
One Word that Best
Describes Me: Curious
Patrick Knorr
Title: EVP, Commercial Services,
Wave Broadband
Years in Cable: 19
Education: Kansas State
University
One Word that Best
Describes Me: Driven
Wayne Schattenkerk
Title: CFO, Wave Broadband
Years in Cable: 15
Education: BBA, Accounting,
University of Notre Dame; MBA,
University of Washington
One Word that Best
Describes Me: Teammate
Wave continues to build itself into one of the most
powerful broadband B2B players in big tech markets
like Seattle and Silicon Valley. Weed and Knorr have
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