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A Filcro Media Staffing GM executive search case history for review.
 GM CATV
Associated MSO Telecommunications
(GM) / (GSM)
Location Bristol Virginia and Mooresville, North Carolina
Search General Manager – GM / GSM / LSM - Local & Regional Sales
Reporting to President & CEO; Executive Vice President & CFO
Search Firm Filcro Media Staffing - GM Group
Officer in Charge Tony Filson
Client
A hybrid municipal uyility with a fiber-to-premise network offering “triple-play” of MSO based telephone, cable and Internet services.
Client Situation
An executive search committee was formed consisting of the board of directors to include the President and CEO, CFO and CMO.
The client was facing increased competition from MSO, Satellite, Telco and Telecommunications providers overlapping in their geographic(s). The board wanted to identify a more sales centric GM / GSM with corresponding operational and customer service experience to increase subscribers and retention.
Industry and Sector Inclusion
- Broadcast Television
- Cable Television
- Telecommunications - Telephone - ISP
- MSO Operators
Filcro Media Staffing is Retained.
The Filcro Media Staffing Officer in Charge of Search (TF) worked initially with the CEO and CFO to establish a consensus on the hierarchy of the desired long and short term business goals this GM would be tasked with. Increasing subscribers and enhancing the retention of subscribers in an increasingly competitive market were paramount.
Filcro Media Staffing was provided with cultural, technical, organizational and financial overviews of the current company. It was then determined by (TF) that the skills and experience required of the new GM / GSM could be targeted in four markets. This information was invaluable in setting a proposed cadence and allowing the board to understand the resources needed to attract the proper GM / GSM.
Understanding of the client’s unique culture and hybrid private/public sector business structure was key to the search. The company was an integral part of the local communities it served beyond the traditional MSO or utility.
The CFO and CEO expressed clear “goals” as to what their business and residential should be developed into, in the communities they serviced. The priorities of the search were clear. The new GM would require a proven track record of increased revenue with both business and residential subscriber growth and providing services and customer service that enhanced retention to up-sell tiered telecom and CATV services as MSO triple-play offerings.
Challenges Facing the New General Manager (GM)
- Change management
- MSO and telecom competition in the same markets
- Local, State and National legislative awareness
- Financial management and budget controls
- Customer service
- Increasing sales through brand awareness to business customers
- Community relations
- Establishing products and services that meet the needs of a growing customer base
Filcro Media Staffing’s Recruitment Solution
Filcro Media Staffing proceeded to Identify sales centric "GM’s" (GSM’s & LSM’s) with a proven record of success in building and enhancing assets and revenue in similar markets with comparable business and consumer subscriber bases.
Working outwards from the geographic in an attempt to identify candidates not requiring extensive relocation proved to be successful.
A GM / GSM capable of focusing on local and regional sales and enhancing the relationship with marketing would be essential if brand awareness was to be increased with new and current business and residential clients. This marketing awareness would ultimately play a key role as we brought the search to fruition.
Customer service needed to enhance sales by identifying opportunities that could increase business and residential participation. This new GM would need tactical and strategic experience in this critical area to assure that every contact with a customer was assuring that they were aware of the many services offered that could enhance their business and telecommunications needs or provide entertainment value for the family. A common truck-roll had to be optimized to allow messaging and or ideation in line with marketing and sales goals.
In competitive cross markets where services are bundled this new GM would also need experience pricing and creating tiers of service that met needs based on Telco, MSO and Telecommunications competition. Defining clear options for consumer and business product lines would have to be part of this new GM’s track record of success.
The first tier of (4) four candidates presented were well received by the committee and ultimately, one of the four was hired.
The structure of the organization as a private / public hybrid with a mix of power, water, treatment, telecom and CATV was unique. (TF) spent considerable time during the recruitment phase to assure that a proper cultural fit was achieved.
Successful New GM Recruited
 A 25-year cable industry executive with progressive levels of leadership working as a marketing executive and General Manager at Time Warner Cable (Spectrum) Charter Communications and Adelphia
This executive had a clear record of success in optimizing process and revenue in competitive markets similar to the client’s objectives.
His ability to develop employees and resources to increase subscribers, lower costs and increase margins was exactly what was needed going forward.
The board and the representatives of the various public / private constituencies were unanimous in their decision to hire this honed cable executive.
The executive did not require relocation and became acclimated quickly. His performance exceeded expectations to grow and service the organization. The communities that depend on these vital services are well served by this honed executive.
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