CAIS Internet Announces New Management Team, Steeped in Data Services and Telecom Experience
New Team Brings Core Competencies Necessary to Leverage the Company's Status as a National Tier-One ISP Offering Bundled Data Services
WASHINGTON -- CAIS Internet, Inc.
Spanning every area of the company, from operations to marketing to sales, these new executives will aid in the redirection of the company towards effectively leveraging and growing its status as a tier-one nationwide provider of broadband access and bundled value added data services to business across the nation.
Additionally, the company has brought in the expertise and experience to continue to support and expand the profitable products and segments of its current hospitality business.
The new senior management team includes:
Michael Lee President and CEO Andrew Hines EVP and CFO Mike Abbott Sr. VP and CTO Amit Rikhy Sr. VP, Strategic Planning Steve Roberts Sr. VP, Internet Sales Michael Martinez Sr. VP, Hospitality Sales Peter Benedict Sr. VP, Marketing
"CAIS Internet already has the fundamental components to be one of the largest and best performing ISPs in the nation by virtue of its national broadband network and product offerings," said Michael Lee, President and CEO of CAIS. "The leadership and experience of this new management team will help the company optimize its sales, network, product offerings and operations along the data services business model. With this new team we are in a position to make a major impact in the ISP market and dramatically grow our customer base and revenues."
Rated as one of the top national ISPs in backbone performance and maintaining points of presence in 29 major markets in the United States, CAIS Internet currently provides broadband Internet connectivity and data services such as Web hosting to approximately 17,000 business customers nationwide.
With the company's new focus on leveraging its strong position as a bundled data services provider, CAIS believes its new management team brings to the company the experience, skill, relationships and vision to substantially increase its market share as a national tier one ISP.
Mr. Lee joined CAIS Internet on March 17 and comes to the company with over 12 years of experience in the telecommunications and Internet industries.
Most recently Mr. Lee was Chief Business Development Officer at TelePacific Communications, a Los Angeles-based next generation integrated communications provider ("ICP") of converged voice and data services to businesses in the Western United States. Mr. Lee also served as Chief Technology Officer of TelePacific and was one of the original employees since the founding of the Company.
Prior to joining TelePacific, Mr. Lee founded DigitalVelocity(TM), a Los Angeles-based Internet Service Provider that provides superior connectivity to multiple backbone carriers.
Mr. Lee developed network methodology, marketing, and operational plans, and assembled a technical and management team to fully develop and deploy the service. DigitalVelocity(TM) was successfully launched in Los Angeles in 1998 and was merged with TelePacific in January 1999. Previously, Mr. Lee was a principal at CERFnet, one of the original commercial ISP's in 1994.
CERFnet was acquired by TCG, which was later acquired by AT&T. Subsequent to this acquisition, Mr. Lee served as National Director of Internet Sales for AT&T CERFnet. Mr. Lee also managed large-scale deployments of these systems for several Fortune 2000 corporations
Andrew Hines has been with CAIS since October of 2000 and is responsible for financial and operational strategies for CAIS Internet. Prior to joining CAIS, Mr. Hines held various senior executive positions at both Fortune 100 and entrepreneurial companies, directing operational and strategic aspects of global business.
He is a Certified Public Accountant with extetsive records of accomplishment and a strong background in the budgeting and controls disciplines in managing publicly held businesses.
Mike Abbott comes to CAIS with over 22 years experience in the industry. During his career he has built, managed and administered multi-system Wide Area Networks, software development projects, and software life cycles.
Prior to CAIS Abbott was director of ISM security and e-business at INTELSAT, the world's largest commercial satellite service provider, where he was both senior technical officer and senior systems engineering architect. Prior to INTELSAT Abbott held key technology positions at ACT, Systems Engineering and Management Associates and the Defense Communications Support Group.
Amit Rikhy joins CAIS with over 14 years of domestic and international experience in corporate finance, strategy, mergers and acquisitions, and business development. Mr. Rikhy most recently comes from TelePacific Communications where he was acting CFO and Vice President of Corporate Development.
He was responsible for all aspects of the finance department, including financial development activities, reporting, budgeting, and analysis. Amit has also managed finance and equity investment activities, including capital raising, strategic partnerships, due diligence, and negotiations.
Steve Roberts holds an extensive background in Sales and Sales Management in the telecommunications industry and has been with CAIS Internet since November 1999. After many successful years as Executive Vice President of Sales for American Network Exchange, Mr. Roberts held the position of President of Cleartel Communications, a subsidiary of CGX Communications.
With Cleartel, Mr. Roberts successfully directed the entire Cleartel Communication operation a company yielding over $25 million in revenues annually. Previous to his position with Cleartel and American Network Exchange, Mr. Roberts has worked for companies such as EF Hutton, Ameritech Mobile Communications and Telemarketing Communications Inc., in highly visible sales and marketing roles.
Since coming to CAIS Internet, Mr. Roberts has been instrumental in the company's growth of its ISP market share and developing a highly productive direct and channel sales team.
Michael Martinez joins CAIS Internet as Senior Vice President of Hospitality Sales. He has 12 years experience in the computer and telecommunications industries.
In his most recent position as VP of Alternate Channels at TelePacific Communications, Mr. Martinez was responsible for all channel activities, including strategic partnerships, hospitality services, multi-dwelling units, agents, alternate channel sales and processes, business plans, marketing strategies, and operations relationships.
Peter Benedict brings to CAIS a wealth of experience in developing and executing comprehensive public relations and marketing programs with a variety of established and startup communications companies.
Most recently Mr. Benedict was the Director of Product Marketing at Tachion Networks where he was a key factor in bringing the company to industry-wide prominence as the pioneer in an emerging product space called Collapsed Central Office.
He has proven experience running media and analyst relations, having launched and promoted a wide variety of service provider data solutions including IP telephony, multi-service access, ATM/frame relay, Internet access management, VPN policy management and dial/broadband remote access services.
CAIS Internet, Inc.
The Company offers always-on, broadband Internet access to its customers through its digital subscriber line service, "HyperDSL," and through T-1 and other bandwidth connections in major metropolitan areas throughout the U.S. It also provides service to certain hotel properties utilizing installed high speed Internet service and business centers.
The Company uses its unmanned business centers and Internet kiosks to deliver broadband Internet access and content to public venues, such as airports, retail centers, and cruise ships.
CAIS Internet is headquartered in Washington, DC, with two subsidiaries in California, CAIS Software Solutions and Business Anywhere. CAIS Internet operates a Cisco-Powered, clear-channel Internet and ATM Network, and peers with public and private partners, and at national exchange points.
This release contains statements relating to CAIS's future expectations and business strategies or other "forward-looking" information. Those statements are subject to known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those contemplated by the statements.
Important factors that may cause actual results to differ from projections include, among others: changes in business and market conditions; changes in the Internet services industry and the general economy; our limited operating history; our ability to manage rapid growth; our ability to enter into joint ventures and other strategic relationships with companies on terms acceptable to us; access to additional capital; and the impact of computer and related problems that may arise from our operations.