Brightspeed Announces CEO Leadership Change
Brightspeed has announced a leadership transition to drive the next phase in the company's transformation to a high-growth fiber business. Tom Maguire is retiring from his role as chief executive officer and Michel Combes, Chairman of the Board, has been appointed Executive Chairman of the Board and acting CEO, effective June 1, 2025. Maguire will continue as an advisor and remain a member of the Board of Directors.
Combes brings a breadth of telecommunications leadership experience, coupled with unique insight into Brightspeed's business and growth trajectory. Most recently, Combes served as CEO of Softbank Group International and Sprint, in addition to CEO roles at Altice Group, Alcatel-Lucent and Vodafone Europe.
"I've been on the journey with Brightspeed for some time, first as an advisor then as a board member and chairman," said Combes. "I believe in this business and this team and know we are on the right path to transform to a high-growth fiber business, with a clear plan for more than five million fiber passings. Brightspeed has tremendous opportunity ahead, and I'm privileged to get to step into a more active role with the leadership team. I'd like to thank Tom both for his leadership and for the results and momentum he helped drive to set us up for this next phase of our growth."
"Leading Brightspeed has been the absolute highlight of my career, and I'm pleased to continue supporting the company as a member of the board," said Maguire. "I'm incredibly proud of the efficient network we have built and are continuing to scale to get more people connected to the best technology out there. Michel is well-positioned to continue the transformation already underway."
Source: Brightspeed
ISE and ISE EXPO are pleased to note that Tom Maguire will be the closing keynote presenter at this year's ISE EXPO.
For more than a decade, Tom has championed modernization in the telecom industry—away from unreliable, costly copper networks to new, more resilient technology that easily adapts to innovation and consumer needs. We are now at a pivotal point when federal oversight is aligned, state-level changes are underway, the industry’s labor force is ready to execute, and scalable connectivity is possible. Copper is the past, and now is the time to embrace the future. When all the players in the industry work together the possibilities are infinite.
Don't miss out on his presentation, "The Telecom Tipping Point." REGISTER TODAY and join us in New Orleans, Louisiana.
Oh, and did we mention that Julie Slattery, Senior Vice President, Core Engineering & Operations, Verizon, will be this year's opening keynote presenter.
Join Julie for a discussion on Verizon’s disaster resilience approach that includes preparing for any situation, being ready to respond, providing post-disaster recovery assistance and using technology and learnings to mitigate potential future emergencies. She will dive into the extreme lengths engineers go—to run to a crisis and keep communities connected offering real-life anecdotes and learnings.
The primary areas of focus will be on the importance of internal and external partnerships, leveraging emerging technologies including AI and highlighting key strategies that can be implemented in organizations of all sizes.
Are you feeling the FOMO? There is a cure—join us at ISE EXPO 2025!