Let’s Connect

    Fusion Connect Leadership

    Management Team

    Bill Wignall

    Chief Executive Officer

    Bill Wignall is a seasoned CEO with extensive experience in the technology sector. He has demonstrated exceptional capability driving growth and profitability in both publicly traded and privately held companies. Before his current role, he transformed Sangoma Technologies from a modest hardware business to a thriving SaaS company, increasing revenue from $9 million to over $300 million and boosting the enterprise value to over one billion dollars. His leadership at Sangoma included overseeing 11 acquisitions and taking the company to Nasdaq. Bill has led multiple global tech companies during his career, from small to large, including CEO roles at Truition (an e-commerce platform company) and led Electronics Workbench (an enterprise software company). He possesses a unique combination of operational depth as well as corporate strategy, M&A, capital raises, etc. Bill’s experience extends to serving on various public/private/NFP boards (including hospital research advisory boards, medtech start-up’s, and healthcare IT), teaching at multiple universities in both MBA and Engineering faculties, and EIR work at accelerators and incubators.

    Brian McClintock

    Chief Financial Officer

    Brian McClintock drives financial strategy and planning while optimizing the company's capital structure. He is a seasoned executive with more than 25 years of experience in telecommunications and technology. Brian has delivered measurable gains in revenue, profits, and market recognition as a COO, CFO, and vice president. He is also a project management expert with experience in startup, turnaround, expansion, and consolidation of business situations. He has a Master of Business Administration in Finance from La Salle University and a bachelor's degree in business management from Lynchburg University.

    Chris Updegraft

    Chief Information Officer

    Chris Updegraft oversees the information technology department, with a focus on expanding the company's Microsoft-centric solutions portfolio. With more than 30 years of experience in technology leadership, strategy, and execution, he optimizes IT services that enable businesses to rapidly scale their operations using Microsoft products. Chris has expertise in leveraging technology to drive business growth and improve operational efficiencies. Prior to joining Fusion Connect in 2018, Chris co-founded and served as vice president of IQMax for 18 years. He has a bachelor's degree in computer science from Azusa Pacific University.

    Alexander Rublowsky

    Chief Marketing Officer

    Alexander Rublowsky leverages his extensive experience, including recent roles as CMO at NomadGo and EVP of Global Marketing at ControlUp. He has a proven track record of driving growth and innovation, having led significant branding and go-to-market strategies that resulted in substantial increases in leads and sales metrics across multiple companies, including SAP, AWS, F5 Networks, and Microsoft. Alexander's expertise in digital marketing, product-led growth, and strategic partnerships, makes him a pivotal leader at Fusion Connect, poised to accelerate our market expansion and customer engagement.

    Jim Delis

    Chief Revenue Officer

    Jim Delis is an accomplished professional with extensive experience in the communications industry driving transformation and growth across diverse sales channels. He has grown revenue by building, or transforming revenue generating teams at ATT Wireless, XO Communications, Spectrum (Time Warner Cable) TPx and GTT during his career. He excels at developing innovative revenue strategies, managing cross-functional teams, and fostering key client relationships. His expertise lies in sales leadership, market expansion, and revenue forecasting. Jim is proven at building high-performance teams and driving business growth through strategic planning and execution.

    Sharma Montgomery

    Senior Vice President of Customer Experience

    As the Senior Vice President of Customer Experience at Fusion Connect, Sharma brings a wealth of experience in managing customer relationships. An Air Force veteran, who started her career as a NOC technician, Sharma also held positions as a sales technical consultant, a channel manager and a sales director in direct sales at TCG, PAETEC and Windstream. Most of her 20+ years in the industry has been in Account Management and Customer Experience where she has consistently demonstrated the ability to lead, coach, and actively engage with her teams to build long-lasting, mutually beneficial client relationships that offer creative solutions to tough business problems.

    Rod Brownridge

    Senior Vice President Customer Operations

    Rod Brownridge is the head of Customer Operations at Fusion Connect, drawing upon two decades of experience in operations, engineering, and customer success management. Before joining Fusion Connect, he held leadership positions at Covad Communications, where he oversaw operations and customer service teams. While at Covad, Rod led both onshore and offshore organizations responsible for customer service, operations engineering, and business analysis. Prior to his time at Covad, Rod was accountable for service delivery, customer service, project management, and business analysis at MegaPath.

    Frederic Dickey

    Senior Vice President of Product Management

    Frederic Dickey brings a deep well of expertise from a comprehensive career at Sangoma Technologies. Over his 15-year tenure at Sangoma, he ascended from Director of Product Management to SVP of Customer Success and Enterprise Solutions, shaping key aspects of the company's growth. Frederic's extensive background includes managing global teams across product management, professional services, and technical support. Notably, he led the transformation of Sangoma’s professional services and product teams, enhancing worldwide professional services. Frederic's adeptness at integrating product management and customer success strategies uniquely position him to drive product innovation and strategic initiatives at Fusion Connect.

    Birch Blair

    General Counsel and Corporate Secretary

    Birch Blair is responsible for managing all legal affairs and ensuring that the company complies with relevant laws and both state and federal regulations. Birch has been with the company for five years, initially serving as Fusion Connect’s Deputy General Counsel before stepping into the role of General Counsel. Prior to joining Fusion Connect, Birch held various legal positions in the telecommunications and technology sectors, including serving as General Counsel and Corporate Secretary for MegaPath Cloud Company. Birch holds a bachelor’s degree from Seattle University and a law degree from Penn State.

    Board of Directors

    Dudley Slater

    Chairman of the Board

    Dudley Slater holds several governances, operating, and entrepreneurial roles and works with investors and companies in the telecommunications, health care, banking, and media industries. His board experience includes Segra, WOW! Cable & Internet, Umpqua Bank, LS Networks, and Integra Telecom Inc., a company he co-founded in 1996. Dudley’s operating experience includes CEO and president roles in the health care technology, clinical trials, and telecommunications industries. He received a Master of Business Administration from Harvard University and a bachelor's degree in geophysics from the University of California, Los Angeles.

    James Morphis

    James Morphis is an executive director of Morgan Stanley and a member of the Morgan Stanley Private Credit team, where he focuses on originating and underwriting investment opportunities. James joined Morgan Stanley in 2016 and has over 12 years of relevant industry experience. Prior to that, James structured, marketed, and placed private debt and equity capital as part of Houlihan Lokey’s Capital Markets Group. Prior to Houlihan Lokey, James was an assistant vice president at GE Capital Markets in its leveraged finance business, structuring, marketing, and syndicating leveraged loans. James was also an analyst at M&T Bank, where he underwrote middle market credit facilities, conducting fundamental credit analysis and performing detailed financial modeling. He holds a bachelor’s degree from the University of Rochester and a Master of Business Administration from the Johnson Graduate School of Management at Cornell University.

    Richard Jalkut

    Richard Jalkut is a longtime telecommunications executive and the former CEO of TPx Communications. He was previously the president and CEO of Pathnet Telecom and the president, CEO, and chairman of NYNEX Telephone Companies, where he oversaw an organization with more than 80,000 employees and 16 million customers that produced more than $12 billion in annual revenue. Richard is a past chairman of the Partnership for New York City and of the New York State Business Council, and he was a trustee of the American Museum of Natural History. He received bachelor's degrees in economics and political science from Boston College.

    Colby Wheeler

    Colby Wheeler has been a director at Ellington Management Group since 2020 and previously served as a principal at Bardin Hill Investment Partners. He also worked as an associate and senior associate in PGIM Fixed Income's high-yield credit group. Colby began his career as an analyst in equity research at Citigroup, where he published research on a variety of technology and telecommunications companies. He holds a bachelor's degree in economics and finance from Utah State University and is a CFA charterholder and a member of CFA Society New York.

     

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