ATLANTA, May 18, 2020 -- Fusion, a leading provider of connectivity and advanced cloud solutions, announced today that the company's Board of Directors has appointed Brian P. Crotty, a senior executive with nearly thirty years of experience leading major organizations in the communications industry, as Fusion's Chief Executive Officer. Mr. Crotty succeeds Kevin Brand, who has served as Fusion's interim Chief Executive Officer since October of last year.
Mr. Crotty said, "I am honored to lead Fusion through a pivotal period in its evolution as a major technology partner supporting businesses of all sizes with their digital transformation. Fusion is uniquely positioned to bundle its robust and secure IP-based North American network and our application layer services to deliver best in class products and services while providing meaningful improvements in our customers' experience. I look forward to working with Kevin as president and COO and the entire Fusion team made up of experienced professionals from Fusion, Birch and MegaPath. Together, we will partner with our customers to accelerate their migration to a successful digital future, anticipating their technology requirements while providing extraordinary levels of service."
The Fusion Board of Directors selected Mr. Crotty for his many years of experience and diversified expertise in developing and managing organizations from inception through explosive growth to operational stability and profitability. Most recently, Mr. Crotty was Chief Commercial Officer for Sungard Availability Services, where he was responsible for all company revenue, with a focus on the customer experience, customer retention and growth.
Prior to Sungard, Mr. Crotty served for more than two decades in senior leadership positions at major communications companies including President of Mid-Market Enterprise and Commercial Markets at Windstream, a more than $1B business in the Cloud and Connectivity segment. His tenure at Windstream followed the company's acquisition of Broadview Networks, where as Chief Operating Officer, Mr. Crotty led the transformation of the business to a national Unified Communications as a Service (UCaaS) cloud solutions provider.
Andy Fishman, Chairman of Fusion's Board of Directors, stated, "I speak for the entire Board in expressing our gratitude to Kevin for his expert leadership of the company through emergence as we completed our search for Fusion's CEO. We are fully committed to investing in the company's long-term growth and success, and it is our great pleasure today to welcome Brian, who exemplifies the kind of leadership that will help drive that success. Brian is a seasoned executive with demonstrated experience in implementing operational efficiencies while focusing on exceptional customer service and advancing strategies for growth. We are confident that he will lead the company's strong team of technology professionals to achieve Fusion's best future."