Cablefax The Magazine - July 2012 - 9

2012 Top Ops Awards
on. Plus, you're close to the customer. It's one thing to
be in a corporate strategy kind of environment. At Cox
it's even more difficult because we don't have a cable
system in Atlanta. If you're in Philly or something, you
turn on the TV or walk into the grocery store, and you're
primetime live with your own customers. So, it's very
important for us to make sure our folks here get in the
field and that we bring talent from the field to corporate
because they have lived it day in and day out.
How would you describe your
leadership style?
People tell me my leadership style is very open, very
direct. I give them feedback, good and bad. My style
tends to be 'let's set the goals, here's your accountability,
and you go do it.' I'm not a micro-manager. I
wouldn't say I'm hands-off, but I'm not hovering over
them all the time trying to figure out what they're doing.
I hire really good people. I've got good people sense.
And I'm not afraid to have to remove people if they're
not meeting expectations. At the core for me, I really
like people. My dad was a shrink, so I grew up in a very
interesting, eclectic environment, where he told me from
a very early age, 'You don't know somebody unless
you've walked in their shoes, so don't underestimate
anybody just by how they look or what position they're
in.' So whether somebody is an installer or the president
of a company or the United States, I treat everybody
with respect, and I'm really interested in their story. I
think that probably comes through in how I lead people.
What are Cox's biggest challenges in the next
12-24 months?
We're in the process of transforming our operations so that
we can be more competitive and get more products out
quicker... We have a whole new senior team, so there is a lot
of new thinking about the business. We're looking at what to
invest in. We're doing a trial test like many MSOs with Cox
Security. Does that turn into the smart home? There could be
some adjacent growth opportunities that could be exciting.
We have to be ready for that from an operations perspective
so we can catch those new businesses when they come.
You're talking about new businesses as opposed
to picking up additional systems?
Yes. That's not really where our focal point will be. It's adjacent
growth. We have all these customers and non-customers that
we pass just with our plant. There is tremendous amount of
business just with our current homes passed space. If we can
go get those with other kinds of services, that makes them
more sticky. The other space we're spending a lot of time on is
our commercial business. Cox has been in that for a long, long
time, and our growth there is tremendous. We own that space
for small to medium business customers, but thinking about
are there adjacent businesses around that space, that can
help us maintain and grow that customer base.
Fast Facts
✦Campbell served as vp, general manager for Cox's Bakersfield,
and Santa Barbara, CA, operations, as well as
vp, customer ops in Phoenix and vp, gm for Las Vegas.
✦In 2001, she was promoted to svp, ops for the Eastern
Division.
✦Campbell currently serves on the Board of Directors for
the Special Olympics of Georgia.
✦She earned her MBA from Oklahoma City University.
It has been a big year. Anything else you want
to check off your professional bucket list?
Honestly, this is a dream come true for me. When I was the
general manager in Las Vegas, that was all I ever wanted
was to just be a general manager of a big system. And I
loved, loved, loved that role. When I decided to take the
opportunity to come to corporate 11 years ago, I remember
Pat [Esser] said not everyone can make that switch. Some
people are better off in the fi eld and kind of being the king
of that community, and some people like being here. I have
loved them both. I could go back in the fi eld and run a
system again or continue to do what I do. I just love cable
operations. It's in my DNA. I couldn't have expected to ever
gotten here. I can't think of one more thing I want to check
off my list. This is pretty cool. I am very honored to be
where I am, and I don't take it lightly. ✴
- Amy Maclean
CableFAX: The Magazine
July 2012
cablefaxmag.com
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Cablefax The Magazine - July 2012

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