Tony Thomas

WORK HISTORY

EDUCATION

SKILLS

ABOUT TONY THOMAS

Tony is a transformational CEO who combines strategic and P&L leadership with deep financial and operational expertise, B2B and B2C experience, and commercial insight. He creates an organizational structure and operating processes that enable profitable growth while generating continuous improvement in productivity and cost efficiency, building differentiated customer services, and elevating the customer experience and employee engagement. Tony brings public and private company board experience in service with U.S. Telecom and the Windstream Holdings. With the latter, he was instrumental in standing up a new board during its transition to private equity ownership, establishing criteria for and onboarding new members, and updating corporate governance policy. As a board member, Tony is recognized for his collaborative style, financial fluency, and calm management of challenging situations. While serving as CFO and then CEO of Windstream, Tony transformed a declining legacy business with heavy debt burden into one of the nation’s largest and fastest-growing fiber-to-the-home businesses with a strong balance sheet supporting a multibillion-dollar reinvestment program. He orchestrated a pioneering spin-off of select assets – and 60% of its debt – into a publicly traded telecommunications REIT and funded a $1.6 billion expansion of the fiber network and a $1.75 billion fiber-to-the-home broadband expansion. As a result of the strategic investments and new operating structure, he delivered a 400+ basis point improvement in EBITDA margin, elevated the Net Promoter Scores from -20 to +30, and captured market share. Tony also steered the company through an 18-month bankruptcy restructuring initiated by debt issues with Aurelius Capital, achieving financial stability, exceeding budgetary objectives, retaining key leadership, and ensuring uninterrupted operations.Along the way, Tony led the reduction of Windstream’s carbon footprint and created employee resource groups to maximize success and engagement. Windstream ranked fourth in ESG ratings by Morningstar Analytics in 2023 and was the only U.S. telecom to make the Top-Rated list.Tony has served in executive positions with Alltel Wireless – including corporate development and transformation roles – and started his career with Ernst & Young.Tony holds a MBA from Wake Forest University School of Business and a BS in Accountancy from the University of Illinois, Gies College of Business. He also serves on President Biden’s National Infrastructure Advisory Committee.