| POSITION | CHIEF FINANCIAL OFFICER |
| REPORTS TO | LUIS RODRIGUEZ, CEO & PRESIDENT |
| DATE | June 2024 |
| LOCATION | Coral Gables, FL |
| MORE INFORMATION | https://opticaltel.com/ |
| SEARCH CONTACT | Andy Lane @ CFS Partners M +1 414 807 4085 E andy@criticalfacility.com |
OVERVIEW
Headquartered in Coral Gables, FL, OpticalTel is a regional fiber broadband provider of a wide range of products and services, including high-speed internet, cloud-based video, and digital telephone services to communities in South and Central Florida. OpticalTel’s fiber networks offer residential services that include gigabit-speed internet, cloud-based IPTV video and digital telephone services. Additionally, multi-gigabit capabilities offer commercial customers fast and reliable service with an array of scalable solutions with next-generation cloud-powered features for any size business.
HISTORY
OpticalTel was founded in 2004 by Mario Bustamante on the principles of exceptional customer service and delivering a strong internet product as a foundation for the future. Decades of experience allow them to provide the optimal infrastructure to residential and commercial customers, helping digitally transform their homes and workspaces for today’s connectivity demands.
From inception, OpticalTel’s focus has been to provide the most relevant telecommunications technology via Fiber to the Home systems, to deliver comprehensive video, internet, & telephone service to their wholesale target customer base to include gated communities, condominiums, apartments, RV resorts, rural areas, student housing, free-to-guest, and commercial businesses. The majority of OpticalTel communities benefit from customized bulk contract pricing, fiber-optic technology, onsite training, and unparalleled support.
CHAPTER
OpticalTel has come a long way since its inception in 2004. They have developed and grown from a small business servicing a few communities to a combination of residential and commercial communities (residential being the majority) being 200+. This has brought them through various levels of evolution, not only in the financial process, but also strategic planning, budgeting, investment, acquisitions, internal controls, reporting (all levels), etc. The CFO position is vital in the forecasted growth and expansion of the company.
CHARTER
With the recent partnership with DigitalBridge, OpticalTel is poised for significant organic and inorganic growth to capitalize on the convergence of their foundational history of performance and the tailwinds of the digital infrastructure market.
Highlights –
– Premier Broadband Provider to HOAs & COAs in Attractive Florida Markets
– High Revenue Visibility Supported by Long-Term Bulk Contracts with Significant Additional Growth Opportunity in ROE Market
– Large HOA / COA Concentration and Highly Attractive Demographics within Florida
– $5.0B Addressable Market Presents Opportunity for Transformational Growth
– Franchise Networks Present Significant Expansion Opportunity
– Fiber Network Offers Flexibility and Favorable Unit Economics
– Established Platform with Proven Sales Strategy and Automated Back-Office Provides Immediate Scalability at Low Cost
– With Access to Capital the Wide Range of Growth Levers Offers Significant Value
– Tenured & Proven Management Team With Deep Sector Knowledge
SERVICES
OpticalTel is a leading fiber-based, triple play provider to residential and commercial customers, uniquely positioned in rapidly growing and attractive demographic areas of Florida. OpticalTel provides communities in Florida with the necessary capital and expertise for the installation, operation, and maintenance of a complete fiber-optic communications infrastructure. It is this fiber optic network that allows them to be a technology leader in private communities. OpticalTel communities benefit from complimentary specialized services offered, essential to each and every community.
– Predominantly serves Homeowner’s Association (“HOA”) and Condo Owner’s Association (“COA”) residential communities via long-term, exclusive Bulk contracts and Right-of-Entry (“ROE”) agreements
– Franchise networks in low-competition Central FL markets present significant subscriber growth opportunity with grants
– Provides up to 10 Gbps symmetrical Internet speeds, cloud-based IPTV Video and digital telephony services over primarily fiber networks
– Scalable platform with a flexible fiber network and proprietary, automated back office built to scale quickly and efficiently
– 100% owned last-mile network infrastructure within communities
COMMUNITY IMPACT
OpticalTel is committed to making a positive impact in the communities where we live, work, and serve. As a member of these communities, we recognize the importance of acting responsibly and endeavor to help improve the lives of many by supporting various community initiatives, providing charitable giving, and encouraging volunteerism.
LEADERSHIP
CULTURE
OpticalTel, is a company that considers our employees to be our greatest asset. We cannot deliver our products and service to our customers without their dedication. To that end we recognize and reinforce respect, and open communication with all of them.
Vision Statement from Luis Rodriquez, CEO –
“As CEO of OpticalTel, it is my steadfast vision that our company remains dedicated to the well-being and growth of our employees, both in the present and for their future endeavors. We prioritize fostering a culture of genuine care, respect for individuality, and appreciation for the unique talents each team member brings to our organization. Through engaging work opportunities and a commitment to investing in their potential, we empower our employees to pursue fulfilling careers with us.
Our dedication extends beyond our internal team, as we strive to serve our customers and communities with integrity and excellence. We aspire to ensure a future where connectivity empowers growth, fosters collaboration, enhances lives and transforms the way people experience the world. Furthermore, we embrace diversity, different cultures, and perspectives, ensuring fairness, equality, and inclusivity for all. This vision underscores our unwavering commitment to our employees’ success and fulfillment within OpticalTel.”
FINANCIAL PARTNER
DigitalBridge Group, Inc. is a global digital infrastructure investment firm. The company owns, invests in and operates businesses such as cell towers, data centers, fiber, small cells, and edge infrastructure. Headquartered in Boca Raton, DigitalBridge has key offices in Los Angeles, New York, London, and Singapore.
DigitalBridge is the only dedicated, global-scale digital infrastructure firm investing across five key verticals: data centers, cell towers, fiber networks, small cells, and edge infrastructure.
Our platform manages $80 billion* on behalf of its limited partners and shareholders and is focused on identifying differentiated investment opportunities within digital infrastructure around the world.
DigitalBridge is a unique digital infrastructure business, with both the operating DNA and access to institutional capital that positions the firm to execute globally on a converging digital infrastructure ecosystem. It is a business that owns and invests in real assets exposed to resilient, growing markets led by a pioneering team that has been investing successfully in the sector for over two decades.
Jonathan Friesel – Managing Director
Mr. Friesel has over 28 years of experience investing in and advising companies in the communications, media, technology and tech enabled services industries. Mr. Friesel is a leader in the Firm’s communications and services areas and is responsible for the identification, evaluation, and management of new investments in these sectors and for non-infrastructure private equity investments.
Raymond Pang -Principal, Investment Management
Raymond Pang is a Principal at DigitalBridge Investment Management. Mr. Pang is based in New York and focuses on evaluating, executing, and managing new and existing investments across each of the digital infrastructure subsectors globally.
CHIEF FINANCIAL OFFICER
Reporting to Luis Rodriguez, Chief Executive Officer (CEO), and in close cooperation with the Senior Leadership Team (SLT), the Chief Financial Officer (CFO) will lead the financial strategy and management of this high growth-oriented organization. He/She will own accountability for capital markets and planning, cost analysis/control, reporting, forecasting, due diligence, M&A, and integration. The CFO will be a high energy, intelligent professional who thrives in an entrepreneurial, fast-paced decision making, and dynamically shifting environment. He/She is expected to work strategically with discretion, integrity, and ethics as a convicted, “hands on” decision maker with a high degree of responsiveness and detail.
The CFO will be instrumental in transforming the CEO’s vision of growth and expansion, not by just overseeing the company’s finances, but also as a cross-cutting denominator linking every part of the company by –
– Collaborating extensively with C-Suite peers, managers, investors, and board interactions
– Effectively aligning anticipated performance with realized capabilities
– Working with the CEO & SLT in shaping portfolio strategies
– Effectively balancing strategic requirements with fundamental execution requirements
– Carrying out investment and financial decisions
– Building credibility for the strategic direction of the company
The CFO will be a high energy, intelligent professional who thrives in an entrepreneurial, fast-paced decision making, and dynamically shifting environment. He/She is expected to work strategically with discretion, integrity, and ethics as a convicted, “hands on” decision maker with a high degree of responsiveness and detail. It is expected the CFO will have the combination of talent and drive to lead and achieve financial performance goals.
ROLES & RESPONSIBILITIES
Along with the executive leadership team, the CFO proactively advocates for and protects stakeholder equity value creation through financial management, corporate development, and leadership. More specifically –
Financial Management
– Provide leadership and direction to the Accounting and Finance functions, providing recommendations based on analysis and projections, cost identification and allocation, and revenue/expense analysis on a predictable monthly and quarterly basis.
– Distill, interpret, and manage financial information to identify both positive and negative trending and provide supportive insights to the SLT, CEO, & Board.
– Partner with the CEO and SLT to develop and implement short- and long-range financial objectives, plans, budget, and forecast based on succinct goals and objectives.
– Continuously appraise the organization’s financial position and offer dynamic interpretation and forward-thinking scenario analysis.
– Manage risk and ensure financial process integrity is maintained.
– Measure, analyze, and help interpret financial information and prioritize multiple weights and measures to determine and justify appropriate resource allocation.
– Identify continuous improvement opportunities to enhance financial structure and processes ensuring sound controls and decision making throughout the organization.
– Preparation and issuance of timely and accurate financial statements and related filings
– Establish and maintain strong relationships with external service providers (banks, lenders, investors, auditors, legal, etc.)
– Oversee corporate income tax planning and compliance.
– Creation and maintenance of effective accounting process, procedures, and internal controls resulting in the timely flow of monthly, quarterly, and yearly reports.
– Extensive financial planning & analysis related to company and prospective acquisitions.
Corporate Development
– Lead corporate development activities including identifying investment opportunities, driving the investment assessment and due diligence process, and structuring transactions.
– Prepare business plans for new initiatives, including industry and competitive analyses, and monitor and benchmark those launched.
– Participate and support CEO and Board in preparation and management of strategic plans.
– Develop, evaluate, and analyze the financial impact of transactions including financing strategies, acquisitions, and joint ventures.
– Oversee the building of financial models, conduct due diligence, negotiate deal terms, draft presentation, and secure financing for acquisitions.
– Coordinate internal and external resources for M&A transactions.
Leadership
– The CFO will be charged with elevating the overall talent of the finance team through improved processes, finance tools, training, and overall accountability.
– A team-oriented executive with broad credibility capable of consistently motivating his/her team toward timely, actionable, purposeful tasks.
– Work across the SLT to build collaborative and integrated performance objectives and incentivize positive behaviors to consistently achieve forecasted valuation targets.
– Embraces and is most effective in a dynamic, creative, entrepreneurial environment.
– Proactive self-starter with “roll up your sleeves” lead by example style with the ability to shift gears when necessary and work autonomously.
– Direct, candid, apolitical presentations to internal and external audiences including employees, Executive Team, Board, and other investors and stakeholders.
– Having a clear impassioned vision to bring OpticalTel’s core strengths and combination of assets to life, and motivating employees with clear conversations on where the company is going and why.
KEY QUALIFYING CRITERIA
Telecom Executive – Precedent metro fiber building experience who can intuitively plug in and interpret the myriad of levers and drivers related to the costs, prices, services, and infrastructure building required to effectively grow a telecom services platform.
Financial Leadership – Broad and extensive financial management experience to include more strategic finance management such as CapEx, OpEx, ROI, Margin, M&A, and P&L but also a firm understanding of GAAP accounting principles and systematic reporting.
Event – Demonstrated value creation with a PE backed telecommunications, ideally fiber infrastructure, organization, resulting in a liquidity event (recapitalization, strategic sale, IPO)
Platform Growth – Demonstrated history of operational leadership, plugging in the financial ingredients to refine and define an enterprise of people, process, and systems working in unison to scale a platform, resulting in greater efficiencies and margin realization.
M&A – M&A – Precedent strategic M&A due diligence leading evaluations of resulting return on time and capital invested with a resulting positive effect on revenue, efficiencies, and margins.
Integration – Demonstrated success and expertise leading the execution of integrating geographically dispersed people, process, products, systems, and cultures.
Strategic Impact – Earnest, courageous, and impactful executive disposition whereby their collaboration on the business model and performance has resulted in increased valuation.
Leadership – History of inspiring high performing talent toward transformative business successes, including, at times making unpopular decisions.
Culture –Embrace a close knit, character driven, and pragmatic culture as it evolves into a growth oriented and higher performing enterprise.
WHY CONSIDER THIS OPPORTUNITY?
Chapter – Social and economic fundamentals driving global digital infrastructure growth are unprecedented and forecast to continue unabated for an unforeseen period. OpticalTel’s capital plan, leadership team, and strategic plans are all in place for a seasoned CFO to help accelerate.
Impact – To the company, its customers, and across the digital infrastructure economy. The CFO will put his/her fingerprints on a transformative business, impacting every OpticalTel stakeholder, from investors to employees.
Leadership – OpticalTel’s SLT has been working together for 10+ years with long-term, deeply embedded customer relationships and a fully aligned growth strategy. The SLT and Board are excited and convicted about their near term and future achievements together.
Culture – OpticalTel is a company that considers our employees to be our greatest asset. We cannot deliver our products and service to our customers without their dedication. To that end we recognize and reinforce respect, and open communication with all of them.
Financial Strength – As a DigitalBridge portfolio company, OpticalTel now has the leverage and resources to move forward with accelerated growth and expansion. This capital infusion facilitates all the foundational elements in place to scale OpticalTel’s already successful customer, product, service, and talent offerings.
COMPENSATION
The compensation package for the Chief Financial Officer will include a highly competitive annual earnings opportunity comprised of a base salary, annual performance bonus, and long-term incentive compensation in the form of equity.
SEARCH PROCESS
Following a thorough exchange of information relating to company information, resume, and key qualifying criteria, CFS Partners anticipates recommending a short list of candidates to Luis Rodriguez in early July 2024. OpticalTel will down select to a short list to be introduced to DigitalBridge and subsequently arrange finalist meetings. OpticalTel’s financial details to be shared under NDA with finalist candidate(s. The selected finalist will be presented with a compelling offer contingent on clean reference and background checks.