News

Tierpoint Names Chairman Jerry Kent as CEO

ST. LOUIS (July 23, 2015) – TierPoint, a provider of cloud computing, colocation and managed services, announced today that Jerry Kent has assumed the position of Chief Executive Officer (CEO) and will continue as Chairman of the company’s board of directors.

In addition to his responsibilities at TierPoint, Kent will continue as Chairman and CEO of Suddenlink until the closing of that company’s earlier announced agreement to be acquired by Altice, a multinational cable and telecommunications enterprise. Kent will also continue as CEO of Cequel III, the telecommunications management firm he co-founded in January 2002. Today, Cequel III is involved in the data center and cable sectors through its management agreements with TierPoint and Suddenlink, respectively.

As TierPoint’s CEO, Kent succeeds Paul Estes, who will manage other projects in his ongoing role as an Executive Vice President at Cequel III.

“Now is the right time for these changes, with the anticipated sale of Suddenlink and the opportunity to further grow TierPoint and enhance the superior level of service it provides our current and future customers,” said Kent. “Paul has done a great job of guiding the development of TierPoint since our first data-center acquisition in 2010. We’re pleased he can now focus his attention and considerable talents on other business opportunities with the Cequel III team.”

About TierPoint
TierPoint is a leading national provider of cloud, colocation and managed services designed to help organizations improve business performance and manage risk. With corporate headquarters in St. Louis, Mo., TierPoint operates 13 highly-redundant, Tier III plus data centers in the states of Washington, Texas, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, Maryland, New York, Massachusetts and Connecticut.

About Jerry Kent
Jerry Kent is a recognized entrepreneur and trailblazer in the telecommunications industry with an outstanding track record of delivering superior returns for investors. Prior to assuming the role of TierPoint’s CEO, he served as its Chairman. He also serves as CEO of Cequel III, which he co-founded in January 2002 – and as Chairman and CEO of Suddenlink Communications, which entered into an agreement in May 2015 to be acquired by Altice S.A. for an enterprise value of $9.1 billion. Before Suddenlink, Kent was President and CEO of Charter Communications, which he co-founded in 1993. Charter was sold to Microsoft co-founder Paul Allen in 1998, providing substantial rewards for Charter’s private investors. Under Kent’s continued leadership, the company went public in November 1999, in what was then the third-largest IPO in U.S. history, and consistently led the industry in superior operating results. From the IPO date until September 2001, the month Mr. Kent left, Charter’s was the best performing public cable stock. Prior to Charter, Mr. Kent served as CFO of Cencom Cable Associates. He started his career as a CPA with Arthur Andersen in 1979.

Contact
Patrick Baczenas
314-720-3136
patrick.baczenas@tierpoint.com