Horizon, a leading regional fiber-optic bandwidth infrastructure service, has announced that James (Jim) Capuano has been named the company’s Chief Executive Officer (CEO).
The announcement comes two weeks after Chillicothe native Bill McKell was ousted as CEO amid a criminal investigation into child molestation.
Capuano has more than 30 years’ experience in the telecommunications industry. Prior to joining Horizon, he served as Chief Operating Officer (COO) of FirstLight Fiber, in Albany, NY.
His accomplishments there included: multiple major network expansion initiatives and the integration of more than nine separate acquisitions resulting in the largest fiber optic network in Northern New England and New York State.
“Jim’s unique combination of skills in overseeing operations and engineering, while driving growth, will serve Horizon well as we continue to expand. His broad industry experience and contacts, as well as his leadership skills, will guide the company into the future,” said Ted Mocarski, Chairperson, Horizon
Board and Senior Partner at Novacap, a leading Canadian private equity firm that has owned Horizon since 2018.
Capuano’s other professional roles include: Chief Technology Officer (CTO) at Unite Private Networks, in Kansas City, MO; COO at Veroxity Technology Partners, in Bedford, MA; and Vice President of Engineering and Operations at RCN Metro, in Westborough, MA. In these positions, he led telecommunications engineering and operations, network construction, expansion selections and planning, product development, vendor assessment and selection, marketing, technical sales and business support.
“I am very excited to join this team of successful professionals and have the opportunity to lead Horizon to even greater success,” said Capuano. “We have a unique opportunity to increase the density of our fiber optic network to reach more customers in our existing service areas, while also bringing these high quality service offerings to new markets.”