December 12, 2007

Infrastructure Junkies

Name: Tony Werner
Title: EVP/CTO, Comcast

Name: John Schanz
Title: Comcast EVP, national engineering & technical operations
Age: 43
Years in Industry: 2
Years left in Industry: “Ask Steve…”

Name: Mike LaJoie
Title: CTO, Time Warner Cable

Name: Chris Bowick  
Title: Cox, SVP, engineering and CTO
Age: “51 – I’ll be 52 in December.”
Years in Industry: 26

Why Them? When Brian Roberts gets up during The Cable Show and demonstrates “wideband,” you know that the technologists’ stock has risen within the cable universe. After all, as consumers demand more choice and seamlessness within cable’s bundle bonanza, the top CTOs must meet those expectations. Within budget. Werner and Schanz must maintain an infrastructure worthy of the largest MSO. LaJoie has been out front with well-received innovations like Start Over and Look Back. And Bowick’s success keeping Cox’s network in top shape helps the MSO garner continued customer-service raves. AT&T and Verizon aren’t going to slow down their march any time soon. Let’s hear it for the techies!  MG

John Schanz
What is your favorite word? “Porto”
What is your least favorite word? “Can’t”
What turns you on? “Solving BIG Problems…”
What turns you off? “Phony-Baloney people”
What sound do you love? “U2”
What sound do you hate? “Busy signal”
What profession other than yours would like to attempt? “NASCAR driver or Funny Car drag racer.”
What profession would you not like to participate in? “Most seen on Discovery’s ‘Dirty Jobs’.”
If heaven exists, what would you like to hear God say when you arrive at the Pearly Gates?  “Never thought that you’d make it, but now that you’re here, let’s get this party started…”

Chris Bowick
Person (other than my current boss) who I’d most like to work for: “Myself”
In my free time, I like to: “Fly. I’m a pilot, and love to fly my Cirrus SR22-G3 as often as I can.”
My most embarrassing cable moment was: “Giving an SCTE keynote speech when the teleprompter died... twice.”
Favorite line from a movie or TV show: “I meant it in the nicest way…”
Favorite song: “I Found a Light” - David Bowick
Favorite TV show: “Survivor”
I wish cable would: “Quit calling itself cable…”
Favorite piece of tech: “Avidyne Flightmax avionics panel combined with my dual Garmin GPS receivers in my Cirrus SR22 G3 airplane.”
Least favorite piece of tech: “Blackberry—I guess it’s a mixed blessing, actually.”
My perfect vacation goes like this: “Fly my plane to the vacation destination, relax and do nothing, fly my plane back.”
The world would be a better place if: “There were no automobile traffic and therefore no ‘rush hour’.”


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