Human Resource Solutions Recruits CTO for Great Plains Communications
February 19, 2020 – Golden, CO-based executive search firm Human Resource Solutions has placed Tony Thakur as chief technology officer for Great Plains Communications, Nebraska’s largest independent telecommunications company and a Grain Management portfolio company. The search was led by R. Woody Daroca.
“It was important for me to understand and honor Tony’s respect and concern for his then current employer,” said Mr. Daroca. “Tony wanted to time his resignation so that when he resigned he would have a plan in place to aid in his transition and thereby not burn a bridge.”
“We are thrilled to have Tony join our executive team,” said Todd Foje, CEO of Great Plains Communications. “As bandwidth continues to grow and applications are moving to cloud, the data center is now a vital component for businesses, and people everywhere want to access their apps wherever they are.”
“We anticipate that the growing adoption of cloud services, SD-WAN, and other future technologies will continue to increase the demand for reliable, scalable networks that are automated to increase accessibility and productivity for our customers while reducing costs,” he said. “Tony will be instrumental in our quest to continually bring innovative new technologies to our clients.”
Mr. Thakur has more than two decades of experience in C-level and senior executive roles at Unitas Global, TelePacific Communications, Global Capacity, CENX (Carrier Ethernet Exchange) and Time Warner Telecom. Throughout his career he has demonstrated repeated success launching programs and developing services related to technology infrastructure development, networking and cloud connectivity services. His technical proficiencies include fiber, IP, transport, access, ethernet, EOC, fixed wireless, SD WAN and virtualization technologies.
In his new role, Mr. Thakur will guide the Great Plains Communications technology vision and focus on expanding and enhancing the company’s robust regional fiber network. He will introduce new and innovative technologies to expand company product offerings, focus on national geographic network expansion opportunities and introduce automation to drive efficiencies.
“I am very excited to join Great Plains Communications,” said Mr. Thakur. “The company has a superior set of network assets and is uniquely positioned in the marketplace to offer new and engaging solutions for our customers, such as IPTV, managed ethernet, cloud services and others. I look forward to the upcoming months as we work to enhance the network, develop new services and help our customers grow their business.”
Great Plains Communications is the largest privately-owned telecommunications provider in Nebraska. The company has over a century of experience providing business, carrier and residential customers with forward-thinking, fiber-based technology services including ethernet, internet, video, hosted and voice solutions across an 11-state footprint.
Human Resource Solutions has a wide ranging client roster that includes the Fortune 1000, mid-cap, emerging growth, venture funded, growth oriented and private-equity backed turnaround situations. Established in 1992, the firm employs a proven methodology in the execution of engagements for top executive hires, key senior management positions and rare, functional specialists. Its mission is to be experts focused on recruiting executive talent for rapidly growing or rapidly changing companies.
Chief Technology Officers
Demand for top technology executives continues to gain momentum. Chief technology officer hiring, in fact, is expected to grow 18 percent by 2022, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor and Statistics. It’s a trend that is keeping executive search firms well occupied.
In addition, the booming technology sector, vibrant even when the economy was softer, shows little sign of retreat, according to a host of recruiters who service the talent needs of companies across the field. It continues to produce capabilities and services that few imagined just a decade ago.
Yet a recently conducted survey of global executives by Odgers Berndtson and Forrester Research revealed that 84 percent of companies lack the necessary talent base to execute a digital transformation.
Contributed by Scott A. Scanlon, Editor-in-Chief; Dale M. Zupsansky, Managing Editor; and Stephen Sawicki, Managing Editor – Hunt Scanlon Media
