JM Search Recruits CEO for unWired Broadband
November 15, 2024 – JM Search, a senior-level talent provider serving private equity investors, portfolio companies, and Fortune 1000s, has assisted in the recruitment of Matt Murphy as the new CEO of O2 Investment Partners-backed unWired Broadband in Fresno, CA. John Warrack and Jerry K. Fong led the assignment. “The appointment of Matt Murphy marks a new chapter in unWired’s evolution,” said Pete Sorensen, founder. “Bringing on a talented individual like Matt provides additional firepower to assist in unWired’s growth plans. I am excited to work alongside Matt as we continue to grow unWired.”
“We are thrilled to welcome Matt to the unWired team,” said Jimmy Frye, vice president at O2 Investment Partners. “His track record of leading and growing businesses in telecommunications is impressive, and we think his experience will translate well as the company expands broadband services throughout the Central Valley.”
Mr. Murphy is an industry veteran with more than 25 years of experience in the telecommunications and private equity space. Most recently, he served as co-founder and partner of Astra Capital Management, a U.S.-based private equity firm focused on acquiring and transforming communications and technology companies. Prior to his tenure in private equity, Mr. Murphy held several high-ranking executive roles at large, sponsor-backed telecommunication companies, Grande Communications and Atlantic Broadband. In his operational roles, he assisted in the growth and successful exit of those companies. Mr. Murphy boasts a track record of implementing strategic initiatives, both organically and through M&A, facilitating long-term, sustainable growth.
“I am excited to join a strong management team that is known for its long history as the best internet provider in the Central Valley with superior customer service and with recent investments in state-of-the-art network upgrades, unWired can offer the fastest speeds throughout their network,” said Mr. Murphy.
Founded in 2003, unWired is a fiber and fixed wireless internet service provider. Covering over 18,000 square miles with a network of approximately 215 towers, the company provides carrier-grade internet service to almost 30,000 customers.
O2 Investment Partners is a private equity firm that seeks to invest in lower middle market B2B services, technology, and select industrial companies. The firm invests in businesses with earnings growth potential and a clear path to the creation of shareholder value.
Finding Senior Talent
JM Search is an advisor to CEOs, investors, and boards of directors in recruiting, assessing, and delivering high performance leaders and transformational leadership teams. Its clients include private equity firms and portfolio companies, venture capital-backed businesses, and publicly held companies across North America. Founded in 1980, the JM Search recruiting team brings together former operating and financial executives, investors and experienced search professionals with deep industry specialization, functional expertise, and proven access to talent spanning multiple industry sectors.
Related: JM Search Assists LiiV in the Recruitment of New CFO
Mr. Warrack is a partner at JM Search and leader of the media, entertainment, and communication team. He has dedicated his entire career to recruiting executives within the media, technology and telecommunications industries in executive search and as a leader of corporate talent acquisition teams. Based on his personal experience working in those industries at Cablevision, Viacom and Showtime Networks, learning both the content and connectivity sides of the business, Mr. Warrack has a strong network of executives.
JM Search Appoints COO and CHRO
JM Search has named Seth Gillespie as chief operating officer and Ashley Jaspersen as chief human resources officer. “This announcement follows another year of impressive organic growth for the firm, which has more than doubled in revenue and size over the past three years,” JM Search said. “These promotions will empower this collective group to play a significant role in supporting the firm and its clients during the next phase of growth.” Mr. Gillespie is responsible for leading our growth (strategy, marketing, business development) and operational (finance, IT, and search) efforts, as well as working to improve the maturity of the overall management operating systems and cadence. His experience in transformations and ability to drive change will be an integral part of JM Search’s future. Previously, Mr. Gillespie was at SBI Growth Advisory, a management consultancy specializing in go-to-market strategy & execution.
Mr. Fong is a principal at JM Search and a member of the firm’s technology practice. He leads C-level searches for enterprise SaaS and tech-enabled services companies. With a unique combination of management consulting and executive search experience, Mr. Fong has been partnering with clients for 20 years to build exceptional management teams that deliver game-changing results by completing over 150 searches for private equity, select Fortune 1000s, and other growth-oriented organizations.
Past Work
Kristian Shannon and Jocelyn Scott of JM Search recently recruited Gary Santo as CEO of RX Green Technologies, a producer of commercial cultivation supplies for the cannabis industry. He replaced Wes Matelich, who will remain on the board as an advisor. “With such a strong foundation in place, RX Green Technologies is ready to scale,” said Mr. Matelich. “Following an extensive search led by myself and the board, we are excited to add a leader with Gary’s depth of experience in the cannabis industry and strong history of transformational leadership. Together with his passion for serving customers and brand partners and proven track record of developing and inspiring lean, high-performance teams, we believe Gary is the right person to take RX Green to the next level and accelerate the company’s growth opportunities.”
Related: JM Search Recruits CEO for Colony Display
Contributed by Scott A. Scanlon, Editor-in-Chief and Dale M. Zupsansky, Executive Editor – Hunt Scanlon Media
