Vercuity, a leading telecommunications expense management provider, has announced that Wabash alumnus Robert E. Knowling, Jr., will join the company as its Chief Executive Officer. Mr. Knowling comes to Vercuity with over 20 years of experience in the telecommunications industry. His leadership skills and depth of experience will contribute significantly to Vercuity’s continued growth as a recognized market innovator in the TEM space.
Mr. Knowling began his career as a Chief Executive Officer at Covad Communications in 1998, then SimDesk Technologies, and most recently the NYC Leadership Academy, an independent non-profit corporation created by Chancellor Joel I. Klein and Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg. The NYC Leadership Academy is chartered with developing the next generation of principals in the New York City public school system.
Prior to Covad, Mr. Knowling was Executive Vice President of Operations and Technologies at U S WEST Communications (now Qwest) and Vice President of Network Operations at Ameritech. Mr. Knowling is also currently the Chairman of The Immune Response Corporation, and is a member of the Board of Directors at Hewlett-Packard Company, Heidrick & Struggles International, Inc. and Ariba, Inc.
Knowling is a former member of the National Association of Wabash Men Board of Directors. He also chaired the College's annual fund during its tremendous growth phase as part of the successful Campaign for Leadership. While a student at Wabash, Knowling majored in religion and was a member of the football and basketball teams, and was a member of the Malcolm X Institute.
David Walsh, Vercuity’s Chairman, said “Mr. Knowling was selected based on his natural leadership abilities, his knowledge of the industry and his track record of leading companies through periods of high growth. His straightforward style and tremendous energy level have continually won the respect of employees, customers and the marketplace. We are very pleased to have attracted such a seasoned executive to our company, and it says a lot about where this industry is going.”
“It is exciting to join Vercuity at this time; when it is poised to expand and add increasing capabilities to its platform,” Mr. Knowling said. “Vercuity goes beyond helping its customers understand their communications spending today; it also is uniquely positioned to help customers take advantage of new communications choices tomorrow. Vercuity is positioned for tremendous growth as it nears the completion of the integration of companies acquired over the last year. I look forward to working with Vercuity’s team, customers, and partners to drive even greater value in the months ahead.”
“Over the last year, Vercuity has worked hard to build one well-integrated operating entity from the five companies we acquired in 2004,” said Ethan Ayer, a Partner at One Equity Partners. “The Board would like to thank Sean Erickson for his leadership in accomplishing that goal.”
Vercuity is a leader in telecommunications expense management, providing business process outsourcing services to over 100 of Fortune 500 and many Global 2000 companies. Headquartered in Denver, the company employs 450 people and maintains operations, sales and service offices across the country. Vercuity is owned by One Equity Partners LLC, a private equity arm of JPMorgan Chase & Co., and several private investors. Vercuity offers comprehensive telecommunications expense management solutions to large and medium enterprises and organizations enabling them to master their telecommunications challenges.
Mr. Knowling will be based in Denver, where his family lives and where he made his home while an executive with US West.