M/C Venture Partners has promoted Gillis Cashman and Brian Clark to general partner, and Robert Savignol to partner. Cashman focuses on telecom and media infrastructure, and joined the firm in 1999.
PRESS RELEASE
M/C Venture Partners, a venture capital firm focused exclusively on the communications, media, and information technology sectors, today announced that Gillis S. Cashman and Brian M. Clark have been promoted to the position of General Partner, and Robert Savignol has been promoted to Partner.
“These promotions are in recognition of the significant contributions that Gillis, Brian and Rob have made to the strength of our communications services franchise,” said Jim Wade, Managing General Partner at M/C. “Each has domain and investment expertise which has significantly increased the value of the portfolio, and each of them has demonstrated an ability to source, lead and manage significant investments. We are pleased to recognize their accomplishments and to have this opportunity to further build our partnership from within.”
In their new roles, Gillis, Brian and Rob will be responsible for all aspects of sourcing, leading and managing investments and will continue to work to extend M/C Venture Partners' strong, 25-year franchise in the communications services industry. Gillis and Brian will also have firm-wide responsibility for reviewing all investment decisions.
Gillis S. Cashman, General Partner
Gillis Cashman focuses on the telecom and media infrastructure portion of M/C's portfolio and has been instrumental in building the firm's wireline telecommunications practice. He led M/C Venture Partners' significant investments in Zayo Broadband, a regional provider of fiber-based network services, and in Baja Broadband, a cable acquisition where the firm backed repeat M/C entrepreneur William A. Schuler, who ran several cable systems for M/C.
Gillis is currently Chairman of Baja Broadband, serves on the boards of Cavalier Telephone, Zayo Bandwidth and CSDVRS and previously served on the boards of ICG Communications, FDN Communications and Elantic and as an observer on the Nuvox Communications board.
Gillis joined the firm in 1999 from the Global Telecommunications Corporate Finance Group of Salomon Smith Barney, where he focused on mergers and acquisitions in the wireline and wireless segments of the telecommunications industry. He graduated cum laude from Duke University where he earned an AB in economics with distinction.
Brian M. Clark, General Partner
Brian Clark focuses on investment opportunities in the cellular/PCS, wireline and broadband wireless sectors. In 2007, he sourced and led two major investments in the wireless area, including Open Mobile, a complex transaction involving the purchase of a Puerto Rican wireless company out of bankruptcy, and Lightower, a tower and fiber operator acquired by the firm from National Grid.
Brian currently serves on the boards of Lightower, Revol, Mobi PCS, Open Mobile and Cellular One of East Texas. He formerly served as a board observer at MetroPCS (NYSE:PCS).
Prior to joining M/C in 2001, Brian worked in the Global Telecommunications Corporate Finance Group of Salomon Smith Barney, where he focused on mergers and acquisitions and fundraising activity in the wireline and wireless segments of the telecommunications industry. Brian graduated with distinction from the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor, earning a BBA with dual concentrations in Finance and Accounting and a Masters in Accounting.
Robert Savignol, Partner
Rob Savignol has been instrumental in building M/C's European telecom services practice by sourcing and leading the firm's investment in Melita Cable. In 2007, Rob secured Malta's third UMTS wireless license for 3G Telecommunications, a subsidiary of M/C Venture Partners, which the firm then merged with Melita Cable, adding great strategic value to the company.
Rob serves on the boards of Melita Cable, Attenda, Nuvox Communications and Zayo Bandwidth and also is an observer on the boards of Airband Communications and Trumper III
Communications.
An American and French national, Rob joined M/C Venture Partners in July of 2004 and focuses on investments in Europe. Previously, Rob worked as a Director of Corporate Development for NTL, the United Kingdom's largest cable television provider. Prior to joining NTL, Rob was an investment banker with Salomon Brothers in New York, focusing on mergers and acquisitions in the telecommunications industry. He graduated magna cum laude from Boston University with degrees in Finance and Economics and received an MBA from the Harvard Business School.
About M/C Venture Partners
M/C Venture Partners is a venture capital firm focused exclusively on the communications, media, and information technology sectors. The firm has invested over $1.8 billion into nearly 80 companies in those sectors. Companies the firm has backed include MetroPCS, Cavalier Telephone, TeleCorp PCS, Triad Cellular, Crowley Cellular, and Brooks Fiber. The firm has strong institutional backing from the nation's leading pension funds and endowments as well as a long track record of success. M/C Venture Partners has offices in Boston and San Francisco. For more information visit www.mcventurepartners.com
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