Novacap-backed Horizon names James Capuano as CEO

Horizon, which is backed by Canadian private equity firm Novacap, has appointed James Capuano as CEO. His role began July 23, 2020. Prior to joining Horizon, Capuano was chief operating officer at FirstLight Fiber. Based in Columbus, Ohio, Horizon is a regional fiber-optic bandwidth infrastructure services provider.

PRESS RELEASE

COLUMBUS, Ohio, July 27, 2020 /PRNewswire/ – Horizon, a leading regional fiber-optic bandwidth infrastructure services provider based in Columbus, Ohio, today announced that James (Jim) Capuano has been named the company’s Chief Executive Officer (CEO) as of July 23, 2020.

Capuano has more than 30 years’ experience in the telecommunications industry. Prior to joining Horizon, he served as Chief Operating Officer (COO) of FirstLight Fiber, in Albany, NY.
His accomplishments there included: multiple major network expansion initiatives and the integration of more than nine separate acquisitions resulting in the largest fiber optic network in Northern New England and New York State.

“Jim’s unique combination of skills in overseeing operations and engineering, while driving growth, will serve Horizon well as we continue to expand. His broad industry experience and contacts, as well as his leadership skills, will guide the company into the future,” said Ted Mocarski, Chairperson, Horizon Board and Senior Partner at Novacap, a leading Canadian private equity firm that has owned Horizon since 2018.

Capuano’s other professional roles include: Chief Technology Officer (CTO) at Unite Private Networks, in Kansas City, MO; COO at Veroxity Technology Partners, in Bedford, MA; and Vice President of Engineering and Operations at RCN Metro, in Westborough, MA. In these positions, he led telecommunications engineering and operations, network construction, expansion selections and planning, product development, vendor assessment and selection, marketing, technical sales and business support.

“I am very excited to join this team of successful professionals and have the opportunity to lead Horizon to even greater success,” said Capuano. “We have a unique opportunity to increase the density of our fiber optic network to reach more customers in our existing service areas, while also bringing these high quality service offerings to new markets.”

About Horizon
Based in Columbus, Ohio, Horizon (horizonconnects.com) is a leading fiber-optic broadband carrier operating in Ohio, Pennsylvania, West Virginia, Kentucky, Indiana and Michigan. The extensive network offers high speed Ethernet, Dedicated Internet Access, dark fiber, wavelength, cloud communications and data center connection services primarily to business customers. Horizon’s entrepreneurial heritage, dating back 125 years, and long-standing commitment to remarkable customer care, ensures its devotion to connecting customers to their worlds through the delivery of cutting-edge fiber-optic technology.

About Novacap
Founded in 1981, Novacap is a leading Canadian private equity firm with $3.6 billion of assets under management. Its distinct investment approach, based on deep operational expertise and an active partnership with entrepreneurs, has helped accelerate growth and create long-term value for its numerous portfolio companies. With an experienced management team and substantial financial resources, Novacap is well-positioned to continue building world-class businesses. Backed by leading global institutional investors, Novacap’s deals typically include leveraged buyouts, management buyouts, add-on acquisitions, IPOs, and privatizations. Over the last 39 years, Novacap has invested in more than 90 companies and completed more than 130 add-on acquisitions. The company has offices in Toronto, Ontario and Brossard, Quebec. For more information, please visit www.novacap.ca.