Ron Ireland: Channel Exec of the Year Finalist

Ron Ireland, TMC Communications

Title: President and CFO

Years in current position: 3 as president, 10 as CFO

Years with current company: 11

Years in the indirect channel: 11

Past jobs in the indirect channel: N/A

Main channel goal: "[The main goal is to] empower TMC agents to grow their business by providing the products, pricing and tools to attract and retain a profitable and growing base of business clients."

To what extent do you, personally, show leadership within the companies you have worked for, the business community at large, the communications industry and the channel? Because of TMC’s commitment to the channel, I am on the phone daily with our agents, as is everyone from the customer service desk to the head of our IT department. By fostering a culture and mindset that understand the unique needs of our agent community balanced with prudent business practices, we’ve consistently grown revenues and earnings over the last several years. My executive staff and I have worked hard to instill this practical service-minded approach into each of our outstanding employees.”

How do you think our country’s economic downturn has affected the telecom industry, the indirect channel and your company’s channel operations? I think the economic downturn has made its mark clearly on certain verticals. If a telecom provider had a concentration of clients in mortgage banking, the effects were obvious. However, a balanced portfolio of commercial accounts will likely weather the storm. Most providers I’ve spoken to anticipate rises in delinquency and bad debt, but the downturn brings opportunity as well. ... Agents who can hone their message to include not only cost savings, but also network and management efficiencies will continue to succeed even in this tough economy.”

Favorite joke: “My grandfather always asked people if the capital of Kentucky was pronounced ‘Lewis’-ville or ‘Louey’-ville; then he would laugh and remind them that the capital of Kentucky is pronounced ‘Frankfurt.’”

What others are saying about Ron:

“[Ron] truly puts the agents first, and understands customers are the lifeline of our business. Ron earns our respect and our business because where others talk a big game, Ron just makes it happen.”

— Rick Lang, CEO/Owner, Single Source Telecom LLC, Consultant