Glenn Britt’s Legacy – ‘It All Comes Back to the People’
What does Time Warner Cable chairman/CEO Glenn Britt want to be remembered for when he leaves the business at year’s end? Certainly all the products and services the MSO has offered. “However, in the end, it all comes back to the people who made it happen,” said Britt in an acceptance statement for the 3rd Annual Diversity Champion Award presented by NAMIC’s Mid-Atlantic Chapter. Since the exec couldn’t attend the event Thursday night at Washington DC’s W Hotel, Terrill Gosa, vp of system operations engineering accepted the award on his behalf. Past recipients are Cox svp Mae Douglas and FCC Commissioner Mignon Clyburn.
“As we continue to shape the future of communications, we must continue to be inclusive. That’s the right thing to do, and it’s the only way that we will stay relevant and be successful in connecting people to what matters the most in their lives,” according to Britt. There’s much more to be done to improve diversity in the industry but “I am proud of how far we have come,” he wrote. “I have had the fortune to witness many great advances in cable over the years,” he wrote, citing the expansion of broadband. “None of the advances would be possible without the talent behind them.” Calling himself “a cable guy through and through,” Britt applauded the caliber of the industry once more. “We have some of the best minds working in the cable industry.” That’s because cable embraces people with different backgrounds, perspectives and experiences, which lead to innovative ideas, according to the exec.
Britt, who recently shared with the world that he has battled with cancer and that his melanoma has recurred, chaired his final meeting as chairman of the NCTA board of directors this week. And the night before, his peers, colleagues and friends turned out for a Washington farewell for him, Rob Stoddard, NCTA svp of Communications & Public Affairs said. “It was a memorable evening that won’t soon be forgotten.”
TWC employees at the event also shared with us their personal stories about Britt: A night during the recent Diversity Week in NYC, Britt was spotted at the lobby of the Marriott Marquis getting a shoeshine. “He was there, by himself, with no staff around, getting a shoeshine and looking relaxed,” one TWCer told us. Other staffers said they will “really miss the big boss,” who’s great at setting a direction, communicating and providing clarity. “We wished him a healthy recovery,” they said. And as Stoddard said, “we can only believe that the man who has built the nation’s second-largest cable operator, and who goes to work every day with one goal – to best serve his 15 million customers in 29 states – is up to the task.”