Stepping down

Don Campbell says he has no regrets.

Looking back at his four-year term, the soon-to-retire TbayTel CEO says he’s proud of where the company stands today, in a rapidly changing telecommunications universe.

Campbell, who took over the role in an interim basis in 2008, only to agree to stay on permanently, on Tuesday made it official and announced he’ll be stepping down sometime in 2013.

Under his watch the company made several bold moves.

Tbaytel entered the 4G world, nearly doubling its investment in the technology in 2012. Campbell also guided the publicly owned utility through a deal with Rogers Communications to absorb the national company’s customers, in return for Rogers being allowed to piggyback TbayTel’s towers.

Less successful, it appears, is the company’s foray into the cable television market.

Campbell, who spent 37 years in the business world, most recently as the head of the local Bowater mill, said it hasn’t always been easy ensuring the country’s largest independent telecommunications company found success, given the demographics of Northwestern Ontario.

“I’m proud of the technology that we’ve rolled out into the region. This is a not a very densely populated area. So it doesn’t necessarily attract the kind of technological investment that other areas such as Toronto, Montreal or Vancouver would attract,” said Campbell, who late last year informed the company of his intentions to retire, promising to stay on through the transition process to the new CEO being hired on.

“But we have been able to as a company deliver the best available technology into this region. And I’m proud of that, because it’s not easy.”

Campbell said rolling out 4G technology was a first for the region, a move they made to satisfy customer demand.

“Sometimes it’s difficult financially to make it happen in some of these low density areas, but we did,” he said, adding he’s also proud of the health and safety efforts of the company toward its workers.

Campbell, who took over after Peter Diedrich was ousted by the TbayTel board, said he’s not sure what the future will bring.

“To be quite honest, I don’t know what will transpire at the end of this one. I don’t know when the end will be,” he said, not ruling out the possibility of public service down the road.

He did promise to ensure a smooth transition.

“I’m not deserting anyone and nobody’s deserting me,” he said.

TbayTel board chairman Michael Power, reached by phone Tuesday, said Campbell won’t be easy to replace, but the search is on.
They’ve retained a nationally recognized head-hunting firm to help find his replacement, and won’t necessarily be insisting on past telecommunications experience be on the successful candidate’s CV.

He won’t be easy to replace, Power added.

“Finding someone with Don’s experience, with his engineering prowess, someone who understands the community, the landscape, our partners and our clients, no doubt this is going to be a challenge, but a challenge that the board is looking forward to.

“When we went to the market back in 2008 and we were able to land someone like Don Campbell, we have a similar challenge now, so it’s with mixed emotions that Don’s moving to retirement, but he’s leaving the company in good shape,” Power said, noting that during Campbell’s watch, TbayTel provided the city with upward of $100 million in dividends.

Power said the search will extensively look at telecommunications possibilities from Canada, the United States and Europe, and he expects several well qualified applicants will come forward, despite the relatively remote location.

“We have no concerns whatsoever. TbayTel is the largest independent telecommunications company in this country,” he said, noting there are likely several vice presidents and executive vice presidents at other telecommunications companies looking to take the next step.