It’s official: Jim Butman takes the helm at TDS Telecom
With 32 years of service at TDS, Butman is ready to take the lead on moving the company forward.
TDS Telecom makes it official — Jim Butman is the new president and CEO. He succeeds Dave Wittwer, who led the company the past 11 years, and will continue to work from the company’s national headquarters in Madison, Wis.
“Jim is a highly seasoned and effective leader,” said LeRoy (Ted) T. Carlson Jr., TDS president and CEO. “He has excellent business instincts and industry experience that are critical to leading TDS Telecom smartly into the future. I have the utmost confidence Jim will successfully accomplish the long-term vision and strategic plan for TDS Telecom, through continued focus on delighting customers.”
Butman joined TDS in 1985. During his 32 years with the company, he has held numerous leadership positions. Most recently, he served as the Chief Operating Officer. Prior to that, he was the Group President of Marketing, Sales & Customer Operations. He also served as president of TDS Metrocom, the company’s competitive local exchange operation, helping it grow into a $250 million business.
“I am honored to lead this most amazing company,” says Butman. “Our leadership and our employees are some of the most talented people I know. I am proud to work with them in delivering our high-quality, advanced broadband, TV, and communications services. I’m confident our best years are ahead as we continue transforming our company into a dynamic broadband, video and communications enterprise."
The leadership team Butman references, was recently announced and includes:
- Vicki Villacrez, Chief Financial Officer and Senior Vice President of Finance
- Ken Paker, Chief Technology Officer and Senior Vice President of Information and Network Technologies
- Drew Petersen, Senior Vice President of Corporate Affairs
- Shane West, Senior Vice President of Marketing, Sales and Customer Operations
- Mark Barber, Senior Vice President of Network Operations
- Kathy Cefalu, Vice President, Chief Human Resources Officer
Butman earned a Bachelor of Business Administration in Finance from the University of Wisconsin–Eau Claire and a Master of Business Administration in Finance from the University of Wisconsin–Madison.
TDS Telecom, a wholly owned subsidiary of Telephone and Data Systems, Inc., is the seventh largest local exchange telephone company in the U.S. and a growing force in the cable industry. TDS provides up to 1Gig internet speeds as well as phone and TV entertainment services in nearly 900 rural, suburban, and metropolitan communities. For businesses, TDS delivers VoIP (managedIP Hosted voice) communication solutions along with high-speed internet, fiber optics, data networking, and hosted-managed services.
