Aaron Jones
Denver,CO
Summary
Technology executive with a 20-year record of closing landmark deals, rebuilding operations, and translating emerging technology into outcomes that show up on the income statement. Across Fortune 1000 enterprises, hyper scaler, neo-cloud and data center operators, managed services organizations, and ISPs, I have contributed to ~$10B in AI infrastructure revenue, stabilized a $400M+ managed services P&L, closed a $450M fiber to the home broadband market-entry deal, and managed several OPEX reduction savings in excess of $65M annually. What connects those results is a consistent ability to see what a customer's business actually needs - before they can fully articulate it - and build the commercial, technical, and operational case to get there.
Senior executive with proven track record in driving growth and operational excellence. Adept at strategic planning, project management, and leveraging data to inform decisions. Strong focus on fostering team collaboration and adapting to changing business needs. Highly skilled in leadership, communication, and delivering impactful results.
Experienced with strategic planning, team leadership, and operational excellence. Utilizes proven methodologies to drive business growth and enhance organizational performance. Track record of successfully leading diverse teams and managing complex projects.
Overview
32
32
years of professional experience
Work History
Senior Director - Large Enterprise & Hyper Scaler Segment
Lumen Technologies
2025.02 - 2026.02
- Directly participated in closing approximately $10B in incremental revenue with major hyper scaler during the AI infrastructure buildout - driven by understanding where those organizations were headed before they articulated it themselves.
- Sustained consistent Large Enterprise segment growth quarter over quarter, partnering with sales to ensure solution and portfolio alignment across a complex account base.
- Drove multi-quarter strategy evolution from SD-WAN toward an AI Fabric architecture and automation-driven services - grounded in hyper scaler and enterprise capital expenditure signals, not internal roadmap preferences.
- Guided IP and Wavelength capacity expansion to ensure the network could be positioned as genuinely AI-first and AI-ready - directly enabling the enterprise and hyper scaler conversations that drove revenue.
- Translated complex infrastructure and AI capability into value propositions that resonated with both technical buyers and executive decision-makers - built cases that held up under board-level scrutiny.
- Ran as the bridge between business units and AI governance bodies - ensuring privacy, security, legal, and ethical review occurred on significant AI initiatives without slowing competitive momentum.
- Led cross-functional teams to enhance operational efficiency and streamline processes across multiple departments.
- Developed and implemented strategic plans to drive revenue growth and improve customer satisfaction metrics.
Vice President - Global Systems Engineering & Managed Services
Speedcast
2024.01 - 2025.02
- Brought in to stabilize operations, modernize delivery, and position the company for acquisition while keeping a $400M+ managed services operation running and growing throughout the transformation.
- Held full executive accountability for $400M+ in annualized revenue across commercial maritime, oil & gas, cruise, and commercial shipping - sustained growth through operational overhaul.
- Rebuilt the full delivery lifecycle end to end - from pre-sales through post-sales customer success - embedding architecture review earlier in the sales cycle to eliminate downstream delivery surprises.
- Standardized design libraries and formal handoff protocols, replacing tribal knowledge with repeatable, scalable process; drove automation across quoting, configuration, and provisioning via ServiceNow.
- Recognized the LEO satellite disruption early and directed architectural development of a converged Smart Edge Multi-WAN platform - integrating LEO, GEO, LTE, and fixed broadband into a single intelligent edge.
- Presented field-tested solution that gave maritime, oil and gas, and commercial shipping clients a credible path through the most significant connectivity transition in their industry.
- Built visible leadership depth that gave prospective acquirers confidence in the organization beyond any single individual - provided the operational maturity and documentation needed for a credible acquisition story.
RVP Solutions Engineering - Major Accounts
Calix
2016.07 - 2024.01
- Developed and evangelized a cloud-native SaaS and hardware platform serving ISPs across every segment - rural independents, regional operators, and global Tier 1 and Tier 2 carriers - on a single unified foundation.
- Directed the architecture and executive pursuit that closed a $450M wire-line broadband deal in 2022 - a brand new ISP entering the market across 20 states, one of the largest new market entry wins in company history.
- Guided the organization through a full transformation from hardware delivery to cloud-native, software-first model; drove an agile delivery cadence across product, marketing, sales, and deployment - Gartner Magic Quadrant recognition followed.
- Designed a scalable engineering and architecture engagement model that let ISP partners deploy and grow without pulling their teams off subscriber acquisition and customer experience.
- Worked closely with venture and private equity firms investing through CAFII, RDOF, and BEAD federal programs - translating complex regulatory and technical realities into fundable, executable strategies.
- Helped C-suite leaders at global ISPs build internal board-level cases for transformation investment - framing platform decisions as growth strategy, not technology spend.
- Self-motivated, with a strong sense of personal responsibility.
- Worked effectively in fast-paced environments.
Vice President - Technology Transformation
CenturyLink (Now Lumen Technologies)
2015.07 - 2016.07
- Drove IP traffic migration strategies during a period of 400%+ growth in global IP demand - positioning the business and its customers ahead of the infrastructure inflection, not reacting to it.
- Accelerated unified communications adoption across enterprise customer bases that reported 20-30% workforce productivity gains post-migration - removing the barriers that kept organizations on legacy infrastructure.
- Unlocked fiber and wavelength investments that made cloud-native services economically viable for customers previously priced out - reshaping the competitive landscape for businesses served.
- Presented board-level business cases for UC investment across multiple enterprise clients - translating infrastructure decisions into workforce and customer experience outcomes leadership could measure and act on.
- Oversaw complex multi-site TDM decommissions with the architectural discipline and timeline honesty these migrations require and rarely receive; developed team members who went on to lead their own organizations.
- Led strategic initiatives to enhance operational efficiency and drive revenue growth.
- Developed and implemented comprehensive business plans aligning with corporate objectives.
Vice President - Application Strategy & Development
CenturyLink (Now Lumen Technologies)
2014.02 - 2015.07
- Scaled and directed multiple engineering organizations simultaneously - each owning a distinct layer of the unified communications stack, from core voice through application development, integration, and lifecycle management.
- Drove architectural transition from legacy TDM monolithic systems to cloud-hosted platforms - establishing design principles and standards that made the migration more simplified.
- Owned the full development lifecycle end to end - design through deployment - and shifted engineering organizations from waterfall to agile delivery.
- Provided platform capabilities that directly enabled enterprise UC deals the previous architecture could not have supported; promoted talent from within who went on to hold senior leadership positions.
- Led strategic initiatives to enhance customer experience and service delivery across multiple regions.
- Directed cross-functional teams to streamline operations, resulting in improved efficiency and reduced costs.
Director - Voice Strategy & Applications Development
CenturyLink (Now Lumen Technologies)
2011.08 - 2014.02
- Directed engineering organizations through the architectural transition from TDM monolithic systems to cloud-hosted voice platforms - results landed clear OPEX savings and opportunities for growth.
- Aligned development priorities to commercial reality by working closely with product and go-to-market teams - what was built matched where the market was heading, not what the old backlog inherited.
- Established an agile delivery cadence across organizations that had ran in traditional waterfall cycles - changing how teams planned, shipped, and responded to market feedback.
- Led cross-functional teams to develop strategic initiatives, enhancing operational efficiency and customer satisfaction.
- Implemented process improvements that streamlined service delivery, reducing response times and increasing reliability.
Director - Voice Solutions
CenturyLink (Now Lumen Technologies)
2009.07 - 2011.08
- Consolidated TDM long distance voice, hosted VoIP, and international services into a single unified platform - delivering $35M in annual OPEX reductions and expanding market coverage from 2 regional markets to 22 NFL city markets.
- Direct teams to develop and deploy a nationwide hosted VoIP rollout - cost optimizations were met as well as revenue growth accelerated.
- Managed the people transition alongside the technology transition - moved the team from monolithic systems thinking to distributed, IP-native voice architecture, keeping the platform stable for customers throughout.
- Led cross-functional teams to drive strategic initiatives, enhancing operational efficiency and service delivery.
- Developed and implemented long-term business strategies, aligning resources with organizational goals.
Major Trials Manager - DMTS
Alcatel-Lucent (Now Nokia)
2007.05 - 2009.07
- Owned architecture and integration of voice and multimedia platforms carrying over 4 million subscribers - decisions at this scale carry direct consequences for customer experience, operating cost, and revenue.
- Implemented subscriber from legacy systems to the next-generation platform - provided a better churn reduction and overall better subscriber experience.
- Served as the technical voice leadership relied on through CenturyTel active M&A period - providing clear-eyed platform assessments that shaped whether acquisitions would meet their intended value.
- Led architectural design projects, ensuring alignment with client vision and regulatory standards.
- Developed innovative solutions to enhance project efficiency and sustainability in designs.
Senior Systems Engineer
Alcatel-Lucent (now Nokia)
1999.12 - 2005.10
- Designed and integrated next-generation IMS-based multimedia platforms across Tier 1-4 carrier environments - architecting concurrent voice, video, and data solutions across wireless and wire-line infrastructure.
- Performed deep production integration work - SS7 signaling, SIP trunking, media gateway deployments, and application server configurations that had to perform under real carrier load from day one.
- Managed global integration of an acquired multimedia platform into key Lucent accounts; built genuine capability in international engineering teams - not documentation handoffs, but working alongside until they could operate independently.
- Streamlined processes for deployment of new technologies, reducing implementation timeframes significantly.
- Collaborated with cross-functional teams to define project requirements and ensure alignment with business objectives.
Enlisted Soldier - Honorable Discharge
United States Army Reserve
1993.09 - 2001.09
- Proudly served. Honorably discharged.
- Led training exercises to enhance unit readiness and operational effectiveness.
- Coordinated logistics for equipment and personnel deployment during missions.
Senior Switch Technician
BTI Inc. (now Kinetic)
1998.04 - 1999.12
- Maintained Lucent 5ESS local switching and DSC 600E long distance voice platforms in the Atlanta, GA central office - the environment that built the technical instincts that still inform how I think about network architecture.
- Supported DSC SS7 signaling infrastructure and the early deployment of the APX8000 high-speed data platform - a ground-floor view of the convergence that would reshape the industry over the next two decades.
Senior Systems Engineer
Williams Communications (now Lumen)
1997.04 - 1998.04
- Directed end-to-end voice and data installation across business environments - building the field experience that reveals how technology actually lands in a customer environment versus how it looks in a design document.
- Took lead responsibility on time-critical contracts - learning early that technical competence and execution discipline are two different things, and both matter equally when a customer is counting on you.
- Led systems integration initiatives to enhance network performance and reliability.
- Designed and implemented solutions for complex telecommunications challenges, improving system efficiency.
- Mentored junior engineers on best practices in systems architecture and troubleshooting methodologies.
Education
General Studies - General Studies
University of New Mexico
Albuquerque, NM01.1996
General Studies -
Northern Arizona University
Flagstaff, AZ01.1995
Diploma -
Central High School
Phoenix, AZ06.1993
Skills
- Complex Sales and Solution Engagement
- Business Outcome Enabler
- AI Infrastructure Strategy
- Platform Consolidation & OPEX Reduction
- Deep Technical Architecture Acumen
- Wavelength and IP Technology Architectures
- End-End Solution Architecture
- Change management
- Performance management
- Client relations
- Coaching and mentoring
- Leadership development
- Relationship building
- Team collaboration
- Multitasking and organization
- Problem-solving
- Capital spending
- Story pitching
- Sales management
- Goal setting
- Negotiation
- Employee development
- Creativity and innovation
- People management
- Decision-making
- Issues resolution
- Information technology management
- Change management
- Performance management
- Client relations
- Coaching and mentoring
- Leadership development
- Relationship building
- Team collaboration
- Multitasking and organization
- Problem-solving
- Capital spending
- Story pitching
- Sales management
- Goal setting
- Negotiation
- Employee development
- Creativity and innovation
- People management
- Decision-making
- Issues resolution
Websites
Patents
US-9882833-B2, Denver, CO, Intent based services orchestration
- https://patents.google.com/patent/US9882833B2/en
Awards
Outstanding Service Provider Award
- 2010 - CenturyTel (Now Lumen Technologies)
Presidents Club
- 2022 - Calix
Timeline
Senior Director - Large Enterprise & Hyper Scaler Segment
Lumen Technologies
2025.02 - 2026.02
Vice President - Global Systems Engineering & Managed Services
Speedcast
2024.01 - 2025.02
RVP Solutions Engineering - Major Accounts
Calix
2016.07 - 2024.01
Vice President - Technology Transformation
CenturyLink (Now Lumen Technologies)
2015.07 - 2016.07
Vice President - Application Strategy & Development
CenturyLink (Now Lumen Technologies)
2014.02 - 2015.07
Director - Voice Strategy & Applications Development
CenturyLink (Now Lumen Technologies)
2011.08 - 2014.02
Director - Voice Solutions
CenturyLink (Now Lumen Technologies)
2009.07 - 2011.08
Major Trials Manager - DMTS
Alcatel-Lucent (Now Nokia)
2007.05 - 2009.07
Senior Systems Engineer
Alcatel-Lucent (now Nokia)
1999.12 - 2005.10
Senior Switch Technician
BTI Inc. (now Kinetic)
1998.04 - 1999.12
Senior Systems Engineer
Williams Communications (now Lumen)
1997.04 - 1998.04
Enlisted Soldier - Honorable Discharge
United States Army Reserve
1993.09 - 2001.09
General Studies - General Studies
University of New Mexico
General Studies -
Northern Arizona University
Diploma -
Central High School