Zayo Appoints Chris Brown as President and Chief Operating Officer

Experienced executive joins to strengthen operational execution and support continued network growth

DENVER--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Zayo, a leading communications infrastructure provider, today announced the appointment of Chris Brown as President and Chief Operating Officer. Brown will help drive Zayo’s growth and operational priorities as the Company continues to expand its network to meet increasing demand for high-performance connectivity.

Brown brings more than three decades of executive leadership experience across the infrastructure, energy, chemicals, and utilities industries. His expertise in leading complex operations and developing growth-focused business strategies will help Zayo continue executing with discipline.

“We’re pleased to welcome Chris to Zayo’s leadership team,” said Steve Smith, Chief Executive Officer at Zayo. “Chris brings deep operational and commercial expertise, with a proven track record of driving growth and execution across multiple industries. He brings clarity and focus to complex environments and builds strong teams that deliver outstanding results. His leadership will be instrumental as we accelerate growth and close and integrate Crown Castle’s Fiber Solution Business.”

“Zayo is in a strong position with tremendous opportunity ahead,” said Chris Brown, President and Chief Operating Officer at Zayo. “My focus is on accelerating growth across the business and keeping execution sharp as we integrate Crown Castle’s Fiber Solution Business. Zayo has the right assets, strategy, and people to keep advancing, and I’m looking forward to working with Steve and the organization to turn that opportunity into results.”

About Chris Brown

Before joining Zayo, Brown was Founder and CEO of Brown Equity Group, a private investment firm focused on businesses in the energy, real estate, telecommunications, and agriculture sectors.

He previously served as CEO of Lubrizol, a Berkshire Hathaway company, where he led a global operational and safety transformation, and as CEO of Berkshire Hathaway Energy Infrastructure Group, where he developed and executed the company’s investment strategy across multiple infrastructure sectors.

Earlier in his career, Brown was President of Vestas Wind Energy, where he oversaw significant growth in North American sales and operations, helping the company achieve a market-leading position in renewable energy. He also served as Chief Operating Officer for the City of Detroit, where he managed day-to-day operations and led major efficiency and infrastructure initiatives during a period of significant change.

Brown’s earlier leadership roles include senior positions at DTE Energy, Singapore Power, Entergy Power Group, and Constellation Energy. He began his career as a corporate finance lawyer and holds a Juris Doctor from Villanova University School of Law and a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science from the University of Delaware.

About Zayo

For more than 17 years, Zayo has empowered some of the world’s largest and most innovative companies to connect what’s next for their business. The Zayo group of companies connects 400 global markets with future-ready networks that span over 19.1 million fiber miles and 147,000 route miles. Zayo’s tailored connectivity solutions and managed services enable carriers, cloud providers, data centers, schools, and enterprises to deliver exceptional experiences, from core to cloud to edge. Discover how Zayo connects what’s next at www.zayo.com and follow us on LinkedIn.