Melody Investment Advisors, a Leading Communications Infrastructure Investor, Announces Senior Advisory Board
NEW YORK, May 12, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Melody Investment Advisors LP ("MIA", "Melody" or the "firm"), an alternative asset manager focused on mission-critical communications infrastructure, today announced the members of the firm's Senior Advisory Board. Composed of leading executives and thought leaders in the communications infrastructure industry, the Senior Advisory Board is chaired by Founder and Managing Partner, Omar Jaffrey.
The Advisory Board members include veteran telecommunications and media executives Edward D. Horowitz, John W. Diercksen, Joseph J. Euteneuer, and Ronald T. LeMay. Biographies for these individuals can be found below.
"We are honored and pleased to have this veteran group of technology, media and telecommunications executives join the Melody Senior Advisory Board," said Mr. Jaffrey. "I have worked extensively with these individuals during my 30-year career in the industry and am excited about the vision, long experience, and valuable deal sourcing networks they bring to us. With data consumption poised to potentially rise ten times over the next decade, I have never seen the demand for communications infrastructure be greater and believe that Melody is well positioned to further expand with additional acquisitions of infrastructure required for digital connectivity."
Melody Investment Advisors was created in 2018 by Mr. Jaffrey, a co-founder of Melody Capital Management LLC ("MCM"). As the legacy funds at MCM and an affiliate approached the end of their investment period, Mr. Jaffrey and members of the telecommunications, media, and technology ("TMT") industries team decided to launch a new, separate, sector-focused investment manager, called Melody Investment Advisors, to focus exclusively on investments in the communications infrastructure ecosystem. Under Mr. Jaffrey's leadership, MIA significantly expanded its senior team including Investment Partners John Apostolides and Joshua Oboler, both of whom are industry veteran telecommunications investors, and Operating Partners David Bacino and Jorge Pedraza, both of whom are long-tenured senior executives in the wireless infrastructure industry with decades of operating and leadership experience. MIA's operations and finance functions are led by Chester Dawes, who has over 20 years of management, corporate finance, and investment industry experience.
As a specialist firm focused on communications infrastructure, MIA is seeking to invest in multiple areas within the ecosystem including wireless infrastructure (such as towers, rooftop cell sites and ground leases underneath towers), fiber and broadband connectivity platforms, datacenters, edge-computing assets and satellite and related remote connectivity assets. Since 2019, MIA has been actively investing and adding veteran industry executives to its growing executive leadership team. Jorge Pedraza heads Symphony Wireless, a leading cell site acquisition business, Lawrence Gleason serves as the President of Harmoni Towers, and Tony Peduto serves as CEO of CTI Towers.
Mr. Jaffrey continued, "Our team includes some of the best and brightest in the communications infrastructure industry. I am extremely excited about the opportunity we have ahead of us at MIA. Going forward, we have already begun to execute on the tremendous number of investment opportunities we see in the digital infrastructure sector and remain focused on creating value for our investors."
MIA's Senior Advisory Board Members' Biographies. More detailed information on the members can be found here.
Edward Horowitz
Mr. Horowitz, a veteran communications industry executive and venture capitalist, has been in the communications infrastructure industry since 1974, holding a wide variety of senior management, founder, board member and advisory roles. Over the course of his career, he has held a variety of senior leadership positions, including Chairman and CEO of the Viacom Broadcasting and Interactive Media Groups and Founder and Chairman of e-Citi, a unit of Citigroup. In addition, Mr. Horowitz founded several firms, including EdsLink LLC and U.S Space LLC.
He currently serves on the Board and is former Chairman of the First Responder Network Authority, as a Board Commissioner to LinkNet Tbk PT, and as a board member of Qumu Corp. and the New York Hall of Science (NYSCI).
John W. Diercksen
Mr. Diercksen has held a variety of senior strategy, mergers and acquisitions, and business development roles in the telecommunications industry. He was most recently the Executive Vice President, Strategy, Development and Planning for Verizon, with responsibility for key strategic initiatives relating to initiatives related to the review and assessment of potential mergers, acquisitions, and divestitures. Mr. Diercksen was instrumental in forging Verizon's technology investment strategy and repositioning its assets through the acquisition of Spectrum.
He currently serves as an Executive-In-Residence at LionTree Capital Advisors. Mr. Diercksen also serves on the boards of Intelsat, Banco Popular and Cyxtera. He formerly served on the board of Harman International prior to its sale to Samsung.
Joseph J. Euteneuer
Mr. Euteneuer has over 30 years of experience in the telecommunications and media industry. He has held several prominent senior financial roles, most recently as the Chief Financial Officer of Mattel until July 2020. Prior to Mattel, Mr. Euteneuer held CFO roles at Sprint, Qwest, and XM Satellite Radio Holdings. From 1988 to 2002, he held several executive roles at Comcast, including CFO and Executive Vice President at Comcast Corporation's Business Communications / Broadnet Europe and Vice President, Corporate Development, and Corporate Controller.
Ronald T. LeMay
Mr. LeMay is a pioneer and respected leader in the communications industry. For almost 50 years he has served in various senior capacities with firms, including Southwestern Bell, AT&T and Sprint. His career with Sprint spanned 18 years: He was employee number one and CEO of Sprint PCS (wireless) and led the company to $10 billion in annual revenues in record speed. Mr. LeMay retired as President and COO of Sprint Corporation in 2003. Following retirement, he served as Industrial Partner for Ripplewood Holdings, a private equity firm. He also served as CEO of Japan Telecom, a Ripplewood company. Mr. LeMay formed Open Air Equity Partners, a venture capital and private equity firm focused on the Internet of Things.
More detailed information on MIA Senior Advisory Board members can be found here.
About Melody Investment Advisors
Melody Investment Advisors is an alternative asset manager led by Founder and Managing Partner, Omar Jaffrey, focused on communications infrastructure. The firm seeks to invest through direct asset ownership, as well as by developing innovative financing solutions to complex problems for leading global communications companies. To learn more about Melody Investment Advisors, visit www.melodyinvestmentadvisors.com.
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