Rick Stern
Direct 773.770.1360Conversation around the office with Rick Stern often involves a lot of four-letter words.
Plan. Lead. Grow. Move. Fast. Bold. Idea. Goal.
He’s pushing us to do our best thinking for our customers every day. That’s his competitive nature, starting as a gutsy kid on the football field. Whether calling the plays on the field or in the boardroom, Rick is a natural leader who develops a solid team that shares his vision.
Rick built upon his extensive experience in the telecommunications industry when he created Network Innovations in 1997. He had held line and management positions with Sprint, MCI WorldCom and Universal Access. He saw the need among customers and agents for a responsive, full-service, network agnostic wholesale data service provider. He is the architect of NI’s growth from a single office offering telecom consulting services, to a full service data provider offering network services nationwide. As Chief Executive Officer, Rick directs our finance, operations and client services functions and, together with COO Ron Grason, holds executive-level accountability for new business development and corporate strategy.
Rick earned a bachelor’s degree in telecommunications from the University of Florida and served six years in the U.S. Naval Reserve. He will graduate in 2009 from Harvard Business School’s Owner/President Management Program.
“If you’re going to be thinking anyway, you may as well think big.” – Donald Trump. Rick thinks big. He set a goal early in life to start a successful company, and made it happen. Yet he’ll proudly show you pictures of his wife and three kids before he’ll hand you a business card. Because it’s still all about winning one for the team.