Endeavor Telecom is announcing a top management transition, with the appointment of former president and COO Ben Balsley as CEO. Standing CEO Justin McLain will move into a role as executive chairman.
McLain, who co-founded the company after selling a software development company in 2002, will maintain a focus on growth, strategy and expanding customer relations.
When hired as president and COO late last year, Balsley brought 17+ years of experience in various aspects of customer service, operations, business process development and corporate strategy. In his expanded role, Balsley’s immediate objectives will be the continued oversight of key operational initiatives, forging close ties to key customer contacts, development of the Endeavor team and further enhancement of the management organization, the company said.
Balsley graduated from Davidson College with a B.A. in History and has an MBA from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill with a dual concentration in general management and global supply chain management. Between undergrad and graduate school, Balsley served as an artillery officer in the U.S. Army and led more than 175 patrols in support of the Dayton Peace Accords in Bosnia. While in the army, he was awarded the Army Commendation Award and the NATO and Foreign Service Medals for his efforts as part of Operation Joint Guard in Bosnia – Herzegovina.
Post-Army, Balsley managed warehousing and logistics operations at McMaster-Carr and was a management consultant at PricewaterhouseCoopers before joining Bellsouth and, subsequently AT&T, where she served a number of management roles. He also spent time at Altisource before going on to form his own company, BAM Worldwide, which is a business process and software development outsourcing provider.
“I’ve known Ben personally for nearly a decade,” said McClain. “I am proud to consider him a friend and have enjoyed following his career successes over the years – many of which I lobbied to bring him into the leadership team at Endeavor. Ben’s intelligence, dedication to operational excellence, financial discipline, work ethic, creativity and personal integrity embody everything a leader should aspire to be. He is a proven executive in Endeavor’s operation and an ideal role model for the company.”
“Endeavor is well positioned for future success and I am extremely honored to lead our team and build upon the foundation that Justin has established over the past ten years,” said Balsley. “We have a tremendous amount of momentum and a portfolio of impactful strategies and initiatives that will drive value into the organization and deliver exceptional service to our customers. It is truly an exciting time to be a part of the Endeavor family.”
