Keynote Speaker:

 

Larissa L. Herda

Chairman, CEO and President

tw telecom inc.

(Nasdaq:  TWTC)

 

 

 

Ms. Larissa Herda took the helm of tw telecom inc., formerly Time Warner Telecom Inc., as CEO and President, on June 19, 1998. She was elected Chairman of the tw telecom inc. Board of Directors effective June 7, 2001, and currently holds the title of Chairman, CEO and President. Ms. Herda served as the company’s Senior Vice President of Sales and Marketing from March 1, 1997 until her appointment as chief executive. 
 

Under Ms. Herda’s direction, tw telecom grew from $26 million in revenue in 1996 to $1.4 Billion in 2011; expanded its broadband network footprint from 17 U.S. markets to 75; built a national IP backbone recognized as one of the top 10 most connected IP networks in the world; introduced comprehensive data, voice, Internet and national Ethernet products and made three acquisitions. Ms. Herda has raised approximately $7 billion in the public and private debt markets, including a $290 million IPO, since becoming tw telecom President and CEO.

 

Ms. Herda is a member of the President’s National Security Telecommunications Advisory Committee and is chairman of the board of the Denver Branch of the Federal Reserve of Kansas City. She is also a member of the Colorado Innovation Network advisory board, appointed by Colorado Gov. John Hickenlooper, to promote collaboration among Colorado’s private, public and academic organizations and to stimulate economic growth, help create jobs and attract new businesses.
 

 Ms. Herda has been a member of the board of directors for eight years at the Leeds School of Business at the University of Colorado and is currently a member of the school’s advisory board for the Center for Education in Social Responsibility (CESR). She is a member of The Committee of 200 and a member of the community advisory board of SungateKids, a local children’s advocacy center helping abused children and their families.
 

Recognized for her business efforts and leadership in the community, Ms. Herda was named Ernst & Young Entrepreneur of the Year for the Rocky Mountain Region and the Denver Business Journal’s CEO of the Year and Outstanding Woman in Business. In addition, she was named Telecom Executive of the Year by the Denver Telecom Professionals. She also received the “Swede” Johnson Hope Award presented by the Colorado Chapter of the National Multiple Sclerosis Society and the Women of Distinction Award from the Girl Scouts of America. 
 

Ms. Herda is a graduate of the University of Colorado.