Technology >> CEO Interviews >> October 16, 2001

Hugh Simpson – Datavon Inc (dtvn)

HUGH SIMPSON is Chairman and CEO of DTVN Holdings, Inc., and DataVoN, Inc. Mr. Simpson served on active duty with the U.S. Marine Corps as a pilot, and later joined the U.S. Marine Corps Reserves, obtaining the rank of Lt. Col. After working with International Telecharge, Inc., from 1988 to 1990, he was returned to active duty to participate in Operations Desert Shield and Desert Storm. In 1991, he began working on a project that resulted in the founding of Travel Com 800, a communications company providing products for military enlisted personnel. In founding DataVoN in 1997, Mr. Simpson saw an under-served wholesale sector in the telecom market, which he believed could be successfully penetrated by offering reliable and scalable services via an IP network. His plan to construct a packet-switched network combined a lean and sound management team with a profitable growth model, next generation technology and a speed to market mentality that delivers products and services that exceed customer expectations. To accelerate DataVoN's growth, Mr. Simpson has cultivated alliances with leading telecom technology service providers and aggressively pursued compatible acquisitions. Mr. Simpson is a graduate of Sam Houston State University. Profile
TWST: Would you give us a brief overview and history of your company?

Mr. Simpson: I have been professionally involved in the

telecommunications industry since 1988. In the mid- to late-1990s