Sherry Hessenthaler brings more than 35 years of telecom industry experience to her role as Brightspeed’s Chief Corporate Development Officer. She was part of the early team that helped transition through the company’s launch in October 2022. She led the team responsible for the strategic planning, engineering and construction of the multi-year deployment of XGS-PON and 100G+ fiber broadband network to rural and suburban communities across Brightspeed’s 20-state footprint prior to assuming the position of Chief Corporate Development Officer in February 2024.

Sherry came to Brightspeed from Verizon where she held various executive leadership and strategy positions within finance and network operations. While at Verizon she held management roles in all aspects finance including corporate cash and debt management, external reporting, investor relations, internal auditing and compliance. When Verizon increased its fiber deployment, Sherry held a national leadership role overseeing the strategy of the company’s fiber build including areas such as construction, operations, network maintenance and new product deployment as well as related financials and capital budget management.

Sherry earned her Bachelor of Arts degree in economics and her Bachelor of Science degree in computer science from Ursinus College. She went on to earn her Master of Business Administration degree with a concentration in international finance from Philadelphia University and is a Certified Public Accountant.