ATLANTA – Cox announced today that Asheesh Saksena has joined the company as executive vice president and chief strategy officer. In this role, he will oversee existing strategy and new business development organizations and be responsible for strategic business planning, competitive assessments, marketplace evaluations and new growth opportunities. As Saksena helps set the future direction of Cox’s business, he will work closely with his peers at parent company Cox Enterprises and throughout the cable and telecommunications industry.

Saksena most recently served as deputy chief strategy officer and senior vice president, corporate strategy at Time Warner Cable. In that role, he led strategy formulation, including growth and operational transformation, new business incubation, merger and acquisitions opportunity management and strategic partnerships and venturing.

“Cox and the entire cable industry is at a key inflection point as technology, content and customer requirements rapidly shift,” said Pat Esser, president, Cox Communications. “Asheesh has a deep familiarity with the broader communications market and will help drive the necessary strategic shifts that will make us competitive for years to come.”

Prior to joining Time Warner Cable, he was senior executive and partner, communications and high technology strategy at Accenture. In that role, he was responsible for strategy development and issue-based problem solving for c-suite clients and bringing the best of technology, consulting, and management capabilities to help clients address complex growth and operational issues.

Saksena also has held various senior positions at the Tata Group of companies, South Asia’s premier, and one of the largest, industrial conglomerates, with 200-plus companies ranging from manufacturing automobiles to IT and Telecom.

Among his accomplishments, Saksena was the youngest president of Tata Group’s joint venture with Lucent, a two-time winner of the prestigious Ken Ernst Award for Strategy & Innovation and served as part of New York Governor Andrew Cuomo’s transition team for economic policy.

He earned a bachelor’s degree in mechanical engineering with honors from the Birla Institute of Technology and Science in Pilani, India and an MBA from the University of Delhi in India. Saksena and his wife, Sabina, have two children, Ayesha and Arav.

About Cox Communications:

Cox Communications is a broadband communications and entertainment company, providing advanced digital video, Internet, telephone and wireless services over its own nationwide IP network. The third-largest U.S. cable TV company, Cox serves more than 6 million residences and businesses. Cox Business is a facilities-based provider of voice, video and data solutions for commercial customers, and Cox Media is a full-service provider of national and local cable spot and new media advertising. 

Cox is known for its pioneering efforts in cable telephone and commercial services, industry-leading customer care and its outstanding workplaces. For seven years, Cox has been recognized as the top operator for women by Women in Cable Telecommunications; for six years, Cox has ranked among DiversityInc's Top 50 Companies for Diversity, and the company holds a perfect score in the Human Rights Campaign's Corporate Equality Index. More information about Cox Communications, a wholly owned subsidiary of Cox Enterprises, is available at www.cox.com and www.coxmedia.com.

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