Jim Robbins does not head the biggest cable operation, but he has molded arguably one of the best. Mr. Robbins joined the company then known as Cox Cable Communications in 1983 as a division vice president. Within two years he was running the entire company as president. He was named CEO in 1995.
During his watch, Cox became one of the first cable operators to embrace the concept of customer service at a time when the industry was being scored by critics for its arrogant, monopolistic behavior. An innovative approach to clustering cable systems enabled Cox to compete effectively for local ad dollars in the areas in which the company operated. Cox has been the only broadband company to successfully bundle telephone, video and high-speed data offerings. As a result, Cox is among the most financially successful cable operators, reducing debt and increasing cash flow at a time when many of its peers are hurting.
A native of Mount Kisco, N.Y., Mr. Robbins attended the University of Pennsylvania and holds a Harvard MBA. He has twice served as board chairman of the National Cable and Telecommunications Association, and is a member of the executive committee for C-SPAN. He served two tours with the U.S. Navy in Vietnam.