( From left ) Debbie Aldrich , Jim Kennedy and Ingrid Molinazzi
Consistently Humble
When Jim took over leadership of the company , he brought Debbie Aldrich and Ingrid Molinazzi over from other Cox divisions to join him as his trusted assistants . Ingrid retired in 2011 , while Debbie has been by his side ever since .
A person in that role sees a lot over the years , but when she thinks of Jim , the word that comes to mind is humble . “ He ’ s a very humble person , considering all his accomplishments and all he ’ s done ,” said Debbie . “ He doesn ’ t brag about what he ’ s done or what he can do .”
When it comes to Cox Communications , Jim has made many bold decisions through the years . First , he made the decision early in his tenure as CEO to remain dedicated to the cable business even though many consultants were advising him to sell it and move on . Next , he supported his team and allowed Cox Cable to go public in order to acquire the Times Mirror Company in 1995 . Jim and his team knew it was a necessary move for the company ’ s long-term growth .
President and Chief Financial Officer Dallas Clement was on the team that helped with the merger and remembers it as a moment of bold leadership for Jim . “ Jim understood the short-term implications , but he trusted his leadership team and held fast to a broader vision that clearly has benefited us to this day ,” said Dallas . “ Jim wasn ’ t afraid to make big , consequential decisions . That kind of courage and decisiveness will always be a part of his legacy .”
The Times Mirror acquisition made Cox the fourth largest cable company in the U . S . at the time . Together , Cox served 3.2 million customers in 36 systems nationwide . At this point , Cox Communications introduced its new logo , which would last until 2018 .
Dallas was also part of the team that worked to take Cox Communications private again in 2004 , and he recalled Jim ’ s steadfast commitment to make the deal happen , even though it required the company to take on $ 8 billion in debt . Jim shared his thinking behind the decision : “ We ’ ve always been a company that makes decisions for the long term . You don ’ t stay in business for more than a century by being shortsighted .”
Alex Taylor and Jim Kennedy
Cox and Sustainability
Jim also doesn ’ t take enough credit for his role in making sustainability a company focus . Under his leadership , Cox Enterprises established Cox Conserves , our sustainability program , in 2007 , formalizing our commitment to reducing waste and energy consumption as well as conserving water . The goals of the program have evolved over the years , and today stand at sending zero waste to landfill by 2024 and becoming carbon and water neutral by 2034 . On the 10-year anniversary of Cox Conserves , Jim commented that this key Cox program was here to stay .
“ Cox Conserves is a story about taking action and inviting everyone to join us on our sustainability journey ,” he said . “ While the world has seen drastic changes over the last decade , our commitment to sustainability has been unwavering . In fact , it ’ s grown and will continue to do so .”
As important as this was to him in his career , it was an active part of his family ’ s home life as well .
“ I always remember there being a huge basket for collecting newspapers , and we were always recycling aluminum cans ,” said his daughter Barbara . “ Thirty years ago , there was a different mindset than it is now , but in our house , if you walked out of a room , you turned the lights off . You don ’ t waste energy . And to this day , if Dad walks by a room and the lights are on , he ’ ll say , ‘ Who left the lights on ?’”
Besides instilling the importance of sustainability in his children , Jim has also worked to find different ways to improve the land and waterways around the country . Today , renewable energy sources like solar panels and wind turbines are how he meets much of his energy needs , but also how he contributes to putting energy back into the power grid .