Robert E. Knowling, Jr. - Board Member
Mr. Robert E. Knowling, Jr. brings over 20 years of experience in the telecommunications industry to Telwares. Mr. Knowling's leadership skills and experience in leading companies through periods of high growth will help drive Telwares’s continued growth as a recognized market innovator in the TEM space.Prior to joining Telwares, Knowling was chief executive officer of the NYC Leadership Academy, an independent non-profit corporation created by Chancellor Joel I. Klein and Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg that is chartered with developing the next generation of principals in the New York City public school system.
From 2001 to 2003, Mr. Knowling was Chairman and CEO of SimDesk Technologies, Inc. (STI, formerly Internet Access Technologies, Inc.). During his time at STI, he defined the Company’s go-to-market strategy, developed numerous strategic partnerships, and managed the successful launch of the Company’s software.
Knowling began his career in 1977 at Indiana Bell and progressed rapidly through a variety of assignments in operations, engineering and marketing. When Indiana Bell became a part of Ameritech, Knowling assumed positions of increasing responsibility in marketing, product development, large business marketing and network operations. He was assigned to Ameritech's re-engineering breakthrough development team in 1992. As the lead architect of the Ameritech transformation, Knowling reported directly to the chairman. He was named vice president of Network Operations for Ameritech in 1994.
Knowling then joined U S WEST in March 1996 as Vice President of Network Operations. In 1997 he was named executive vice president of Operations and Technologies responsible for a 30,000-member team in charge of planning, delivering and maintaining high-quality telecommunications services for more than 25 million customers in 14 states.
In July 1998, Knowling joined Covad Communications; a Private Equity/Venture Capital backed start-up company located in Silicon Valley, as chairman, president and chief executive officer. Covad is a national provider of Digital Subscriber Line (DSL) services to homes and small business customers
Knowling was awarded the Wall Street Project’s Reginald Lewis Trailblazers Award by President Clinton and the Reverend Jesse Jackson in 1999. The award came in recognition for the spirit and mission of inclusion, opportunity, expansion, advocacy and success in the workplace.
Knowling also serves on the board of directors for Ariba in Sunnyvale, CA, where he is the lead director; Heidrick & Struggles International, Inc. in Chicago; and Aprimo, in Indianapolis, Indiana. He is also a member of the advisory board for Northwestern University’s Kellogg Graduate School of Management. Knowling has been a YMCA volunteer for more than 15 years and served as chair of the National Services group for the YMCA in 1993. He maintains an active nationwide corporate and public speaking schedule.
Knowling received a Bachelor of Arts degree in theology from Wabash College and a master of business administration from Northwestern University’s Kellogg Graduate School of Business.