James O. Robbins, president and CEO of Cox Communications, will retire at the end of this year after leading the company for two decades. He will be succeeded by Patrick J. Esser, 48, who will become president of Cox Communications. Robbins, who will continue serving as a member of the Cox Communications board of directors, will become a member of the Cox Enterprises board of directors in early 2006. Esser joined Cox in 1979 as director of programming for the company’s system in Hampton Roads, VA, and in 1981 was part of the original management team that pioneered Cox’s local advertising sales division, CableRep Advertising. In 1991, he was promoted to vice president of advertising sales, later being named senior vice president of operations for the Western Division before serving most recently as executive vice president and chief operating officer.
Cox Communications is the third largest MSO in the U.S.
Also, Cox Enterprises (the parent company announced that Jimmy W. Hayes, 52, has been named executive vice president and will assume the role of president and chief operating officer at the end of 2005. Hayes will succeed Dennis Berry, who at year end will become vice chair of Cox Enterprises succeeding David Easterly who will retire from that position while remaining a member of the board. Ihttp://www.cox.com
