MIAMI, FLORIDA — The 36th annual CANTO Trade and Virtual Exhibition kicked-off on Wednesday, July 28, with headline sponsor C&W Communications (CWC) hosting the first day of the three-day virtual event.
Held under the theme “The New Digital Reality — 2021 and Beyond”, the event was formally opened by David Cox, senior director, regulatory, CWC, and current chairman of CANTO, who welcomed participants and panelists to CANTO’s first-ever virtual trade event.
CWC put together an impressive lineup of discussion panels on the first day that focused on topical issues faced by the sector in the wake of an ongoing global COVID-19 pandemic. In the first session of the day, Cox spoke with CWC CEO Inge Smidts in a candid and insightful virtual fireside chat.
Smidts detailed how the regional communications and entertainment provider has been able to navigate through the challenges of the pandemic and put a uniquely “human” face on the company’s commitment to keep its employees working and its customers connected.
Smidts said passionately: “With the onset of COVID-19, we focused on our two ‘whys’: taking care of our people and keeping our customers connected. My philosophy is that our people are our biggest asset. Having the network capacity to meet the demands of our customers is important but having the right people to take care of our customers is even more important.”
Smidts attributed the company’s ability to continue to meet those “whys” on the resilience of its employees and their willingness to face the challenges head-on to ensure they continued to find ways to keep customers connected.
As the region’s only female CEO running a full-service telecommunications company, she offered the virtual audience some personal insights into her management style and leadership approach during the pandemic.
Smidts said “the pandemic induced a period of ‘unlearning’, forcing companies, including CWC, to find new ways to meet the needs of their customers and employees and to embrace change”.
C&W Communications has been a long-standing partner of CANTO and through its Corporate Social Responsibility programs, and the work of its C&W Charitable Foundation, continues to invest in and advocate for greater digital access for the region’s children. CWC is committed to working with governments and industry stakeholders towards this goal.
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