Chris McDonald is the Senior Vice President of External Affairs for Comcast Cable’s West Division in Denver, Colorado. In this role, Chris oversees all government affairs, public policy, local franchising, state legislative matters, external communications, and community investment for the six Comcast regions across the western United States.
Q: How many employees do you have in the Denver South region?
A: Colorado holds Comcast’s second highest population of employees—outside of the company’s headquarters in Philadelphia– with approximately 8,000 employees throughout the state of Colorado including 6,000 in the Denver South region. The location is exceptional due to the business climate, government support and infrastructure.
Q: What are your plans for expansion?
A: In the immediate future, we are in the process of moving into the former Charles Schwab campus to create a technology campus where Comcasters will collaborate and innovate for the future. This campus will create approximately 300 new jobs for the Denver South region, which continues our growth throughout the state of Colorado. We are also opening a customer care center in Fort Collins which will create approximately 600 new jobs.
Additionally, Comcast Business is investing millions in the South Metro Denver area, including projects at Fiddler’s Green, Compark and Centennial Airport, to proactively expand our advanced network, providing local businesses with access to new high-speed Internet and fiber optic Ethernet service options. The fiber-based Ethernet network is capable of delivering speeds up to 10 Gigabits-per-second (Gbps). These upgrades support the metro area’s thriving business climate and economy; and represent the latest of Comcast’s continued investment in Colorado.
Q: How do you keep your employees engaged from a retention perspective?
A: We focus on our three pillars of Innovation, Investment and Involvement. This means a huge investment in people with an emphasis on workforce strategy, hiring the right people, providing benefits and career development, as well as opportunities for community involvement. Comcast Cares Day is a celebration of the company’s year round commitment to service. It is the nation’s largest single day corporate volunteer event with over 100,000 volunteers in 2015, including employees, their families, friends and community partners. We also have the Comcast Foundation which supports students and organizations in the communities where our employees live, work and play through grants and scholarships. Our Internet Essentials Program is the nation’s largest and most comprehensive broadband adoption program providing internet access to eligible low income students, their families and households at a reduced cost and the ability to purchase a computer at a discounted rate in order to help bridge the digital divide.
Q: How do you find and cultivate the best talent?
We are lucky to have a diverse workforce full of talent within the Denver South region. We also acquire talent from Colorado’s great education system, including our local Community Colleges. We have strong partnerships within the workforce development community and work closely with our area businesses and nonprofits.
Q: How do you feel about the long-term potential for growth in Denver South?
Comcast is proud to be part of the Denver South community, and we continue to grow our presence here. The quality schools, educated workforce, transportation (including light rail) and overall quality of life make this a great place to do business. Denver South EDP is an important partner for us and continues to be a crucial voice in promoting the need for infrastructure improvements to accommodate future growth and business expansion.
