LEADING the WAY

Erin Monroe Wesley on her new role and her future focus BY MARY BETH HUGHES

ERIN MONROE WESLEY recently took the reins as the Cox Communications market vice president for Greater Louisiana, overseeing operations in Baton Rouge and Lafayette. She previously served as Cox’s vice president of government and public affairs for the company’s Southeast Region. And she’s held various public and private sector leadership roles including special counsel to Gov. John Bel Edwards, Executive Vice President and COO of the Baton Rouge Area Chamber, Executive Council to then Lt. Gov. Mitch Landrieu and Associate Executive Counsel to former Gov. Kathleen Blanco. Today, she heads up 745 employees in her new role. A mom, a marathoner and a first-rate fashionista, we sat down with Wesley to explore her vision for her new position and the exciting projects Cox has in the works.

What is your biggest challenge in assuming the role as market vice president for greater Louisiana? One of my goals is to maintain a positive Cox culture. It’s important to me to make sure that my employees are happy as well as our customers.

What is something new and exciting happening in the industry? The continued evolution of broadband! Broadband is essential, and we saw that firsthand during the pandemic. Some employers need their employees to work from home, students need to be able to do their homework and we all need reliable internet for our day to day. We not only need to be focused on increasing access, but also bandwidth and speed. We've got to adjust to a constantly evolving world.

You’ve had a very successful career. What drives you?

I think the passion for making a difference, enhancing the customer experience and the constant pursuit of excellence in everything we do. On the internal front, I want my employees to thrive in their jobs and on the external front, I want to see all of our Cox customers happy with their services. We’re playing an important role in local communities.

Have you ever had a mentor? If so, what did he/she impart to you? Without question it would be my friend Anthony Pope. He has been a huge part of my story and instilled confidence in me. He is a 30-year veteran in this field and while he’s been one of my fiercest critics in my current role, he’s also been one of my biggest encouragers.

What do you hope to bring to this role? My position is a new one for the company, so I think first and foremost it would be defining my role as a collaborator. At Cox we all work as a team, and I want to make sure everyone’s eye is on the ball. That’s top priority. We can achieve our mission together.

Our theme for this issue of 5th & Main is The Road Ahead. How is Cox planning for future? We have some exciting things coming down the pike. Cox Mobile just launched and has been a huge success. We’re generally evolving in all of our product offerings. As we look ahead, we always ask ourselves ‘how do we ensure reliability?’ It's critical that we understand our customer’s needs. You’ve been a leader in many different roles throughout your career. What do you enjoy about working for Cox in particular? Cox’s culture. Cox is a family-owned business founded 125 years ago that has always been committed to taking care of its employees, serving its customers and improving the quality of life in the communities it serves. It’s grounded in our history and continues to serve as our “North Star.”

How do you spend time outside of the office? When I’m not at work, I enjoy spending time with my family. My 17-year-old daughter, Lauren Elise is a movie buff. She’s a high school senior who will be entering a new chapter this fall as a college freshman. My son, Miles Dean, who is 16, is my sports enthusiast. He’s an all-state soccer player who has played the sport since he was about 5 years old.