C-Suite
President and CEO
TDS Telecom | Madison
Jim Butman was named president and chief executive officer of Madison-based TDS Telecom in 2018. He has been with the Telephone and Data Systems Inc. subsidiary since 1985. He’s held various leadership positions within the company, including chief operating officer and group president of marketing, sales and customer operations. He also served as president of TDS Metrocom, which grew to a $250 million business under his leadership.
Last year, TDS Telecom surpassed $1 billion in operating revenues for the first time and exceeded 500,000 broadband connections. It has a fiber-centric growth strategy, with plans to grow to 1.3 million fiber addresses, according to Butman. The company is actively building networks around the state, including in Brookfield, Janesville, Sheboygan, Chippewa Falls, Tomah, Fox Cities, Kaukauna, Green Bay and Eau Claire. The company has nearly 3,300 employees, including more than 1,000 in Madison. It operates in 32 states.
Butman serves on the boards of TDS Inc., the Greater Madison Chamber of Commerce, National Cable Television Cooperative and the Safe Harbor Child Advocacy Center. He previously served on the INCOMPAS board for many years.
Education: Bachelor’s, University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire; MBA, University of Wisconsin-Madison
Hobby/passion: “Relaxing in northern Wisconsin, skiing, fishing, biking, golfing, and boating.”