Ocean Networks, Inc. (ONI) has assembled a highly accomplished management team with extensive expertise spanning every facet of the submarine cable industry. The team’s collective experience encompasses system design and development, project management, implementation, operations, maintenance, permitting, marketing, sales, and finance, providing ONI with comprehensive in-house capabilities throughout the entire project lifecycle.
Over the past three decades, ONI’s leadership team has played a direct role in the installation, operation, and repair of more than 150 submarine cable systems worldwide. Team members possess hands-on experience across all phases of fiber-optic submarine network development, including system design, manufacturing, deployment, sales, maintenance, and long-term network operations. This depth and breadth of expertise position ONI to successfully execute complex submarine cable projects from concept through completion and ongoing service delivery.
Management Team
Scott J. Schwertfager
President & CEO
Scott J. Schwertfager founded Ocean Networks, Inc. in 2013 and currently serves as President, Chief Executive Officer, and Chairman of the Board. With more than 35 years of experience in the telecommunications industry—including over 30 years dedicated to the submarine cable sector—Scott is widely recognized for his leadership and expertise in global subsea network development.
Prior to founding Ocean Networks, Scott co-founded Emerald Networks (now Aqua Comms), where he served as Chief Operating Officer. In that role, he played a pivotal part in securing project financing and leading the development of a new trans-Atlantic submarine cable system.
Throughout his distinguished career, Scott has held senior leadership positions with AT&T Submarine Cable Systems, SubCom (Tyco), NSW (Corning), and Hawaiki Cable. He has been directly involved in dozens of submarine cable installations and repair operations around the world, bringing extensive operational and technical expertise to every stage of network deployment.
Scott attended Pace University in White Plains, New York, and Queens College in Charlotte, North Carolina. Additionally, Scott completed extensive management training programs through AT&T and AT&T Bell Labs.
Cliff Miyake brings more than 30 years of experience in the telecommunications industry. Throughout his career, he has held leadership, sales, and operational roles with organizations including tw telecom/Level 3 and Hawaiian Tel.
Prior to joining Ocean Networks, Cliff served as a consultant to CenturyLink, DRFortress, RTI, Peraton Government Systems, and GBS, providing strategic guidance and industry expertise across telecommunications and technology initiatives.
His corporate career includes seven years with Hawaiian Tel, where he specialized in International and Government Sales, and more than 20 years with tw telecom/Level 3. At tw telecom/Level 3, Cliff served in a senior executive leadership role with responsibility for the company's Hawaii operations, overseeing profit and loss performance, sales, and operational activities statewide. His focus centered on driving revenue growth, expanding market presence, and ensuring exceptional customer satisfaction and retention.
Cliff holds both undergraduate and graduate degrees and has earned professional certifications in fiber-optic technologies and submarine cable system operations management.
Cliff Miyake
Chief Operating Officer
Robert Hildebrecht
Chief Financial Officer
Robert has been the CFO of several early-stage companies as well as regional CFO for a large international publically traded corporation, where he has been an integral member of the senior management team. He has over 20 years of experience in the telecom industry split between wireless carrier and submarine cable systems companies. Robert has held various finance roles of increasing responsibilities providing intuitive thinking and leadership linking finance with operations to accelerate growth while driving shareholder value. He has in-depth experience in strategic planning, auditing & internal controls, M&A, capital raises, tax strategies, business development, cross-border transactions, negotiating supplier and key alliance agreements for telecom companies: GTE, BellSouth International, Sprint PCS, CANTV and Telcel (both in Venezuela), Codetel (Dominican Republic), BCP (Brazil start-up), CTI (Argentina turn-around) and other telecom companies located throughout LATAM.
Robert has provided a host of financial and operational advisory guidance to globally recognized companies as Cargotec (Finland), Turner Broadcasting (CNN), Recall (a Brambles company), Ingenico and Andritz Group. Robert has been an active board member to the leadership team for Kalmar Mexico Equipos S.A De C.V. and Cargotec Brasil Servicos E Comercio De Equipamentos Para Movimentacao DD Cargas LTDA.
Robert holds a MBA - International Business with a concentration in Finance from Mercer University and a Bachelor’s degree in Accounting from Marymount College. Robert is an Adjunct Professor at Reinhardt University.
Vito O. Pavone
Director - Contracts
Vito has more than 30 years of experience in the Undersea Cable industry. He has held multiple positions within the International Network Operations of AT&T, including managing the Financial Operations for the international division and managing the Consortia activities for AT&T in the Pacific and Asia-Pac region.
In the Pacific and Asia-Pac region, Vito’s roles included the Chairman of the Management Committee for the AAG, Japan-US, APCN2 and other undersea cables, chairman/co-chairman of the Operations and Maintenance committees for multiple cables responsible for overseeing the commercial aspects of Operations and Maintenance Activities, including the annual O&M budgets for the cables, negotiating multiple vendors’ contracts for technical and operations support and negotiating the multi-year Cable Ship Maintenance Zone Agreements.
As part of the Procurement Groups of multiple cables, Vito was responsible for the installation and upgrade of multiple cables as either the Commercial chairman or Procurement Group chairman overseeing the activities of the cable suppliers from the issuance of Requests for quotations, negotiating the terms conditions of the supply contract thru the delivery of the cable on-time and underbudget.
Jose Barrios
Director - Permitting
Jose has over 18 years experience in submarine cable systems industry working for Corning (NSW) and TE Subcom. He has successfully obtained all required permits and permissions for dozens of landing worldwide, all in time and all within budget. Jose worked with governments, legal counsels, local telecoms and the clients to secure the landing rights for major installations such as ARCOS-1, PAC, CFX-1, Sam-1, SEACom, MENA and SMPR1. Jose international experience is in all aspects of permitting and includes landing rights, permits for marine operations and civil works construction. Jose is fully bilingual in both Spanish and English. He has a BA in Paralegal Science from Eastern Kentucky and an AA in Paralegal Studies from Wesley College.
Louis Lovelady
Vice President
Operations & Project Management
Louis brings more than 16 years of experience in the subsea cable industry, with extensive expertise in the planning, implementation, contracting, and bidding of subsea cable systems worldwide.
Most recently, Louis served as Director of Marine Estimates and Proposals at SubCom, where he was responsible for marine engineering, project planning, estimating, customer engagement, and business development. During his tenure at SubCom, he also held roles as Marine Project Coordinator and Shore End & Terrestrial Cable Engineer, successfully managing and executing a wide range of subsea cable projects. His experience includes shallow-water installations, shore-end and terrestrial deployments, cable repairs, fiber splicing and testing, and contract management.
Prior to joining SubCom, Louis worked with Ledcor Technical Services (LTS), where he managed all aspects of telecommunications network and infrastructure construction. His responsibilities included horizontal directional drilling (HDD), civil engineering, cable landing station construction, outside and inside plant deployment, fiber splicing and testing, and fiber-to-the-home (FTTH) network implementation.
Louis earned a Bachelor of Science degree from Colorado Mesa University. He has also completed specialized training through Tyco Telecommunications in subsea system engineering, fiber-optic jointing, and cable splicing, further strengthening his technical expertise in submarine cable system deployment and operations.
Ryan has over 15 years of experience in the subsea cable industry shared between product development engineering and the coordinating, preparing and contracting of marine solutions for new cable system builds. In May 2024, Ryan joined Ocean Networks from SubCom where, most recently, he led the Marine Estimates and Proposals group as a Senior Project Coordinator with responsibilities of marine engineering, scheduling, planning, estimating and contracting of new undersea systems. Prior to his role in Marine Estimates and Proposals, Ryan was a mechanical engineer within the Joint and Coupling Design group of SubCom’s Research and Development organization where he focused on development engineering and qualification efforts of new undersea products. Ryan studied at Stevens Institute of Technology where he holds two degrees: Bachelor of Engineering and Master of Mechanical Engineering.
Ryan Wilkison
Director - Project Engineering
Alex holds a bachelor’s degree of Science in Finance from Florida State University, providing foundation in financial analysis, advanced modeling, and asset management. He also served as Vice President of Finance for Beta Theta Pi, being the sole overseer of hundreds of thousands of dollars in assets while directing budgeting, forecasting, and strategic allocation initiatives. Following this, beginning in the summer 2024, Alex served as the Finance Manager Intern for Ocean Networks where he developed advanced financial models and improved financial cost projections before coming on full time with Ocean Networks following his graduation. Most recently, Alex has managed payables and budget tracking for projects including the Hawaiian Islands Fiber Link (HIFL) system, ensuring accurate financial projections and efficient cash flow management. Alex is certified and proficient in Microsoft Excel, Microsoft Project, and advanced financial modeling, allowing precise, data-driven insights that support effective decision-making.
Alex Steele
Project Finance & Management
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Board of Directors
Bruce C. Coles
Board Member
Mr. Bruce C. Coles serves as the Executive Advisor to Gryphon Investors. He focuses on business services. Mr. Coles served as the President of MACTEC Engineering & Consulting, Inc., an operating unit of Mactec Inc. until May 2008. Mr. Coles served as the Chief Executive Officer and President of Mactec, Inc. During his 39 years in the Engineering and Construction Industry, Mr. Coles also served as the President and Chief Executive Officer of Stone & Webster Inc. More...
Don Granger
Board Member
Don Granger has more than thirty years senior executive level leadership in major public and private cable television and telecommunication service and manufacturing corporations. During his career Don has built and grown successful consumer focused cable and wireless telecommunications businesses in the United States and Ireland. Prior to founding Granger & Associates, Don served as President and CEO of Bellsouth Entertainment, a wholly owned subsidiary of AT&T, leading the company’s digital cable, wireless video & data operations including their IPTV business and technology development. More...