Message from Sarah Bryant dated 9/4/202
Dear People Leaders,
For those of you who don’t know me, I joined two months ago as Executive Vice President, Finance, Telecom, and my team and I have been working across the organization as we look to strengthen our financial profile and help us to transform how we operate to ensure the long-term health and success of Optimum. It’s incredible to see the amazing work done to date by all of you and your teams and I’d like to share some enhancements to our fiscal discipline measures.
Embracing Financial Discipline with an Owner’s Mindset
First and foremost, I want to emphasize the importance of operating with an owner's mindset when it comes to financial stewardship. Every employee — regardless of role or level — must approach spending decisions as if each dollar were their own. This ownership mentality is fundamental to ensuring our company's long-term financial health and sustainable growth.
To this end, we are asking all leaders to be deliberate and prudent with our spending by proactively managing expenses. This includes an immediate pause on non-essential discretionary travel and entertainment (T&E) spending. I recognize that this is a delicate balance – it's critical that we continue to run the business, manage our business partners and vendors, and drive teammate performance. The goal isn't to stop spending entirely but to be thoughtful and judicious. Please critically evaluate T&E costs — including business travel, conferences, offsites, and client entertainment — to ensure they are directly tied to immediate business need or revenue generation. Where possible, please find alternative, cost-effective solutions or postpone less critical spending.
The pause of discretionary spending also applies to year-end events. We deeply value our employees' contributions and recognize the importance of year-end celebrations, and the ask is for leaders to find impactful ways to show appreciation and foster a positive and grateful environment for our dedicated teams in a prudent way. Check out the Recognition Toolkit in the Leader’s Zone on One, which includes meaningful approaches to employee recognition and celebrations to thank our teammates for their incredible contributions.
If you have a question regarding the T&E policy, events or other spend, please do not hesitate to reach out to your finance business partner for clarification.
Comprehensive Review of Spending Controls
To strengthen our financial governance and ensure we're positioned for long-term success, we will also be conducting a thorough review of our vendor invoice approval platforms and all PCard usage and related policies. This review will assess spending, strengthen controls, and implement procedures that uphold our fiscal responsibility. There will be additional communication regarding these changes in the next two weeks for those directly impacted.
Moving Forward with Purpose as ONE Optimum
These efforts support building a culture of financial stewardship that will serve us well in all economic conditions. Thank you for your attention and leadership. When every employee thinks like an owner, making prudent decisions about resource allocation, we create a more resilient, financially healthy and sustainable organization.
Sincerely,
Sarah Bryant
EVP, Finance, Telecom