John Brown
Member
Fowler joins Lumen following a career marked by transformative product leadership across the technology and telecommunications sectors. Most recently, he served as Chief Product Officer at Comcast Business, where he led strategy and execution for business-class network and cloud services. Prior to that, Fowler held senior roles at CenturyLink (now Lumen), including Chief Product Officer and Executive Vice President of Product and Engineering, giving him long-standing insight into the company’s network assets and customer needs.
Throughout his career, Fowler has been responsible for developing and scaling products that connect digital infrastructure with enterprise, carrier, and small-business customers helping companies deliver differentiated services in evolving markets.
What This Leadership Change Means for Lumen’s Strategic Priorities
As CTPO and EVP, Fowler will oversee Lumen’s technology and product organizations, aligning innovation with market demand and customer expectations. His responsibilities are expected to include leading advancements in fiber networking, edge computing, cloud connectivity, and software-defined services, all critical areas as enterprises accelerate digital transformation and distributed work initiatives.Lumen’s fiber-rich network, spanning millions of fiber miles and edge locations, is positioned to support emerging demands from AI-driven workloads, high-bandwidth applications, and hybrid cloud environments. Fowler’s product leadership is anticipated to help clarify and expand Lumen’s portfolio to address these trends with agility and competitive differentiation.
A Leader Focused on Innovation and Customer Outcomes
Lumen’s CEO praised Fowler’s appointment as a key step in strengthening the company’s ability to anticipate customer needs and deliver market-relevant solutions at scale. With a blend of strategic vision, product discipline, and engineering experience, Fowler is expected to drive tighter integration among technology, product strategy, and go-to-market execution helping Lumen deliver both operational excellence and enhanced user experiences.His prior work at major communications and technology firms underscores a track record of turning complex technology platforms into scalable, revenue-generating offerings that resonate with customers across business segments.
Industry Context: Timing and Opportunity
The communications and networking landscape is evolving rapidly as demand for bandwidth, edge services, and secure digital infrastructure continues to escalate. Service providers are increasingly focused on:- Fiber and edge expansion: Scaling infrastructure to support low-latency, high-capacity services.
- Cloud and connectivity innovation: Integrating cloud networking, SD-WAN, and managed services for hybrid and multi-cloud environments.
- Software-driven offerings: Delivering programmable, API-friendly solutions that enhance agility and automation for enterprise customers.
Looking Ahead
With Jim Fowler in the CTPO and EVP role, Lumen Technologies aims to accelerate product development, sharpen technology strategy, and align innovation with evolving customer needs. The company is expected to continue investing in fiber infrastructure, edge and cloud-centric services, and scalable platforms that support both traditional communications and next-generation digital experiences.As competition intensifies and digital transformation accelerates, Lumen’s leadership changes marked by Fowler’s appointment may help position the company for stronger market differentiation and long-term growth.
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