Serving as CEO and guiding the transformation of one of the state’s most successful companies
Suzy Hays began her career at C Spire after completing a Master’s of Business Administration degree at Ole Miss. Hays, who is now President and CEO of C Spire, has played a vital role in guiding the transformation of one of Mississippi’s most successful homegrown companies. The name comes from customer inspired, a driving principle of the company from its history as Cellular South to today’s C Spire, one of the nation’s largest privately-owned advanced technology providers of broadband connectivity, wireless, managed network and IT services.
“C Spire is a fiercely independent company based in Mississippi and our legacy of innovation has driven us forward for decades with the customer at the center of everything we do,” said Hays. “Delivering on that is just as important to us today as it has always been. It takes a bit of audacity to put customer inspired in your name. But it’s not something we shy away from, instead we do everything possible to deliver on this promise.”
While great customer service is critical, Hays said it is equally important to build the back end to make sure systems and platforms are best-in-class. For example, C Spire is making sure to stay ahead of AI. Hays said it is consistent with the company’s vision and mission to make that a key priority.
“There are a lot of exciting things we are doing in AI now including pilot projects around customer care and networking,” said Hays. “We’re building an internal culture of AI superusers, equipping our teams with tools, training and access to lead the way in better integrating AI into the workplace. For example, each month we perform 16,000 Microsoft Copilot actions that utilize AI, which saves 730 employee hours and has resulted in nearly half a million dollars in annual cost savings. AI will be a tool to increase efficiency and complete repetitive tasks, therefore freeing up worker’s time to focus on more complex and strategic initiatives.”
Externally, C Spire is working on multiple AI pilot projects with global companies to better understand its customers and offer products that meet their needs. The company has also partnered locally with Jackson State University to provide it with best-in-class Dell AI hardware and was one of the first companies in the nation to offer Cisco Nexus Hyperfabric AI.
Hays said AI is not a trend; it’s a transformation.
“While no one really knows the future of AI, we do know it will require capacity that can only be provided by fiber,” said Hays. “Fiber broadband is the only future-proof broadband technology which is why we continue to rapidly grow our fiber network enabling more homes and businesses access to the AI-powered experiences of the future.”
“Today we offer fiber broadband to homes in 160 communities in Mississippi, Alabama and Tennessee. We have 22,000 miles of fiber and are continuing to aggressively expand our fiber network through construction and acquisitions. Beyond that, our business offerings include managed network and IT services, which in turn extended our geographic reach. As a result, we have business customers in 47 states.”
With technology changing so rapidly, Hays said C Spire will continue making bold, visionary moves staying ahead of their customers to bring them “what’s next” in technology. She sees the primary focus of her role as assuring that team members are aligned and working together.
“We have a lot of very tenured people here,” said Hays. “I’ve been at the company my entire career and have had the opportunity to work in several different areas. Our new Workday Skills Module system will automate the process of career pathing beyond traditional hierarchies. This is especially important as roles significantly evolve with the acceleration of automation and AI. It is empowering for an employee to have that kind of opportunity and it also benefits the company.”
This kind of culture where continued professional development and collaboration are priorities is in part why C Spire was named one of America’s Most Admired Workplaces 2025 by Newsweek and Plant-A Insights Group. It is known for being the kind of place where people want to work. That is particularly important in light of a tight tech labor market.
“This team works hard every day and genuinely cares about how we can provide technology that improves people’s lives,” said Hays. “My job as the leader of this team is to ensure we are holding each other accountable and delivering on our promise to put the customer first.”
C Spire has long been known for investing in the community including addressing the “brain drain” in Mississippi by partnering with school systems to provide computer science education and training.
“Mississippi ranks 19th in the country in access to fiber,” said Hays. “There is an opportunity, frankly an obligation, to help our state not just keep up but get ahead of other states when it comes to enabling access to better technology and utilizing AI.”
The company and key partners lobbied the legislature to require computer science be offered at schools and provided a $1-million grant to train educators. Hays said computer skills training gives incentives for young people to stay in Mississippi by providing them with the training needed to get good jobs in the knowledge economy.
“We are dedicated to working alongside education partners to ensure that our children are always prepared to compete in the age of technology,” said Hays. “Another way C Spire is involved is in being selected to take over the Mississippi Optical Network (MissiON), our state’s science and technology research and development arm that connects all universities, community colleges, Stennis Space Center, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, and the University of Mississippi Medical Center. This work has increased total bandwidth by 380 percent while reducing the overall cost by over 50 percent.”
In the community, the C Spire Foundation will be sponsoring the Mississippi Science Fest for the tenth year in September. As part of this, C Spire team members work with fourth graders to give them an early introduction to the technology industry by hosting the C3 Junior Coding Challenge that this year will pivot to AI.
Hays’ previous positions at C Spire include heading up three individual business units, serving as Chief Experience Officer and Executive Vice President. For many years, she served as Chief Marketing Officer and led the transition from Cellular South to the C Spire brand in 2011 when the company began its diversification into non-wireless services. In 2013, Hays also led the first statewide launch of fiber-to-the-home with C Spire Fiber, bringing greater access to broadband services to consumers, businesses and communities.
Her predecessor, former Spire CEO Hu Meena, Chairman of the Board of Telapex, Inc., the parent company of C Spire, said Hays has perpetuated and accelerated a culture of winning by setting high expectations and communicating those expectations well.
“She readily accepts accountability and holds those she leads accountable,” said Meena. “Her appreciation for detail while concurrently pursuing a broad vision is unique and has been well received by the management team and our Board of Directors.”
“Serving as CEO and having the opportunity to help shape the next chapter is a tremendous honor especially after being part of building our company for my entire career,” said Hays. “I’m truly blessed to work with smart, talented people who are all focused on being the best at what we do and delivering every day for our customers.”
When Hays is not leading Mississippi’s most advanced technology company, she enjoys playing tennis, traveling and spending time with her two daughters and son-in-law.
Q & A with Suzy Hays
MBJ: How has C Spire transformed its home customer services during a period of rapid changes in technology?
Hays: While we have a long history in telco/wireless sectors, over the years our company has transitioned to being an advanced technology company. We are dedicated to transforming how people and businesses connect, live, and work through both connected living and business growth. Our consumer business is anchored by fiber-powered smart homes, AI-enhanced experiences, and 5G connectivity. Our premium fiber network has some of the fastest speeds in the nation and also serves as the backbone for connected living. We’re actively launching new home automation innovations that create elegant IoT experiences. We also continue to invest in enhancing our network so that it seamlessly integrates with emerging technologies.
MBJ: What does C Spire do to help business customers connect?
Hays: Our secure fiber network forms the foundation of tomorrow’s digital infrastructure, purpose-built for speed, reliability and resiliency. We enable mission-critical connectivity that supports the demands of modern business, from cloud adoption to advanced AI solutions. As part of our business technology services, our customers also benefit from IT hardware coupled with professional services, as well as managed IT and network security. We have the most certified professional services engineers in the Southeast and are a premier partner to global companies like Cisco, Dell, Microsoft, and Arctic Wolf, among others. In fact, C Spire is proud to have recently been the recipient of key industry partner awards, such as Cisco’s Service Provider of the Year, Regional Partner of the Year for the Southeast and Arctic Wolf’s Southeast Partner of the Year.
MBJ: Do you see satellite internet as being disruptive to the industry?
Hays: Not at all. Satellite internet services are not technically able to provide the same amount of bandwidth as fiber, which is the only future-proof broadband technology. It can be a viable option for those that aren’t able to access fiber yet. Similarly, as we’re continuing to build our fiber infrastructure, we’re also deploying alternative speed options through 5G Home Internet to ensure our customers in rural areas where other high-speed broadband is not available can get quality connectivity.
Satellite internet offers a potential solution to bridge the digital divide by providing connectivity to long-underserved regions. However, it risks creating a new form of divide based on bandwidth limitations. As we move towards a future filled with bandwidth-intensive technologies like VR, IoT, and AI, satellite internet services will struggle to provide the necessary speeds and latency required to take full advantage of new technology.
MBJ: What is being done to bridge “the rural divide” with rural residents often lacking access to broadband connectivity?
Hays: Access to fiber is so significant to our way of life moving forward that it has reached the attention of the federal government which is why billions of dollars are being granted to programs that provide fiber to rural areas and underserved communities. C Spire has been a recipient of such grants, of which we match with our own capital, to help reach more homes we might otherwise not been able to as quickly. Building Mississippi’s fiber network is critical and the backbone for continued forward progress to reach our greatest potential. It goes back to our mission to improve lives through technology. A mission we are fiercely committed to as a company that is truly Customer Inspired.