According to Michael Morey, to be a titan of industry, it means you have successfully learned how to be not just a good leader, but a great leader. “I personally believe no one is a great leader or manager out of the gate; it takes time to learn how to manage and motivate people because it’s hard to do well,” he said. “I think there is a level of humility needed to always keep learning and working toward being that great leader and champion of people.”
As a Titan 100 Hall of Fame inductee, Morey has proven he has championed for others as the president and CEO of Bluebird Network.
Bluebird Network is a communications infrastructure provider and data center operator. Since 1999, Bluebird Network, headquartered in Columbia, Missouri, has provided internet and transport services to carriers and enterprises in Missouri, Illinois, Kansas, Iowa and the surrounding states.
Bluebird owns two data centers: an underground facility in Springfield, Missouri, and a facility in the Quad Cities. The company operates more than 10,600 fiber route miles of high-speed broadband and fiber-optic connections.
Under Morey’s leadership, the firm recently won a $41 million federal grant to build a fiber connection between St. Louis and Tulsa. “This is a huge deal because this route has been a fiber desert across the Midwest for a long time now and the services we’ll be able to deliver are not just a business accomplishment, but a great benefit to the communities we’ll support along the way,” said Morey.
Looking forward, Morey said that the company’s stated vision is to have a fiber presence in 80 percent of communities across its 11-state network footprint with a population of more than 10,000 people. The way to do that, he said is by digging in and edging out. “This means constantly densifying our network and building more within the major metro areas which we already serve,” said Morey.
The most rewarding part of leading Bluebird Network is watching his employees become successful, said Morey. “I’ve had the distinct pleasure of watching the professional growth of many individuals over the years and it’s incredibly rewarding to deliver accolades and promotions to those who have worked hard to earn them,” he said. “I hold that dear to my heart and enjoy each and every one of their successes.”
For his own success and willingness to foster success for others, Morey has been inducted into the Titan 100 Hall of Fame.
