Sean McDevitt

Partner

United States

Sean has a proven record of delivering profitable growth from initial strategy formulation, team building and recruitment, to successful launch, implementation, and sustaining operations.

Education

Kellogg School of Management - Northwestern University (Evanston, IL. US)
Master of Business Administration (MBA)
Brown University (Providence, RI, US)
Bachelor of Arts in Classics and Business Economics

Past Experience

Cartesian, Inc. (Boston)
VP, North American Strategy and Management Consulting
118218 Le Numéro France (Paris)
Président Directeur Général
118//Media (Windsor, UK)
Chief Operating Officer

Sean is a Partner based in the Boston office and leads our TIME (Telecommunications, Information Technology, Media, and Electronics) and Private Equity Practices in the USA. Sean has extensive experience in investment due diligence/M&A in the communications industry, broad wireless experience in market entry and spectrum auctions, and a broad range of cable/MSO/fiber business services markets.

Sean has nearly 30 years of experience in consulting and operating roles. Most recently he was Vice President at Cartesian, Inc., where he was responsible for their North American Strategy and Management Consulting operations. Previously he was a VP/Partner in the group’s strategy consulting arm, Cambridge Strategic Management Group (CSMG), during two stints – from 1996-2002 and again in 2010-2013.

Previously, Sean held several operating roles, serving as Président Directeur Général of 118218 Le Numéro France, which he directed from greenfield entrant to #1 position in the French directory enquiries market. He also served as Chief Operating Officer of 118//Media, the lead generation business of the UK’s leading directory provider, 118118, and as SVP in charge of EU Expansion.

Sean earned his BA in Classics and Business Economics from Brown University in Providence, RI, USA,  and his MBA from the Kellogg School of Management at Northwestern University, Evanston, IL, USA.

Sean lives just outside of Boston with his wife and three children and remains active in ice hockey as a coach and an official.

Reshaping telecom investment in a next-generation world
Reshaping telecom investment in a next-generation world
Telco operators are facing declining profitability from a combination of stagnant or negative revenue growth resulting from competition and increasing CAPEX/OPEX caused by increasing user traffic. While operators have always run efficiency programs, traditional methods are no longer sufficient to meet current financial constraints and future market evolution. This Viewpoint explains how successfully managing costs requires a new, more granular, holistic approach.
Unlocking sustainability value in private equity
Unlocking sustainability value in private equity
Private equity (PE) is leaving billions of dollars in sustainability value on the table. While some practitioners focus on the value proposition of sustainability, the current status leaves much to be desired. Gaps in current approaches include cumbersome frameworks focused on risk compliance rather than value creation, difficulty capturing the financial benefits of a sustainability strategy, lack of clarity around which KPIs to track, and significant communication issues between general partners (GPs) and limited partners (LPs).
Migrating to the next network
Migrating to the next network
The telecom industry is evolving rapidly, simultaneously witnessing the rise of new, advanced network transitions while current technology becomes obsolete. This Viewpoint explores how mobile telecom operators can effectively implement customer migration acceleration programs to optimize operations, migrate customers to advanced networks, and unlock new opportunities in a future-ready telecom landscape.
Enabling a sustainable telco ecosystem
Enabling a sustainable telco ecosystem
Sustainability has become increasingly important to telco business strategy and operations. Although individual 5G equipment is more energy-efficient than its predecessors, the need for more extensive, denser networks will increase overall direct energy consumption. Amid rising energy prices, how can telcos achieve their sustainability goals, while enabling broader decarbonization? In this Viewpoint, we provide frameworks and strategies telcos can use to improve sustainability.
Edge computing: Hype or ripe?

Sean is a Partner based in the Boston office and leads our TIME (Telecommunications, Information Technology, Media, and Electronics) and Private Equity Practices in the USA. Sean has extensive experience in investment due diligence/M&A in the communications industry, broad wireless experience in market entry and spectrum auctions, and a broad range of cable/MSO/fiber business services markets.

Sean has nearly 30 years of experience in consulting and operating roles. Most recently he was Vice President at Cartesian, Inc., where he was responsible for their North American Strategy and Management Consulting operations. Previously he was a VP/Partner in the group’s strategy consulting arm, Cambridge Strategic Management Group (CSMG), during two stints – from 1996-2002 and again in 2010-2013.

Previously, Sean held several operating roles, serving as Président Directeur Général of 118218 Le Numéro France, which he directed from greenfield entrant to #1 position in the French directory enquiries market. He also served as Chief Operating Officer of 118//Media, the lead generation business of the UK’s leading directory provider, 118118, and as SVP in charge of EU Expansion.

Sean earned his BA in Classics and Business Economics from Brown University in Providence, RI, USA,  and his MBA from the Kellogg School of Management at Northwestern University, Evanston, IL, USA.

Sean lives just outside of Boston with his wife and three children and remains active in ice hockey as a coach and an official.

Reshaping telecom investment in a next-generation world
Reshaping telecom investment in a next-generation world
Telco operators are facing declining profitability from a combination of stagnant or negative revenue growth resulting from competition and increasing CAPEX/OPEX caused by increasing user traffic. While operators have always run efficiency programs, traditional methods are no longer sufficient to meet current financial constraints and future market evolution. This Viewpoint explains how successfully managing costs requires a new, more granular, holistic approach.
Unlocking sustainability value in private equity
Unlocking sustainability value in private equity
Private equity (PE) is leaving billions of dollars in sustainability value on the table. While some practitioners focus on the value proposition of sustainability, the current status leaves much to be desired. Gaps in current approaches include cumbersome frameworks focused on risk compliance rather than value creation, difficulty capturing the financial benefits of a sustainability strategy, lack of clarity around which KPIs to track, and significant communication issues between general partners (GPs) and limited partners (LPs).
Migrating to the next network
Migrating to the next network
The telecom industry is evolving rapidly, simultaneously witnessing the rise of new, advanced network transitions while current technology becomes obsolete. This Viewpoint explores how mobile telecom operators can effectively implement customer migration acceleration programs to optimize operations, migrate customers to advanced networks, and unlock new opportunities in a future-ready telecom landscape.
Enabling a sustainable telco ecosystem
Enabling a sustainable telco ecosystem
Sustainability has become increasingly important to telco business strategy and operations. Although individual 5G equipment is more energy-efficient than its predecessors, the need for more extensive, denser networks will increase overall direct energy consumption. Amid rising energy prices, how can telcos achieve their sustainability goals, while enabling broader decarbonization? In this Viewpoint, we provide frameworks and strategies telcos can use to improve sustainability.
Edge computing: Hype or ripe?

More About Sean
  • Kellogg School of Management - Northwestern University (Evanston, IL. US)
    Master of Business Administration (MBA)
  • Brown University (Providence, RI, US)
    Bachelor of Arts in Classics and Business Economics
  • Cartesian, Inc. (Boston)
    VP, North American Strategy and Management Consulting
  • 118218 Le Numéro France (Paris)
    Président Directeur Général
  • 118//Media (Windsor, UK)
    Chief Operating Officer