Testimonials

I was on the board of Taqua when we hired Charlie Vogt for his first CEO role. I had the good fortune of working with Charlie over the next 10 years throughout his notable achievements at Taqua and then GENBAND. Charlie always demonstrated exceptional personal and professional skills, not only technically and operationally but, the harder parts of leadership… people development, critical thinking, decision making and always having a forward-looking orientation; more so than few I have seen in my extensive board experience. He is a unique influencer of change, a culture builder and, in fact, he could be the author of the new “The Art of ‘Another’ Deal”!

Some see where value is created, then there is Charlie Vogt. Throughout his career, he has proven that he understands where long-term sustainable, & differentiable shareholder value is unleashed, and where wealth is created.  Charlie possesses a unique ability to see where opportunity exists that is otherwise invisible to others. Charlie will lead others to deliver extraordinary results through rigorous analysis, extensive modeling, unequaled communication skills, and his vast M&A, Operational, & Board experience.  Rarely in my 40 years of experience in Global Technology Leadership, all of which I have worked with Charlie, has there been someone who grasps the entire stakeholder landscape with the clarity Charlie possesses.  Charlie's prowess in business and Gravitas in relationships are unequaled and underscore the career to date of an exceptional Leader. 

Charlie has a unique ability to convert a target state vision into a comprehensive plan, and then attract the people needed to execute with excellence.                                       

I have been working M&A transactions with Charlie for over 20 years.  Charlie is a true visionary, though when it comes to M&A, I have never worked with anyone better.  He sees things no one else does.  He gets the most out of both sides, a true win-win mindset.  Our transactions together have been comprehensive, detailed, fast paced, purposeful and deadline driven. Together, we have executed two dozen transactions. Charlie has a unique gift from vision to close and getting the very best from everyone involved.  If you are seeking business, transformation or M&A advisory, there is no one better. 

I’ve worked closely with Charlie Vogt for the past 15 years and witnessed his leadership first-hand as he guided major telecommunications and broadcasting businesses drive disruptive industry transitions from TDM to IP and baseband to IP.  Over that time, he acquired and integrated over 20 companies, demonstrating both a unique ability to communicate a strategic vision behind them and incredible skills in integrating the assets and people. His sales and marketing abilities drive his ability to motivate employees as well as customers, as do his attention to operational details, KPIs and innovation. I don’t know a CEO who works harder and understands the businesses he serves better at all levels

I joined Zhone/DZS 25 years ago to lead human resources. Prior to Charlie Vogt’s appointment as CEO, the company was struggling with a lack of identity, vision, culture, strategy, and people.  Things changed immediately when Charlie joined the company with his number one priority being people - retaining and recruiting the very best to align with a vision to transform, innovate and grow. While there are many, one of Charlie’s most cherished sayings; it's all about the people and that was always true.  His leadership shaped DZS into a company with true values:  Respect, Innovation, Thinking Big, Accountability, Integrity, and Community. Charlie took calculated risk by investing in unconventional new hires, disruptive next generation technology and accretive acquisitions. He brought discipline and structure into the organization and within the management team with weekly staff meetings, quarterly leadership summits, monthly operating reviews, and regular compensation committee meetings.  Charlie is a strong leader, with vision and someone who cares about employees, customers, suppliers, and shareholders.  His passion is contagious, and he drove the leadership team and employees to become better in every way

I had the privilege of serving as Chief People Officer under Charlie Vogt’s leadership at both GENBAND and Imagine Communications. Across both organizations, Charlie consistently demonstrated an exceptional ability to lead transformational change with vision, decisiveness, and accountability. As his Chief People Officer, I valued Charlie’s deep appreciation for the critical role of talent in building high-performing, sustainable organizations. He understands that strategy alone is not enough - people ultimately drive success. Together, we championed initiatives that elevated leadership capabilities, strengthened our culture, and positioned talent as a strategic advantage. Charlie’s willingness to engage directly in workforce challenges, support professional development, and invest meaningfully in the employee experience set him apart as a CEO. Charlie sets a high bar while leading with integrity, energy, and a contagious passion for winning. He holds himself and those around him to high standards, and he rewards the commitment and effort required to succeed. Working alongside Charlie during two pivotal chapters of transformation was a career highlight for me, and I am proud of what we accomplished together. 

I had the opportunity to work for Charlie Vogt at both GENBAND and Imagine Communications, and those experiences remain among the most formative of my career. Charlie is a truly exceptional leader whose business acumen and operational intensity set him apart in every organization he leads. What always stood out to me was Charlie’s deep understanding of how businesses operate—not just at the strategic level, but down to the operational details. He brings a holistic grasp of company dynamics, and he uses that insight to drive results across every functional area. His leadership style is hands-on, KPI-driven, and execution-focused, with an ability to translate vision into measurable outcomes. He is also incredibly savvy when it comes to mergers and acquisitions. He has a rare talent for identifying strategic opportunities and integrating them in a way that adds lasting value. But perhaps most importantly, Charlie understands the power of people. He invests and establishes a unique company culture that has his stamp all over it that focuses on talent, cultivates high-performing teams, and knows how to get the best out of those around him.  His expectations are high, but so is his commitment to supporting those who are driven to excel. Working under Charlie was an invaluable experience. His leadership left a lasting impact on my professional development, and I continue to admire the discipline, vision, and passion he brings to every role he takes on. 

Charlie Vogt is one of the rarest visionary leaders who sees the world not just as it is, but as it could be.  He sets bold strategies that consistently delivers results. He brings people together with his rare charisma and inspires deep loyalty through his clarity, drive, and high standards. Whether leading M&A or motivating a sales team, Charlie understands how to build and grow businesses—and make the impossible happen. He remains one of my favorite leaders of all time. 

I had the privilege of working for Charlie Vogt for nearly eight years during my time at GENBAND, where he served as my direct supervisor throughout. Over those years, I held a variety of leadership roles at Charlie’s direction, including Corporate Strategy, Sales, Professional Services, Sales Operations, Marketing, and Post-Sales Support.  Under Charlie’s leadership, I gained invaluable insight into how to run a company with precision and discipline. One of the core principles he instilled in me was the importance of "sweating the details” - his way of emphasizing the need to double-check every information channel to ensure accurate execution. This mindset became foundational to how I led teams and made decisions.  Charlie’s deep experience in managing global sales organizations greatly influenced my own development as a leader. His mentorship helped me guide sales teams around the world to new levels of performance and success. He fosters loyalty and commitment by trusting his team and empowering them to meet and exceed their goals.  Our time together was one of the most impactful periods of my career. We raised significant capital, acquired six companies, and secured some of the largest deals in GENBAND’s history. Charlie’s strategic vision, leadership, and industry expertise were instrumental in driving those accomplishments—not just for me, but for the entire company. 

Charlie Vogt is a visionary leader with a proven track record of transforming companies and industries through strategic foresight, operational excellence, and customer-centric innovation. Across his leadership roles at DZS, Imagine Communications, GENBAND, and beyond, Charlie has consistently demonstrated an exceptional ability to anticipate market shifts and execute bold transformations. His leadership has not only driven exponential growth and profitability but also positioned organizations at the forefront of technological innovation—from pioneering cloud-based media platforms to scaling global broadband infrastructure. What sets Charlie apart is his unique blend of business acumen and deep technological insight. He led a dozen successful M&A transactions while I was at GENBAND, orchestrated complex integrations, and built high-performance teams that deliver results. His intuitive grasp of customer needs and market dynamics enables him to craft strategies that resonate across stakeholders—from boardrooms to end users. Charlie’s impact is measurable, his leadership inspiring, and his strategic counsel invaluable to any organization navigating growth, disruption, or transformation.

I’ve worked with Charlie for 15 years during a time of profound transformation. I first met Charlie when he joined Taqua as CEO, coming from a successful run at Santera. Taqua needed a turnaround, and Charlie changed the internal and external dynamics that led to successful exit for shareholders. I then joined Charlie at GENBAND, he led more than 10 acquisition and grew the company from a start-up to $700M. The acquisition of Nortel CVAS was one of the most notable transactions as Nortel CVAS was 3x the size of GENBAND at the time. I then followed Charlie when he became the CEO of Harris Broadcast, a spinoff of Harris Corporation, rebranded Imagine Communications. A complex set of businesses in need of a transformation and amalgamation. Charlie is a charismatic and creative global business leader with a rare combination of hard work, attention to details and follow through. He is a relationship builder with the invaluable ability to build a loyal high achieving team pulling in the same direction, with Charlie playing to everyone’s strengths. He is a result driven, visionary out of the box thinker and engaging business storyteller.                                 

 had the privilege of working for Charlie Vogt across four companies — Santera Systems, GENBAND, Imagine Communications and ATX Networks. Under his leadership, I gained a masterclass education in marketing strategy, M&A integration and the critical roles of thought leadership and corporate branding in shaping both external perceptions and internal culture. Charlie’s relentless drive, high expectations and uncompromising standards push people to achieve more than they believed possible. His ability to see the bigger picture, move decisively and demand operational discipline consistently delivered results and inspired teams to elevate their performance. My years working with Charlie were some of the most formative of my career, and the lessons I learned continue to influence how I lead today. 

A transformational leader, visionary, and mentor affording others the unique opportunity to experience amazing journeys as proven over the many years of transformation change in the telecom and media solution supplier sectors.  A proven leader, experienced like no other in building and re-building to achieve excellence in innovation and growth nurturing the alignment of next generation solution directionality with that of the communication service provider's needs to advance their own businesses.  When corporations encounter uncertainty, seeking directionality, but lack well-defined mission definition and goals to orchestrate an industry leadership position, there is no other than Charlie who will embark on setting its visionary course forward, leading his leadership team through a journey of excellence in focus, desire and execution.  

Charlie Vogt is a respected industry leader with deep expertise across the communications, media, and technology sectors. Over the course of his career—including transformative leadership roles at DZS, Imagine Communications, GENBAND and others—Charlie has earned a reputation for his ability to blend deep market insight with forward-thinking technology strategies that drive meaningful business outcomes. Known for his innovative approach, Charlie has consistently positioned organizations at the leading edge of disruption—whether launching cloud-native media platforms, modernizing global broadband infrastructure, or leveraging data-driven strategies to anticipate market evolution. His technology vision is rooted in a practical understanding of industry dynamics and customer needs, enabling him to craft solutions that are both scalable and impactful. Equally notable is Charlie’s collaborative leadership style. He fosters high-performing cultures that align teams around shared goals, drive accountability, and inspire innovation. His success in leading dozens of M&A transactions, managing complex integrations and navigating market volatility is a testament to his ability to bring people together, build trust, and deliver results. Charlie’s unique combination of industry depth, technological innovation, and inclusive leadership makes him a powerful force in guiding organizations through transformation, growth, and long-term value creation

I was an integral part of the sales operations team at DZS and Imagine. Charlie is an inspirational leader led by his passion for both people and his deep knowledge of day-to-day operations. He has a rare balance of vision, commitment, and results that are contagious for what high-performance leadership should be.  While growth focused, he is operationally savvy and can optimize a company quickly. He created an environment where titles didn’t matter as much as ideas and execution. Having the chance to work directly with him across many M&A and strategic projects was beyond a learning experience, it was a masterclass in decisiveness, clarity, and resilience. It was motivating to know that voices at every level could influence outcomes. He showed me how powerful it can be when people feel seen, heard, and trusted

I first met Charlie Vogt when he was CEO of Taqua following Tekelec’s acquisition of Taqua.  Charlie was leading the integration and execution efforts for both organizations. He was determined to move swiftly to maintain the momentum of the business he had successfully built, yet he was equally mindful in selecting top talent from both companies. His goal was clear: create a unified team that would face the customer as one. It was an immediate and lasting positive impression—especially as we shared a deep passion for human capital leadership. Charlie demonstrated an exceptional understanding of how each function across both businesses operated and how they could work together more efficiently. I was genuinely impressed. Since that first engagement nearly 20 years ago, I’ve found myself regularly seeking Charlie’s counsel on industry technology trends, inorganic growth strategies, evolving KPIs, and the tough decisions involved in organizational design. He challenges those in his professional orbit to make smart, accountable decisions that yield results—both short-term and long-term. His feedback can be firm, but it’s never personal. Charlie fully appreciates and serves both shareholders and stakeholders with a passion. There are two principles of my own leadership style that I trace directly back to Charlie. First: manage the details, keep asking questions, and fully understand the customer’s point of view— they deserve that level of respect. Second: build, maintain, and lean on your professional and personal network. It’s essential to being a thoughtful, informed leader who can be counted on in the most difficult moments. Even when someone has been unkind or disappointing, there’s still value in that person—and therefore in that relationship. There are only a handful of people whose name on my caller ID brings an instant smile, followed by the thought: “This will be interesting and fun.” Charlie is one of them. I’m never disappointed, and I always walk away having learned something useful I can apply to my own life. Whenever I hear this quote, I think of Charlie Vogt: “80% of success is just showing up.” — Woody Allen, to New York Times columnist William Safire 1989.  Charlie Vogt always shows up

I had the privilege of working with Charlie during his tenure as CEO of DZS, where he led the company with vision, intensity, and unwavering dedication over the course of four transformative years. Charlie brought a rare combination of strategic insight and operational excellence to the role, demonstrating a deep understanding of the full product portfolio, the competitive landscape, and customer needs. His 360-degree perspective allowed him to steer the company through both opportunities and challenges with clarity and confidence. One of Charlie’s most remarkable qualities is his unmatched work ethic—he consistently set the pace

for the organization, a quality often referred to as operating at “Charlie Speed.” His swift, decisive leadership enabled rapid execution and created a culture of accountability and agility that I greatly admired. If you are on-time to his meeting, you are late. Charlie’s ability to build and empower a strong leadership team was instrumental in navigating a dynamic and evolving market. He led several successful M&A initiatives that significantly expanded DZS’s product offerings and strategic reach. Through it all, he remained laser-focused on what mattered most—real KPIs that drove meaningful outcomes for the business. He also demonstrated sharp business acumen, particularly in balancing growth with financial discipline. His focus on EBITDA growth, combined with thoughtful cost optimization and smart reinvestment into emerging technologies, ensured the company remained both competitive and technically strong. Charlie is a visionary leader with an exceptional grasp of both the big picture and the operational details that make companies thrive. It was an honor to work alongside him, and I remain deeply impressed by his leadership and impact. 

It is with great admiration and respect that I write this testimonial as I worked as Charlie Vogt’s EA, from January 2010 to March 2025. Charlie’s exceptional leadership has been the driving force behind GENBAND (now Ribbon), Imagine Communications, ATX and DZS’s former successes. Charlie leads with integrity, foresight, and a deep commitment to excellence. His ability to navigate challenges with resilience and turn obstacles into opportunities has not only propelled our companies forward but has also set a standard for leadership that is both visionary and grounded in strong ethical principles. His decisiveness and ability to foster collaboration across teams have created an environment where innovation thrives, and employees feel empowered to contribute their best work.  What sets Charlie apart is his mentoring and fostering a culture of inclusion and trust and ensuring that every decision benefits both the organization and its employees. Under his guidance, our companies not only achieved remarkable milestones but cultivated a work culture that values ambition, teamwork, and excellence. His ability to balance strategic vision with compassion makes him an exceptional leader, and I was honored to support him for the past 15 years.

It has indeed been a privilege to work with Charlie Vogt in three companies over the past 10 years. During that time, I had the opportunity to serve on multiple M&A due diligence teams with Charlie resulting in several significant game changing transactions. He has a unique eye for accretive deals and management of the deal process to achieve what others were unable to do. Serving in Chief People Officer and Chief of Staff I had the opportunity to get to know Charlie on a professional and personal level. I had the unique opportunity to observe firsthand, and at times behind the scenes, the application of Charlie’s unique blend of skills he has developed as an accomplished CEO, a strategic thinker, and an outstanding builder of high impact relationships. I learned so much with his encouragement and guidance. Charlie operates with a relentless focus on results. His commitment to the success of his customers and his employees is in a class of its own. Charlie is a value accelerator, an innovative problem solver, a connector of talent to mission, and a family man. I am proud to call Charlie Vogt a colleague. If you have the opportunity to get to know Charlie as a business colleague, he will bring fresh vision, strategy and business insights and paths to success you likely have yet thought of.

Charlie's greatest strength is his ability to establish lasting, loyal, deep-rooted relationships with customers, vendors and employees. He is a very well-rounded CEO with a deep understanding of all parts of a business.  He energizes any business situation he steps into and as a result can help take companies in any stage to the next level.  He is demanding, KPI minded, fair but holds people accountable for outcomes.  He gives his leaders ample room to grow and succeed but when needed steps in helps, coaches and pushes things to a close.  His playbook for M&A, integrations, org design, org metrics, branding, sales growth, PR/AR and financial re-engineering are well practiced and best in class.  He can deploy and to everyone's amazement be effective very quickly. He will be an asset to any company looking for a strong visionary and transformative CEO or board member

Charlie Vogt epitomizes what a leader should be. He is a transformational visionary, constantly pushing forward, growing organizations through strategic M&A, flawless integration, as well as human capital development.  There are not enough leaders out there today, that understand the value of the employees and are willing to invest their own time and effort to grow and develop them – Charlie defines empowerment & accountability. I’ve had the honor of working with Charlie since 2019 and have been able to witness first-hand why he has been so successful in his career. Charlie has the rare ability to see what many others may not, he has exceptional business acumen, but his leadership style enables everyone to have a seat at the table and have a voice.  He will also tell you why he agrees or disagrees. In my 30 years in Supply Chain and Operations, never have I encountered a C level executive so in touch with the inner workings of operations, from warehouse management, to process improvements to supplier management. Charlie is extremely knowledgeable and a tremendous asset.  Amid the historic supply chain disruptions in recent years, Charlie worked shoulder to shoulder with the Supply Chain team, coaching, mentoring, opening doors, and making sure that through the toughest of moments, we never lost sight of our goals. Working for Charlie means waking up excited to be a part of something special. 

I worked with Charlie at both GENBAND and at DZS.  Charlie is an exceptional leader who inspires and motivates his team to achieve goals. He consistently navigates complex situations with grace and decisiveness.  Charlie is known for his strong operational expertise.  He was always in the granular details and had a deep understanding of business operations. He had a remarkable ability to drive operational performance to achieve business objectives.  Charlie has a very well-known strategic acumen in mergers and acquisitions. He was able to skillfully identify potential targets, negotiate terms, and integrate acquired businesses. Charlie led numerous acquisitions at both GENBAND and DZS that expanded market share and created