Daniel Livermore
A Senior Financial Analyst focusing on forecasting and reporting Small Cell Node deployment installations and the associated capital expenditures. His work supports several functional groups to inform operational decision-making, drive strategic planning, and develop investor relations materials.
- Senior Financial Analyst at Crown Castle
- Purdue University ‘18
- Founding Member and EVP of Allies Everywhere
After graduating from Purdue University in 2018, I joined the Business Immersion Program at Crown Castle Inc.(CCI), a two-year leadership development program. Through this experience I was able to work across our three major verticals: Towers, Small Cells, and Fiber Solutions. I also went through various functions including Finance, Strategy, and Project Management. Upon completion of the program, I joined the Network (Small Cell and Fiber Solutions) Finance team and have had the opportunity to work in both FP&A and Capital Management roles. Crown Castle’s Network Finance team oversees ~$1-2B in capital allocation annually. Currently, my role includes forecasting and reporting on Small Cell installations and associated capital expenditures.
One of my favorite parts of the rotational program was the ability to live in different places around the country right out of school. While living in Phoenix, Atlanta, Philadelphia, and Miami, I got to see and enjoy a wide variety of what the country has to offer. At each stop of the program, I was able to immerse myself in the unique culture and character that each city had to offer. I currently reside in New York City, within our network’s largest market, home to 10,000 route miles of fiber. In New York I am inspired by the pace of life and have thoroughly enjoyed exploring and making new connections with the people I have met along the way.
Currently at CCI, we are seeing a continuation of digital transformation across America and Crown Castle serves a variety of industry needs for accelerated network connections. Major initiatives supporting transforming public infrastructure and scaling networks nationwide include:
- 5G Deployment at Scale – “[The U.S. Market is] the fastest growing, most advanced market in the world…wireless data traffic by user [has seen] 30% growth in 2022, and 4x data traffic per user compared to Western Europe.” – Jay Brown, Crown Castle CEO, in an interview with Fox Business.
- “Broadband for All” – $45B Federal investment being set aside to connect rural and underserved areas across the United States. CCI has positioned itself uniquely with its diverse portfolio of product offerings that meet the needs for both rural and urban development set forth in this bill.
- Edge Solutions – As data demand needs are increasing across the country, new technology is needed to accommodate. One way that CCI is getting involved to solve this is by deploying smaller data centers at the edge of pre-existing networks, where people live and work. These localized networks benefit those around them by providing improved network performance, greater security, and enhanced cloud capabilities.
- Microtrenching – Microtrenching provides a faster, environmentally friendly way to expand infrastructure deployment keeping up with ever-growing data demands for our communities. Microtrenching safely deploys infrastructure and limits disruptions to the areas in which we serve.
Crown Castle originated as a tower company in 1994 and over time has entered into the fiber solutions and small cell businesses. While most tower company competition have not fully immersed themselves in the fiber and small cell businesses—but rather are focused internationally—CCI has sharpened its focus on the domestic market. We believe the U.S. is the best place to do business as we have the largest data demand, no exposure to the volatility of foreign exchange rates, or are subject to unstable government. Our focus on fiber and small cell segments sets us apart by being able to provide unique solutions to fit customer needs that only our portfolio can accommodate.
My current responsibilities include forecasting and reporting our Small Cell Node deployment installations and the associated capital expenditures. This takes a balance of science and art—modeling and business intelligence. Financial modeling without business insight can be frustrating for our partners, as oversimplification can miss out on the nuances of project delivery. In my previous role of project managing Small Cell implementation, I got to experience firsthand the complexities of delivering a small cell node. Whether it be design issues, permitting or utility complications, equipment delay shortages, or unforeseen circumstances out in the field on the day of construction, I gained a deeper understanding of subtleties that exist as I interface with our Implementation and Operations teammates.
Being able to take my deployment experience from my rotation in project management into my current role in the finance side of the business has been critical for my career. I now decipher the information about what’s taking place in the field while to aid my delivery of more accurate financial forecasts. The relationships I have developed in prior roles keep me close to the action to supply models that allow my teammates to make more informed strategic decisions.
One of the best parts of a rotational program is the access to a network of great people throughout the company. In my second rotation, our VP of Investor Relations, Chris Hickman, was new to the industry and had a genuine curiosity about some of the long-standing assumptions the company possessed. Chris empowered our team and myself directly to ask questions that hadn’t been asked before and to creatively search for answers. As a leader Chris set us up for success, drove results, and influenced our outcomes by challenging our thought processes and imparting wisdom. He would always tell us, “the best analysts already have the answer to the follow-up question before it’s asked.” While I am no longer a direct report to Chris, he continues to give his time to answer my questions, provide valuable feedback, and mentor me in my professional development at Crown Castle. Chris Hickman represents a leader that I aspire to be.
In my career search and interview process I was drawn to the simplicity and clarity of Crown Castle’s B3 Values: Be an Owner, Be Real, and Be Accountable. While I value all of our corporate principles, I find that ‘Be Real’ sticks out most in a business setting as it can feel harder to come by true authenticity at work. This core value has been demonstrated in authenticity amongst coworkers and people leaders, having candid conversations and being transparent with direct feedback. In my first rotation, I had a manager pull me aside and call out a behavior that was impacting others’ view of me. As a new member of the company and my team, I was trying to prove that I was capable of my role and position. In my efforts to communicate my understanding, it instead came across as being a know-it-all and arrogant. In this exchange, she clearly lived out the ‘Be Real’ value, caring enough about me and my career to address the issue head on and work with me to fix this area of my professionalism.
In my spare time I find myself consuming information, regardless of medium. I enjoy learning from books, podcasts, articles, and my network. Professionally, Crown Castle sits at a unique crossroad between telecom, real estate, and technology. The economy, politics, and governments at the federal, state, and local level all have a significant impact on our industry and how we deploy our assets. Maintaining awareness of these topics is vital to making relevant and informed decisions within our company’s forecasting. Staying present with current events has served me well both personally and professionally, making conversation with others natural and engaging, and allows conversation to go beyond talking about the weather.
I have a genuine passion for people that manifests itself in many ways outside of work. I enjoy meeting new people, and immersing myself in my community. Serving at my church, volunteering at the Bowery Mission, and fostering relationships with friends here in the city are ways in which I am energized and makes my time in the city very full and adventurous.
I joined Allies Everywhere in support of my good friend and AE Founder, Matt Burke. I had no idea what was in store, but I knew that Matt was a connector, and had a great network of high character, high aspiring people. I committed to attending Summit 1 in Austin, TX with little expectations, but immediately benefited from the value it brought to my personal and professional life. The camaraderie, the topics of discussion, the level of intellect and curiosity is highly motivating for people pursuing excellence in their careers and in life.
Allies Everywhere has enriched my personal network by introducing me to like-minded, high achieving individuals I may never have had the opportunity to cross paths with. When I joined in 2019, Allies Everywhere made my transition to Miami incredibly seamless by already knowing a crew of guys from day one. Currently, I am roommates with another AE member, Austin Gioseffi, who I met at Summit 1 in Austin, TX. It’s been fun getting to make friends from all around the country!
Professionally, I continue to be challenged in my thought processes and think outside the box when hearing how men of other industries approach tasks and processes within their day to day. I feel encouraged when I find myself in a room with guys that are smarter than me and I look at it as a great opportunity to learn and develop myself. The members of Allies Everywhere all have unique backgrounds and come from a variety of work. AE fosters an environment where members can be candid about their professional experiences and share their desires for future endeavors cultivating a space for encouragement and collaboration.
Allies Everywhere is a private mastermind club for ambitious young professionals. For inquiries, please reach out to our Founder Matt Burke at matt@allies-everywhere.com. Check out our website: https://allies-everywhere.com/