Jeff Sanders is a Senior Consultant at Liberty Transnational, Inc. He is also Chief Financial Officer of Affinity Wind, LLC, a wind energy development company based in St. Louis, MO. Mr. Sanders has almost two decades of experience as a financier and strategist, having worked as both a commercial and an investment banker for, and as a senior executive and board member of, a variety of communications, media, and other businesses.As such, he knows firsthand the importance of selecting financial partners that are compatible with clients.He is well-versed in communicating with financial partners through formal presentations, board reports, ongoing financial and operational summaries, and industry conferences.His experience also covers a broad array of merger, acquisition, joint venture, investment, and debt and equity placement transactions totaling $4.5 billion.
Mr. Sanders’ extensive background is underscored by the following achievements:
Millennium Digital Media, where Mr. Sanders was Chief Financial Officer, and a co-founder along with Mr. Payer and two other partners.Mr. Sanders and his partners built Millennium through a series of transactions and network construction efforts into a leading provider of broadband and Internet services, including analog and digital cable, high-speed Internet access, and web hosting services, generating over $120 million in revenue.At Millennium, Mr. Sanders was responsible for managing all finance, treasury, and accounting functions, including arranging debt and equity financing, structuring transactions, negotiating acquisition agreements, and managing a staff of twelve professionals.He played a key role in developing Millennium’s strategy and business plans and in maintaining relationships with commercial and investment bankers and brokers.
Charter Communications, the nation’s third largest cable television company, where Mr. Sanders was Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer.He was the seventh employee to join this St. Louis, Missouri-based startup, which during his tenure grew through a series of acquisitions, aggregating $1.6 billion, to serve over one million customers in 15 states.At Charter, Mr. Sanders was responsible for managing all transaction activities, including sourcing potential acquisitions, conducting due diligence, negotiating terms, developing financial structures, and arranging financing.To support Charter’s acquisition strategy, Mr. Sanders arranged over $1.8 billion in financing from a group of over 100 senior lenders, high-yield investors, and institutional and strategic equity investors.He also managed a department of 40 employees, with responsibility for all acquisition, finance, treasury, accounting, and financial reporting functions.In addition, he was one of five members of Charter’s Management Committee, the company’s senior policy-making body.In 1998, Charter was acquired by entities owned by investor Paul G. Allen in a transaction valued at $4.5 billion.
Toronto Dominion Securities, Mergers and Acquisitions Group, where Mr. Sanders founded and headed TD’s U.S. mergers and acquisitions practice.TD is Canada’s fifth largest bank and is among the world’s largest providers and arrangers of capital to the media and telecommunications industries.Based in New York, Mr. Sanders focused on providing advisory and private equity placement services to firms in the cable television, cellular telephone, broadcasting, competitive local exchange, local and long distance telephone, and cable programming industries.In addition, Mr. Sanders managed TD’s U.S. private equity portfolio, which represented approximately $150 million in total capital, invested both through private equity groups and in direct investments to portfolio companies operating in a wide variety of industries.
Toronto Dominion Securities, Communications Finance Group, where Mr. Sanders was a Director, managing a client team focused on providing banking services to firms in the cable television, cellular telephone, and cable programming industries.His clients included Atlantic Cellular, CableVision Industries, Cencom Cable (the predecessor to Charter), Centennial Cellular, Century Communications, Crowley Cellular, Dial Page, Gaylord Entertainment, Lifetime Television, Sprint PCS, Turner Broadcasting, and Vanguard Cellular.
Centerre Bank, a predecessor to Bank of America, where Mr. Sanders started his banking career as a Commercial Banking Officer, managing the bank’s relationships with a group of St. Louis-based Fortune 500 and large middle-market firms, operating across a broad array of industries, from heavy steel fabrication to commercial real estate and prestige travel services.
Mr. Sanders graduated from the University of Missouri with a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration, Summa Cum Laude.He also holds a Master of Business Administration, with Distinction, from the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania.
