VNC Member News: The Nexus Group names CEO and CFO

Last updated 7:22 p.m.

Published January 15, 2010

Brugman (L) and England

FROM THE NEXUS GROUP

The Nexus Group, the strategic data, network and consulting services provider headquartered in Nashville, today announced Steven Brugman has been appointed president and CEO.

Brugman joined Nexus in October as the company's chief operating officer. He previously served 14 years with Oracle Corporation, during which time he rose to vice president and general manager for strategic-accounts consulting.

In addition, Robert England has been appointed Nexus’ chief financial officer. England is a Nexus co-owner and board member, as well as a veteran of HCA executive ranks.

Brugman said in a release issued by Nexus today, "Alongside our customers, Nexus is moving forward in an environment that

demands a sharp sense of purpose and full dedication to excellence. We recognize this same environment affords the Nashville business community every reason to celebrate new and growing Nashville ventures, strengthened by Nashville’s strong presence in healthcare, finance, logistics and digital entertainment."

Brugman added, "Our customers, like forward-looking businesses nationwide, are stepping-up their efforts to protect and leverage business knowledge and the data, connectivity and applications that are essential to business operations and relationships. As America returns to work, this translates into greater emphasis on contributing to the bottom line, and that’s a priority we know, very well.”

Brugman, 43, served in a variety of roles with Oracle, 1995-2009, and earlier served as a divisional marketing representative and financial analyst with John Deere Company. He earned his MBA at the Fuqua School of Business at Duke University, in 1995; and, earned his bachelor's in business at Nebraska Wesleyan University at Lincoln, Neb., in 1989.

England, 51, served as an HCA executive for 26 years. Among his HCA positions were CFO of HCA Physician Services, and CEO of the Psychiatric Hospital at Vanderbilt University Medical Center.

Also during his HCA career, England held senior roles in hospital operations, physician recruitment and compensation and preferred-provider networks. In addition to his continuing entrepreneurial interests in healthcare, real estate and insurance services, England has been a co-owner of Nexus since 1997. He holds an active CPA and earned his bachelor's in accounting at the University of Tennessee at Martin, in 1981.

In 2009, Nexus established new headquarters and consolidated its services in a 19,000-square-foot secure data center in Davidson County.

Prior to that move, Nexus maintained its headquarters and its Nashville Regional Exchange Point (NREP) facility in separate quarters on Nashville's West End Avenue. Nexus maintains additional data-center capacity in both Memphis and in the Knoxville area.

Privately held Nexus Group provides data-center and network services, as well as the Internet connectivity that has been among the company's core offerings since the company's founding in 1995 by Ken Russell and former CEO Jerry Dunlap.

Dunlap remains a Nexus owner, and Russell remains an owner and a vice president within Nexus operations.

Russell also maintains his ownership and development interest in closely allied Nashville-based Zoe Creative Services, a full-serve high-definition video-production, post-production and animation-services provider. ►