Executive Team

Jeff Chen is Executive Vice President and Chief Relationship Officer at CableLabs, a non-profit research and development lab, funded by the global cable industry, that develops technologies and specifications for the secure delivery of high-speed data, video, voice and next-generation services. As a member of the executive team, Jeff is valued for his 360-degree view from cable operators and vendor partners. The cable industry owes its success to collaborative innovations from all players in the ecosystem. Jeff and his team work together with members and vendors to understand their needs and help bridge communications with CableLabs resources.  

Jeff started his career as a cable engineer at Rogers in Toronto, and later joined the team at Bright House Networks as SVP, Advanced Technology. He worked closely with industry partners including CableLabs, NCTA and fellow cable operators to ensure smooth and speedy adoption of new technology to serve customer needs.  

Jeff received his Bachelor of Science and Master of Science Degrees in electrical engineering from the University of Connecticut and has completed executive training programs at the University of Toronto and Dartmouth College. He has served as a guest lecturer for executive training programs at the University Denver. During his leisure time Jeff enjoys skiing, and he is a passionate supporter of Adaptive Spirit, a charity for the U.S. Paralympic Ski and Snowboard Teams.   

Maria Popo is the president and CEO of SCTE, a CableLabs subsidiary. SCTE is dedicated to enhancing the broadband industry by aligning corporate goals with transformative learning solutions, fostering workforce technology skills and innovation, while leveraging its global network of over 60 chapters for industry engagement and insights.

Popo’s journey from trade school to academia and boardrooms has been shaped by tenacity, adaptability, and lifelong learning. From customer service representative to senior executive of Global Fortune 50 Foxconn, CEO/president of Ubee Interactive Americas, leadership roles at 3Com(HP)/Ambit Microsystems/3M, and now as a technology education innovator, Maria has shown a profound ability to drive transformative growth.

Maria blends executive acumen with advanced business expertise. Her knowledge spans AI, data analytics, and VR, while her specialization in learning technology and design sets her apart. This unique tech savvy, coupled with timely award-winning research on sociotechnical workplace skills conducted at Stanford University in 2022/2023, places Maria at the forefront of strategic insights for businesses navigating the complexities of the AI era. Popo’s business acumen is demonstrated through numerous achievements, including financial oversight in preparation for a potential IPO, delivering a $150 million top-line gain at Ubee Interactive and transforming 3Com’s exit strategy into a $1B startup. Her talent for crafting data-driven product roadmaps and forging high-volume contracts has consistently delivered strong financial outcomes. Maria’s strategic vision and ability to identify new markets, foster high-performing teams, and forge international partnerships shine through in her collaborations with global industry leaders.

Popo currently serves as an Independent Board Director at Four18 Intelligence, a cyber threat hunting PaaS for analyst training. Prior to this, she was an Executive Board Director at Ubee Interactive Inc., a global provider of carrier class networking products, and was also president and chair of the Rocky Mountain Region’s Women in Cable & Telecom (WICT), a non-profit organization empowering women leaders in cable and media. Popo is a Stanford University Distinguished Careers Institute (DCI) fellow, and Master of Science graduate in Learning Design and Technology. Maria has received recognition such as: 20 Female Founders to Watch, CableFax Most Powerful Women in Cable, Multichannel News Women in Technology, and 8th Fastest Growing Woman-Led Company. Popo has also mentored entrepreneurs in programs like Techstars, The Commons – Denver, Thailand’s AIS, and Stanford’s LeanLaunchpad.

Phil McKinney is the president and CEO at CableLabs, a non-profit research & development lab funded by the global cable industry. With a strong focus on innovation, McKinney is responsible for leading the development of technologies and specifications for the secure delivery of high speed data, video, voice and next generation services. He oversees testing, certification facilities and guides the technical leadership for the industry, charting the course for future technology and innovation.

Prior to CableLabs, McKinney held technology and innovation leadership positions in major companies including serving as the vice president and CTO for Hewlett-Packard’s Personal Systems Group, where he was responsible for long-range strategic planning, research and development for the company’s PC product lines. In addition, he was the founder and leader of HP’s Innovation Program Office (IPO). The IPO was chartered to identify, incubate and launch adjacent and fundamentally new technologies, products and services that would become the future growth engines for HP. The success of the IPO is now shared in widely used case studies at Stanford University and Harvard Business School. McKinney also served as senior vice president and CIO at Teligent, and as a director at CSC.

Author, speaker and innovation guru, McKinney shares his rule-breaking approach to innovation and creativity in his book “Beyond the Obvious.” He has been credited with forming and leading multiple teams that Fast Company and BusinessWeek have listed as being one of the “50 Most Innovative.” His recognition includes Vanity Fair naming him the “The Innovation Guru,” MSNBC and Fox Business calling him “The Gadget Guy” and the San Jose Mercury News dubbing him the “chief seer.” In July 2015, his podcast, Killer Innovations™, became a nationally syndicated radio show that is carried by more than 30 radio stations across the U.S. In 2017, The Cable Center named McKinney an Innovation Laureate, in recognition of his role as a trailblazer and key influencer who is mentoring, teaching and motivating the next generation of cable industry leaders.

McKinney serves on the advisory board for Hacking Autism and he is chairman of the board for Pioneer Education Africa. In his spare time, he oversees his family VC fund, the Techtrend Group, that invests in for-profit start-ups to create economic growth as an alternative to traditional charity models.

Jeff Leget is Executive Vice President of Infrastructure and Chief Operating Officer at CableLabs, a non-profit research & development and innovation lab funded by the global cable industry, and President and CEO at Kyrio. Since joining CableLabs in 2015, Jeff’s responsibilities have expanded to include IT, laboratory, facility, data center operations, and administration of the CableLabs public key infrastructure (PKI). Jeff managed the mid-tier operator relationships prior to taking over as President and CEO for Kyrio, a subsidiary of CableLabs. At Kyrio, Jeff leads a growing provider of services for the connectivity industry, including broadband device testing, security analysis and online services. 

Jeff is responsible for CableLabs’ laboratories which investigate the next generation technologies that broadly support and enable and expand the capabilities for the global hybrid-fiber coax industry. CableLabs laboratories and test facilities certify cable network devices against published specifications and supply the PKI certificates used to ensure the secure transmission of data for all cable modems throughout the world. Kyrio expands upon those practices to provide valuable, tailored services to broadband operators and suppliers. As President and CEO, Jeff drives Kyrio to perform customized security and integration testing often as an extension of an operator’s own network. Kyrio also performs a variety of standardized wi-fi tests to validate reliable broadband delivery throughout the industry. 

Prior to joining CableLabs, Jeff held executive operating and strategy roles at (i)Structure, a subsidiary of Level 3 Communications, and Keynetics, a mid-sized internet retailer and online fraud management services organization. He broadened his role at Keynetics and became the head of risk management and international expansion. Jeff began his career as a consultant with Accenture before moving to Corporate Express (Staples) during an era of rapid expansion. 

Jeff holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Mechanical Engineering from Colorado State University, and a Master of Business Administration from Colorado State University. He lives with his wife and children in Broomfield, Colorado. 

Mark Bridges is Executive Vice President and Chief Technology Officer at CableLabs, the non-profit research & development and innovation lab funded by the global cable industry. He leads CableLabs’ long-term vision by driving the development of technologies critical to the industry’s evolution including wired, wireless, network convergence and security. His areas of expertise include research and development of software-defined networks, network as a service/platform and cloud native architectures. 

Mark previously served as the Vice President of the Future Infrastructure Group as part of the Office of the CTO at CableLabs, where he spearheaded strategic planning for the future of access network technologies and software platforms. With nearly 30 years of experience in communications and software development, Mark is a seasoned industry professional with a deep understanding of the communications and technology industries. His tenure at CableLabs began in 2010, and over the years, he has made significant contributions to the company’s technological advancements and strategic direction. 

Prior to joining CableLabs, Mark was Director and Chief Architect at Avaya where he was instrumental in defining the technology strategy and architecture for Avaya Global Services’ next-generation service delivery platforms. Before joining Avaya, Mark was the founder and CEO of VCS, Inc., a systems integrator, and platform development company focused on creating business operations and service delivery support systems for various industries, with a particular emphasis on OSS/BSS platforms for the telecommunications industry. He led VCS to a successful merger in 2001. 

Mark studied Information Systems at the University of Georgia where he met and married his wife of over 30 years. During his leisure time in the fall season, Mark can be spotted on Saturdays at his favorite breweries in his hometown, Longmont, Colorado – always cheering for his Dawgs! 

Lori Spencer is Executive Vice President and Chief People Officer at CableLabs. She has worked in the field of Human Resources for 30 years in healthcare and high-tech industries. As a member of the executive team, her focus is on the organizational and cultural development of CableLabs and its subsidiaries. She leads strategic talent management and provides professional development opportunities to all employees which enable high functioning teams to thrive. Equally important is an emphasis on building high trust relationships and developing exceptional leaders. Inspired by encounters with diverse and interesting people, she is passionate about helping them increase their capacity and confidence in their roles across the organization. 

Lori received her Bachelor of Business Administration in Human Resource Management from Pacific Lutheran University and Master of Science in Organizational Leadership from Regis University. She holds certifications in a variety of organizational development and personality assessment tools. In 2024 she was named Woman of the Year by the WICT Rocky Mountain chapter. 

A native of Colorado, Lori enjoys spending time at her mountain cabin, and loves all things musical including singing, and attending concerts and music festivals. She is a proud mom of two children who are all-around awesome human beings. Lori is also the co-host of a weekly podcast called “The Corporate Bartender” which brings together a live audience of HR professionals and people leaders. The podcast originated out of the abrupt changes posed by the COVID-19 pandemic in March 2020, and the content has evolved into broader subjects that impact people, work and culture.  

Mike Mehrtens is Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer at CableLabs, a non-profit research & development lab, funded by the global cable industry, that develops technologies and specifications for the secure delivery of high-speed data, video, voice and next-generation services. As a member of the executive team, Mike is responsible for all aspects of finance, accounting, marketing and commercial relationships. Mike and his team work to provide a superior level of service to the business, with a focus on process efficiency, financial insight, safeguarding company resources and consistently improving the customer experience.  

There are numerous metrics to focus on, but a fundamental equation that guides Mike’s professional experience is a simple one: if you exceed the expectations of your customers and provide an engaging and fulfilling experience for your employee, you will solve for the goals of your stakeholders. 

Prior to CableLabs, Mike held various positions in finance, accounting and Six Sigma process improvement at OmiTRAX, TTEC, INTUIT and General Electric in Denver.  

Mike received his Bachelor of Arts in economics from Western State University and Master of Business Administration from the University of Colorado at Boulder. Outside the office, Mike is an avid outdoorsman, skier, and hiker with a deep appreciation for the natural world. 

Courtney Seely is the Executive Vice President and Chief Legal Officer at CableLabs. As a member of the executive team, Courtney leads all legal, technology policy, and intellectual property activities for CableLabs and its affiliates. In this role, Courtney and her team provide strategic corporate and tactical legal advice to foster sound decision-making in all areas of research and development, as well as operations, with a focus on compliance and legal risk management, complex business transactions, corporate governance, competition law, intellectual property protection, and technology transfer functions. Courtney’s team also serves as technical experts in the public policy domain working closely with CableLabs colleagues and members in areas of strategic importance and relevance to the cable broadband industry and ecosystem.   

Prior to CableLabs, Courtney held various executive-level legal, risk management, and operations positions within global public and private companies of all sizes, at all life-cycle stages, and across a broad array of highly regulated industries. In such roles, she led multi-jurisdictional and multi-functional teams, and her focus included mergers and acquisitions, complex commercial transactions, corporate finance, and environmental, social, and corporate governance. Courtney began her career in private practice at Dechert LLP in Philadelphia, PA as an Associate in the Corporate and Securities Group representing leading private equity fund sponsors and their portfolio companies, as well as strategic buyers and sellers. 

Courtney received her Bachelor of Arts in Political Science from Lehigh University in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania and Juris Doctorate degree from The Villanova University Charles Widger School of Law in Villanova, Pennsylvania. She serves as a member of the Board of Directors for the Colorado Chapter of the Association of Corporate Counsel. In 2024, Courtney was recognized by Cablefax as one of the Most Powerful Women within the industry. Outside of her professional activities, Courtney enjoys spending time with her two sons and two dogs and is an outdoor enthusiast with a passion for running, skiing, hiking, and lacrosse (as a spectator only!).