International Executive Leadership Services Case Study

Askey

Opening doors to strategic growth in the U.S. broadband market

Askey leveraged experienced U.S. market leadership to build relationships with a major service provider, identify a near-term software opportunity, and position its broader broadband portfolio for future growth.

Overview

Askey is a Taiwan-based global provider of broadband hardware and software solutions and a wholly owned subsidiary of ASUS. Its portfolio includes DOCSIS, Wi-Fi, fiber broadband, 5G cellular backup, fixed wireless, and software solutions.

With an established presence among several major U.S. service providers, Askey was looking to expand its footprint with another Tier 1 customer. Its broad product portfolio, technical capabilities, and financial backing positioned the company as a potential long-term strategic supplier.

The prospective customer, however, had longstanding relationships with existing equipment providers and was preparing for organizational changes expected in 2027. Askey needed to establish credibility and identify opportunities to contribute while those changes unfolded.

Challenges

Askey’s opportunity to expand its U.S. broadband business came with several challenges tied to the prospective customer’s existing supplier relationships, decision-making environment, and upcoming organizational changes.

The company needed to navigate:

  • Established supplier relationships: The customer already had commitments to incumbent broadband equipment providers, making it difficult for a new supplier to gain consideration for major hardware opportunities.
  • Organizational uncertainty: Structural changes expected in 2027 had shifted the customer’s attention toward internal priorities, limiting its willingness to make significant supplier changes in the near term.
  • Limited visibility with decision-makers: Despite Askey’s established presence with other major U.S. service providers, key stakeholders at this customer were not yet familiar with the company’s capabilities or its potential value as a strategic supplier.
  • Identifying near-term opportunities: With major purchasing decisions unlikely before the organizational changes took effect, Askey needed to find practical ways to address current customer needs while remaining positioned for opportunities that could emerge in 2027 and beyond.

Goals

Askey’s objective was to establish a stronger position with a major U.S. Tier 1 service provider, identify opportunities to demonstrate its value, and build a foundation for long-term business growth.

Their priorities were clear:

  • Build credibility with key decision-makers: Introduce Askey’s broadband hardware and software capabilities to senior product and strategy leaders, demonstrating its experience with other major U.S. service providers and its potential as a strategic supplier.
  • Identify near-term business opportunities: Understand the customer’s immediate priorities and determine where Askey could provide solutions without requiring major changes to existing supplier relationships.
  • Establish a path to broader engagement: Use initial opportunities to demonstrate Askey’s technical capabilities and create the potential for future hardware and software business.
  • Prepare for longer-term growth: Maintain relationships and visibility into the customer’s evolving needs, positioning Askey to pursue additional opportunities as organizational changes take effect in 2027.

Solutions

Askey engaged TechCXO Principal Tom Dunleavy as Vice President, Business Development, in April 2026. Drawing on more than 25 years of relationships with the prospective customer, Tom worked closely with Askey’s leadership to establish credibility, identify immediate business needs, and develop a practical strategy for entering the account.

Rather than pursuing a major hardware opportunity while the customer was focused on organizational changes, Tom identified an opening through Askey’s RDK-B software expertise. The approach offered a way to address an existing customer need while creating the potential for broader hardware and software business.

Key initiatives included:

  • Introducing Askey to senior decision-makers: Tom worked with Askey’s leadership to develop an executive-level presentation explaining the company’s capabilities, competitive advantages, and established relationships with other major U.S. service providers. He presented it directly to key customer stakeholders, many of whom had been unfamiliar with Askey’s broader portfolio.
  • Identifying an immediate business need: Through discussions with contacts across the customer organization, Tom identified software support as a promising entry point. Askey’s experience with RDK-B aligned with the customer’s need for additional software capabilities to support business growth.
  • Qualifying a strategic opportunity: Tom brought Askey’s leadership together with customer representatives at SCTE Expo in September 2026. The discussions helped define a specific RDK-B software opportunity, with potential hardware business also under consideration.
  • Advancing a commercial proposal: Askey’s product team prepared a proposal covering RDK-B software support and potential hardware solutions. Tom delivered the proposal to the customer and continues to pursue the opportunity.
  • Preparing for future opportunities: Tom maintains regular contact with the customer’s leadership and works with Askey to anticipate future requirements. At SCTE Expo, he and Askey’s leadership also met with MediaTek to explore potential joint roadmap solutions and prototypes that could position the companies for opportunities emerging in 2027.

As Vice President, Business Development, Tom Dunleavy leveraged longstanding industry relationships to open doors with a major U.S. service provider, identify a strategic software opportunity, and position Askey for future growth.

Thomas Dunleavy

Principal, Executive Leadership

Tom brings 40 years of technology-sector leadership experience spanning sales, product management, operations, and P&L responsibility for global broadband businesses exceeding $1 billion. He helps technology companies build strategic relationships and pursue growth in competitive markets.

Outcome

Askey has made meaningful progress toward establishing a stronger position with a major U.S. Tier 1 service provider. Through Tom’s longstanding relationships and direct engagement with senior decision-makers, the company has gained visibility with key stakeholders and introduced its broadband hardware and software capabilities, along with the value it could bring as a strategic supplier.

The engagement has also produced a qualified business opportunity. Discussions with the customer identified RDK-B software support as a practical entry point, with potential hardware business emerging alongside it. Following a productive meeting at SCTE Expo in September 2026, Askey developed and delivered a proposal covering these opportunities. The proposal remains under active pursuit.

Looking ahead, Askey continues to strengthen its customer relationships while preparing for opportunities that may emerge as the service provider’s organizational changes take effect in 2027. Discussions with MediaTek have also opened the door to potential joint roadmap solutions and prototypes designed to address future customer needs.

Strategic account access

Established relationships and direct engagement with senior decision-makers have given Askey a stronger foothold in a strategically important U.S. account, creating opportunities to demonstrate its capabilities and build credibility over time.

A qualified path to future business

By leading with software capabilities that address an immediate customer need, Askey has established a practical route toward broader commercial engagement while positioning its hardware portfolio for future consideration.