NJFX Blog

The journey from an intern to a professional is one of immense growth, discovery, and accomplishment. For any company, an internship program represents not just a responsibility to provide students with real-world experience, but an opportunity to mold the future leaders of the industry. The success of NJFX’s internship program stands as a testament to this commitment.

This summer, we were fortunate to welcome Taylor Khan to our team. From the outset, it was clear that Taylor was a dynamic individual, ready to immerse herself in the telecom world. She approached her tasks with an eagerness to learn and a dedication that surpassed expectations.

Under the proficient mentorship of Emily Newman, our PR Marketing Manager, Taylor’s journey was nothing short of transformative. Emily, with her vast experience and dedication to nurturing talent, curated an extensive timeline and curriculum tailored for Taylor. This was designed not just to acquaint her with NJFX’s operations, but to fully immerse her in the broader nuances of the telecoms industry.

Emily guided Taylor through two major projects that showcased her growing understanding and expertise. The first required Taylor to delve deep into how AI is disrupting telecoms, identifying who is currently utilizing it, and outlining the steps we can take to ensure we harness every AI tool available for our customers’ ease. The second project was a direct application of her research. She was tasked with reimagining NJFX’s website and brand through the lens of AI insights she had gathered. As NJFX approaches its 7th anniversary, Taylor was presented with the exciting challenge of rebranding our identity. She pondered upon key questions: How should we evolve? How would this rebrand resonate with our customers?

Working hand-in-hand, Emily and Taylor embarked on this journey of rebranding. Through this process, Emily imparted a crucial lesson to Taylor, emphasizing the importance of seeking help when needed. As Emily often says, “Never be afraid to ask for help. Collaboration and curiosity are the stepping stones to success.”

Moreover, the hands-on experience didn’t stop there. Emily introduced Taylor to the technicalities of website management, ensuring she learned the intricate details of updating pages, posting blogs, and enhancing SEO. But it wasn’t all tech-focused. With a dab into the creative world, Taylor was also initiated into the realm of graphic design, getting acquainted with industry-standard tools like Adobe Photoshop and Illustrator.

Emily’s philosophy on mentorship is admirable, stating, “My goal was to offer an experience that would not just be a fleeting memory, but a foundation for her future career opportunities.” This sentiment encapsulates the ethos of NJFX’s internship program: to arm young talents with tools and experiences that serve them for life.

NJFX’s legacy of grooming interns into professionals is not new. Over the years, our internship program has witnessed the rise of many success stories. Kate Santaliz, who started as our Site Access intern, now contributes her expertise as a Capitol Hill Researcher at NBC. Sarah Kurtz transitioned from our Business Development Manager to a Data Center Selection Manager at Cloudflare. Amanda Kadunce, once our Sales and Marketing Intern, is now making strides as an Account Executive at QTS Data Center.

These tales of success aren’t just individual accomplishments. They stand as collective testimonies to NJFX’s commitment to fostering talent and setting young professionals on a trajectory of success. We take immense pride in these stories, for they mirror our dedication to nurturing and shaping the future leaders of the telecom industry.

We at NJFX believe that the best way to predict the future is to create it. And with our esteemed internship program, we are crafting a brighter, more innovative tomorrow, one intern at a time.

Data has rapidly become the global cornerstone of contemporary business operations. Enterprises range from small local firms to expansive corporations; these companies heavily rely on data for most fundamental day-to-day business operations. Its absence from just a couple of hours to a few days would lead to widespread disarray and cause a cascading effect on communications. Companies such as NJFX, play an indispensable role, not only through their provision of essential services but also through our unwavering commitment to remain at the forefront of an ever-advancing industry. Through the strategic utilization of cutting-edge technology and the delivery of unique service offerings, NJFX has emerged as a prominent industry leader and an esteemed powerhouse in the expansive realm of telecommunications.

As one of the premier hubs for subsea cable systems in North America, NJFX stands out as the sole Cable Landing Station Colocation Campus offering Tier 3 carrier-neutral data center capabilities. By providing direct connectivity to Europe, South America, and the Caribbean, NJFX enables organizations to bypass traditional chokepoints like New York City, Ashburn, and Miami. Beyond infrastructure, NJFX demonstrates deep importance to our customer’s reliance on their services for uninterrupted business operations. Prioritizing and maintaining robust and reliable interconnections through physical presence and access through essential areas Meet-Me-Rooms, ensures architectural diversity.

Situated on New Jersey’s easternmost edge, NJFX establishes a marketplace that offers a unique integration of flexibility, reliability, and security to numerous network operators, domestic and international. Our marketplace drives network reliability, enhances connection quality, reduces expenses, and reduces latency. Importantly, it mitigates the risks associated with international points of failure, making it indispensable for NJFX’s industry-leading customers. By prioritizing partnerships and enabling customers with access to advanced networking architecture, NJFX empowers its customers to be flexible, prepared for growth, and equipped with diverse network architecture that bypasses congested regions This approach ensures true route diversity down to the subsea cable layer, along with enhanced security, low latency, and access to a vast carrier ecosystem.

The success and reputation of NJFX largely rely on the exceptional talent behind the scenes. The company maintains a team of experts who embody the highest standards in both service delivery and maintenance, including collaborations with government entities such as the DOD, NSA, DHS, CISA, and state and local law enforcement. The team works closely with partners and clients to customize solutions that deliberate innovation. Operations Lead, Ryan Imkemeier heads their relentless commitment to reliability and round-the-clock 24/7/365 support with Remote Hand Services providing direct customer support when needed.  

However, the global communications industry faces a number of increasingly complex and significant challenges. Issues such as cyber warfare/attacks, geopolitical tensions, advancing technological pacing, and critical matters need consistent addressing, pos compounding hurdles to surmount all possible with tactful collaboration between sub-sectors within such an essential/vital industry. Recent research suggests that these issues will soon have critical implications within the next decade or two. These rising queries necessitate the reconstruction of routes and strategies that will further impact global connectivity.

Addressing these challenges is an immense undertaking, and inaction could have disastrous consequences. Sub-sea cables in the Atlantic Ocean that were deployed between 2000 and 2001 are now reaching their end-of-life cycle. The retirement of a cable depends on both its physical operation and the associated costs.

“We are on the brink of a monumental shift in Atlantic subsea cables, unprecedented in scale. This shift will create chokepoints in the Northeast region and potentially isolate legacy network handoff points. As new cables become operational, they drive a departure from legacy landing points and bandwidth handoffs. NJFX’s strategic location in Wall, New Jersey, was chosen as the landing point for the HAVFRUE consortium’s cable due to its distance from congested metro areas like New York City,” Gil Santaliz, CEO of NJFX.

Looking ahead, NJFX’s future is centered around optimization as we reinforce its service offerings and solidify our position as a leading hub in global connectivity. The importance of optimizing content caching along the main arteries of the internet to support the most popular content in Europe, South America, Africa, and Asia. In the coming years, NJFX’s CLS colocation campus will interconnect some high-level projects soon to be announced further extending interconnection capabilities for clients across the world. Additionally, NJFX was selected as the strategic landing point for the transatlantic subsea cable system, HAVFRUE/AEC2. This subsea cable system a joint project continues to flourish under the careful sentry of NJFX’s round-the-clock security and operations personnel. NJFX continues to aspire and strive to maintain trust and service and is a key strategic landing point for subsea deployments worldwide.

There are larger threats than rising sea levels. I think you can change this out with something else and keep the bottom the same. We just posted threats and security that highlight some of these. might be nice to tie the two together.

Among the notable participants was NJFX, proudly serving as a Platinum sponsor for this distinguished event. At the heart of this evening was the honor given to Mr. Les Quick, a symbol of professional success and community dedication.

The name Les Quick is synonymous with financial ingenuity, innovation, and unwavering dedication to community service. As a partner at NJFX only adds another feather to his illustrious cap, but his journey to this point has been nothing short of remarkable.

A Tribute to a Remarkable Leader

In 2004, Mr. Quick founded Simon Quick, showcasing his entrepreneurial spirit, but his legacy began in 1975 at Quick and Reilly Inc. As one of its earliest employees, he played a pivotal role in innovating the financial industry, helping to create a branch network, a clearing firm, and a NASDAQ market-making firm. In 1983, under Mr. Quick’s leadership, the company achieved a significant milestone by listing on the NYSE. After Quick and Reilly’s acquisition by Fleet Bank in 1998, he served as Chairman of Fleet Securities until 2003, and he remains a valued member of the Simon Quick Investment Committee today.

Beyond finance, Mr. Quick has served on various industry boards, including the NYSE Hearing Board and the Chicago Stock Exchange Board of Governors. His service extends into his community, notably as Chairman of Big Brothers Big Sisters of Hudson, Essex & Union Counties, and through his involvement in faith-based organizations, both in the U.S. and in Rome, Italy. His philanthropic leadership also shines in his roles at Morristown Memorial Hospital and the Foundation for Morristown Medical Center.

Mr. Quick’s life of service has not gone unnoticed. Among his honors are an honorary doctorate from St. Bonaventure University, the Ellis Island Medal of Honor, and the Flame of Charity’s Man of the Year award. His story is one of enduring commitment to excellence and community welfare.

Mr. Quick’s partnership with NJFX has been marked by shared values and a deep-seated commitment to serving others. Bound by a mutual respect between Mr. Quick and NJFX’s CEO, Gil Santaliz (whom he met while serving on the Morristown Medical Foundation Board), exemplify what it means for businesses to operate as forces for good.

Golf for a Cause

Adding to the excitement of the day was the golf tournament, where participants not only competed in the spirit of sport but also camaraderie for a noble cause. Our very own CEO, Gil Santaliz, was among the golfers, showcasing his skills on the greens. Golfing it was about demonstrating leadership and passion for the causes NJFX supports. It was a day where every swing, putt, and drive carried with it the spirit of giving back.

The celebration at Baltusrol Golf Club was more than just an event; it was a heartfelt tribute to a man whose life exemplifies the harmony of professional excellence and compassionate service. Mr. Les Quick, through his decades of leadership and innovation in finance, and his unwavering commitment to community welfare, sets an example that extends far beyond the business world.

His partnership with NJFX serves as a testament to the profound impact that businesses, when led by dedicated and empathetic leaders, can have on the world around them. As the sun set on a day filled with both competition and camaraderie, the legacy of Mr. Quick was illuminated brightly reminding us all that true success is measured not just by what we achieve for ourselves, but by the positive and lasting impact we make on the lives of others. This event, in honor of a remarkable leader and philanthropist, was a celebration of a life well-lived and a call for us all to strive for such a noble balance between professional achievement and heartfelt service.

Hello all and welcome back to Luminaries in Telecom!

This month’s featured person is a notable pioneer and potent Wall Street global dealmaker, focused on the Technology, Media, Telecommunications (TMT) / Digital Infrastructure & Services arena.  He, along with his colleagues, has made a material impact across the digital infrastructure arena over the course of the past 30 years, collectively transacting over a half trillion dollars in transactions across the globe.  He is also a steadfast philanthropist and cultural figurehead, working to better communities around him at home and abroad. Leveraging professional connections, he has spearheaded numerous philanthropic efforts that have given him and his family foundation international recognition. Some notable endeavors include, providing hundreds of educational scholarships to those less privileged abroad, co-founding the American University in Kosova (RIT Kosova), helping rebuild his father’s elementary school in Montenegro, establishing a foundation supporting women and children in crisis, organizing an orphanage and funding to adulthood the care of children that were the byproduct of rape during wartime, among countless other endeavors.  He has also worked tirelessly as an advocate, even working alongside government agencies to aid in relief/rehabilitation efforts during and after the various conflicts in the Balkans. In time, he developed a reputation with diplomats in the US and abroad for pragmatic thinking and acting as a reliable bridge between the region and the international community.  We got the chance to speak with the man we are coining, “The Financial Engineer,” Mr. Richard Lukaj.

Lukaj’s story starts not too dissimilar to many children of refugees of his generation. His parents were among those denied education/opportunity and who fled ongoing conflicts, vicious discrimination and the programmatic ethnic cleansing experienced by millions of ethnic Albanians in former Yugoslavia. His father initially migrated to Italy, his mother joining him not long after, to find work and provide for the families left behind.  During this period, they lived in a refugee camp just outside of Naples. “Here they would work and report into the camp at night and due to the isolation and absence of the Internet and other forms of entertainment, I was born!” laughed Lukaj. After a couple of years, the new family was afforded the opportunity to continue their journey migrating to the Land of Opportunity.

Lukaj’s parents settled in the lower east side of Manhattan, then considered the ghetto for Eastern European immigrants, taking on any available blue-collar jobs until his father landed long-term employment as a porter & security guard and his mother as a seamstress in the garment district. These humble beginnings forced the family to work very hard (often holding multiple jobs), learn quickly (including learning Spanish and other languages common in their new workplace) and adapt to their rapidly changing circumstances.  They risked and sacrificed everything, endeavoring to set forth a better life for him and his siblings, while also investing to teach their children about their values and traditions, most notably the value of integrity, hard work and education/experience.

At an early age, Lukaj excelled at school.  He was a top student at his elementary school, despite starting school unable to speak English, and never missed a single day. He was the graduating valedictorian of his middle school and ranked 7th in his graduating class of nearly 1,000 students at Brooklyn Technical High School. While in High School, he also completed numerous college courses in mathematics and engineering and managed to accumulate considerable advanced credits towards his university studies, completing nearly half his required courses before even attending college.  He always leaned into his technical skills, wanting initially to pursue a degree in engineering, but ultimately decided to attend what is now known as the Stern School of Business at NYU.

During his undergraduate studies, he also managed to work full-time and nearly complete his MBA simultaneously. While Lukaj was concentrating his education on Finance and Economics, his parents had urged him to study law. His first exposure came, while he was an undergrad, when he was hired as an administrative clerk/paralegal at one of the largest global law firms in NYC, Davis Polk and Wardwell. Lukaj reminisced on his experience, “I worked as a liaison between the Real Estate/M&A and Corporate Finance practices and external clients. I think that was a wonderful immersion and the opportunity that exposed me to the financial sector, most notably investment banks, which was eye-opening for me.” Not long after, he opted out of the legal profession and pivoted all his attention to the world of finance.

From this point, Lukaj’s career began to take root, blending the many branching paths he took in his years as an interdisciplinary student. He found his start on Wall Street as a financial analyst at Bear, Stearns & Co. Inc. Lukaj mused, “I’m a byproduct of my early disposition to always embrace change. When I started, we had no excel, no email, fax was a new technology, it was truly a different technology era! Early on in my career, I felt the inertia within the industry, competing against the considerable advantages of the larger established players that possessed access to proprietary information that was very difficult to access or duplicate. It was an uphill battle but being a scrapper raised in the concrete jungles of NYC… I was ready to dive in, learn and see what my life journey would translate to in this new uber-competitive arena.”

Lukaj’s approach was nothing short of loyal, persistent and dedicated, a young graduate eager to make his mark. He expressed that 80-100-hour work weeks were the norm, which pushed his abilities and ultimately enabled him to score and successfully execute transactions at a very early age, thus fostering a network on a global scale.

In 2002, he founded a predecessor entity which later acquired and became Bank Street, alongside his long-time partner James Henry (another legend in the sector). “When we first started, we had no shot competing on a global scale. I think our edge developed as our collective ability to access information and leverage it grew.  In many cases, we became ever more dynamic and nimbler than many of our rivals across the globe,” Lukaj said. “I would say respectfully that our franchise today is among the leading platforms across all the categories of the industries where we focus.  That would have been unimaginable a generation ago without all the new democratizing technologies and access to information that leveled the playing field for us to compete so effectively. We are now frequently up against the biggest and most venerable firms across the globe. I’d also venture to say the introduction of AI and other tools, which we are constantly evaluating, are creating more excitement about how these new elements promise to complement and augment our business. While some fear the pace of technology changes, I don’t think we see much threat of displacement for our business. What we do involves a fair amount of finesse / human skill, as well as transactional experience, which can’t easily be codified. I think our business is likely to be further transformed by the proliferation of fascinating new tools that allow us to be more efficient and more potent as professionals in this category.”

Lukaj started as a generalist banker, advising companies around the world across a variety of industries.  After a few years, he began to concentrate on Technology, Media & Telecommunications (TMT), most notably Internet & digital infrastructure and services.

When prompted about his substantial personal portfolio of transactions over his nearly 30-year career, Lukaj estimates he has worked on over 1,000 transactions with an aggregate transaction value exceeding $100 billion. Most Bank Street clients know them mostly for their domestic North American transactions; however, they have had major dealings on every populated continent, including today’s announcement representing New Zealand based Infratil in their JV with Hong Kong Telecom, Console Connect and multiple transactions last year in South America for KKR.

Aside from Lukaj’s professional accomplishment, perhaps his greatest achievements pertain to the philanthropic endeavors of his family to reconnect to their Albanian heritage. “Initially I had little exposure. Living in New York and meeting people from all over the world helps to enlighten you, but outside my family, I didn’t know too much about my heritage,” Lukaj said. “I remember vividly one night while sitting in my safe and secure penthouse apartment in mid-town, I sat down to watch the news and what I saw, I couldn’t believe… babies being handed out onto a train as they were being ushered (violently ethnically cleansed) out of a war-torn Kosova at the time. Sitting there with the realization that if things had gone differently, my parents had not made the journey of immigrating… any one of those faces could have been mine. I felt a calling to get involved. I needed to act. I spent considerable time at the Department of State, Defense and other circles and ultimately found a role mostly in advisory and advocacy addressing issues facing the region, which I still do today.”

We continued to learn more about the projects Lukaj’s family were involved and how they want to pay it forward.

Lukaj continues to spread the message that if you have the means and have such gifts, to assist whenever possible. Saying, it can be made especially easy to do so when you see yourself in those you want to aid. He spreads this message to his children, who appreciate the importance of such actions, and have also gotten heavily involved in philanthropic endeavors themselves. 

Thank you again, Mr. Richard Lukaj for taking time out of your schedule to share a bit of your ongoing journey with us and the greater telecoms community! And of course, there is more to the story of “The Financial Engineer”, Richard Lukaj, that we couldn’t cover that we may revisit in the future.

This concludes this month’s feature of Luminaries in Telecom. Please feel free to add to the conversation! Did you meet Rich Lukaj at the recent ITW? What did you take away from his ability to embrace education and inspire, ultimately using his position to provide aide to those in need. Sound off in the comments below with any fun facts/specifics that may have been missed.

For any suggestions about any movers and shakers in telecom history you think deserve a feature, send a message to [email protected].