Dave Schaeffer
Founder and Chief Executive Officer
Dave Schaeffer founded Cogent Communications in August 1999 and is the Chief Executive Officer. Under Mr. Schaeffer's leadership, Cogent has become one of the world's largest Internet Providers. Mr. Schaeffer has led the efforts of 13 successful acquisitions, propelling Cogent's originally U.S.-based network into Canada, Europe, Latin America, and Asia-Pacific. Mr. Schaeffer has successfully founded and operated six other businesses prior to Cogent. These businesses span a wide array of industries from communications to commercial real estate. Mr. Schaeffer holds a B.S. in Physics from the University of Maryland, where he was also a Ph.D. candidate in Economics. His diverse background and entrepreneurial successes have enabled him to build management teams that constructed and operate the only facilities-based, non-oversubscribed multinational network of its kind. In 2019, Mr. Schaeffer was named Ernst & Young’s Entrepreneur of the Year® in Media, Entertainment and Telecommunications.
