Early Life and Education
Robert Hale Jr. was born in 1966 in Northampton, Massachusetts. He graduated from Connecticut College in 1990 with a B.A. in History.
Rise to Success
Hale's career began in sales at MCI in 1988. In 1990, he founded Network Plus, a telecom service aggregator, which grew to a $150 million business before its bankruptcy in 2002. Following this setback, Hale founded Granite Telecommunications in 2002, which provides voice, data, and other communication services. Under his leadership, Granite has become a major player in the telecommunications sector, serving over two-thirds of the Fortune 100 companies.
Key Business Strategies
Granite Telecommunications focuses on providing communication solutions to businesses and governmental agencies. The company has grown by focusing on customer relationships and has surpassed $1.8 billion in annual revenue. Hale emphasizes a family-oriented culture and community engagement as key elements of Granite's success.
Philanthropy
Hale and his wife, Karen, have donated over $270 million to charitable causes, including cancer research and educational institutions. Their philanthropic efforts have earned them several awards, including the Carolyn Lynch Humanitarian Award from the Breast Cancer Research Foundation. In 2022, Granite Telecommunications was recognized as Massachusetts's most charitable company. He has also gifted $1,000 to graduating college students at multiple commencement ceremonies.