Cheri Beranek is the founding CEO of Clearfield, leading the company since its inception in 2008. Known for her strategic vision and results-driven leadership, she has transformed Clearfield into a global leader in fiber infrastructure, delivering more than a million fiber ports each year. Under Cheri’s direction, Clearfield has continued to evolve from a pioneer in community broadband, helping to close the digital divide, to extending Clearfield’s value propositions into the edge-driven future.

Under Beranek’s leadership, Clearfield has been recognized multiple times by Forbes’ magazine as one of America’s Best Small Companies. With a clear passion for the fiber market, she has guided Clearfield’s growth into a multi-national organization serving over 1,000 customers.  The company is built on a culture of listening to the customer and providing the field-engineered innovations that solves their needs.

Before founding Clearfield, Cheri held a variety of executive-level positions at emerging high-growth technology companies, including Americable, Transition Networks, Tricord Systems, and Digi International. Her background also includes  significant public service and nonprofit leadership with the City of Fargo, the Metropolitan Planning Commission of Fargo/Moorhead, and North Dakota State University.

A frequent speaker, author, and advocate for broadband expansion, Cheri has been widely recognized for her business leadership. Her honors include the Women Changing Fiber for Good AMPLIFY Award from the Fiber Broadband Association in 2024, the Ernst & Young Entrepreneur Of The Year^® 2023 Award,, induction into the Minnesota Business Hall of Fame (2021), and Minnesota Technology Executive of the Year (2016), among many others.