Fresh out of bankruptcy court thanks to its recent acquisition by H.I.G. Capital (see "Xtera emerges from bankruptcy with new ownership"), Xtera has announced a revamped management team. The executive cadre includes three holdovers from the company's previous incarnation: Dr. Stuart Barnes in the role of chairman and chief strategy officer, Keith Henderson, as founder and COO, and Robert Richardson as founder and chief sales officer.
New blood includes Douglas Umbers as CEO and Jayesh Pankhania as CFO. They join recently appointed CTO Tony Frisch and Senior Vice President Turnkey Systems Joerg Schwartz. The executives will be charged with leading Xtera in its new focus on the supply of optical transport and transmission systems for the submarine network market.
"We have been working assiduously behind the scenes to assemble an exceptional executive team that will lead Xtera toward growth and success," said Dr. Barnes. "I am very excited to welcome Doug and Jayesh to our new executive team, and look forward to providing enhanced support for our engineering, sales, and operations teams with dedicated leadership."
Umbers most recently held executive board level roles at VT Group plc (now Babcock International), where he ran its IT and communications division. He also served as COO at Arqiva Ltd., the UK telecom and broadcast infrastructure group. Pankhania has held multiple senior roles in public and private companies, including CFO at HOC Group and Asia Resource Minerals PLC.
The team will be somewhat far-flung. Dr. Barnes, Umbers, and Pankhania will be based in Xtera's Harold Wood office near London. Henderson will be based in Allen, TX, while Richardson will be based in Peachtree Corners, GA.
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