Finisar CEO Hurlston to depart before sale to II-VI closes

Aug. 5, 2019
Finisar Corp. has revealed that CEO Michael Hurlston is leaving the company to pursue another, unspecified opportunity. He was not expected to be offered a position with II-VI.

Finisar Corp. (NASDAQ:FNSR) has revealed that CEO Michael Hurlston is leaving the company to pursue another, unspecified opportunity. The move is effective immediately, so he will depart before the closing of Finisar’s proposed acquisition by II-VI (see “II-VI to acquire Finisar for $3.2 billion”). Hurlston was not expected to be offered a position with II-VI, Finisar noted.

COO Todd Swanson and Executive Vice President of Global Operations Joseph Young will combine to take Hurlston’s place with Finisar, collaborating within the newly formed Interim Office of the Chief Executive.

“Todd and Joe have each been with the company for well over a decade and have been critical to growth and development of Finisar into the leading company it is today,” stated Robert Stephens, Finisar’s chairman. “We have confidence in their leadership as they guide the company toward completion of the II-VI acquisition while continuing to build on Finisar’s strong product portfolio."

Hurlston joined Finisar from Broadcom in January 2018, replacing co-founder Jerry Rawls (see “Michael Hurlston to replace retiring Jerry Rawls as Finisar CEO”). He looked to reshape the company based on his background in the semiconductor space to prepare Finisar for a new stage of growth, although that task involved a learning curve when it came to the optics market (see “New Finisar CEO Michael Hurlston sees decisions ahead”). Hurlston then guided Finisar into the acquisition agreement with II-VI last November. That deal remains in the approvals process, with the primary remaining check mark a thumbs up from State Administration for Market Regulation of the People’s Republic of China (SAMR). The initial application for approval is in Phase III with SAMR, a phase with an expiration date of August 17 (see “II-VI: Timer on Chinese approval of Finisar buy hasn’t rung yet”). II-VI can refile its application for clearance if SAMR does not reach a decision by that deadline.

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About the Author

Stephen Hardy | Editorial Director and Associate Publisher, Lightwave

Stephen Hardy is editorial director and associate publisher of Lightwave and Broadband Technology Report, part of the Lighting & Technology Group at Endeavor Business Media. Stephen is responsible for establishing and executing editorial strategy across the both brands’ websites, email newsletters, events, and other information products. He has covered the fiber-optics space for more than 20 years, and communications and technology for more than 35 years. During his tenure, Lightwave has received awards from Folio: and the American Society of Business Press Editors (ASBPE) for editorial excellence. Prior to joining Lightwave in 1997, Stephen worked for Telecommunications magazine and the Journal of Electronic Defense.

Stephen has moderated panels at numerous events, including the Optica Executive Forum, ECOC, and SCTE Cable-Tec Expo. He also is program director for the Lightwave Innovation Reviews and the Diamond Technology Reviews.

He has written numerous articles in all aspects of optical communications and fiber-optic networks, including fiber to the home (FTTH), PON, optical components, DWDM, fiber cables, packet optical transport, optical transceivers, lasers, fiber optic testing, and more.

You can connect with Stephen on LinkedIn as well as Twitter.

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