Tellabs Access LLC has named Rich Schroder president and CEO of the company, effective January 1, 2020. Schroder, who currently is the company’s COO, replaces Jim Norrod, who has decided to step down upon the completion of his contract to spend more time with his family, according to a company source. Schroder also will replace Norrod on the company's board of directors.
“We are thrilled to promote Rich to President and CEO of Tellabs given his breadth of business, PON, and telecom experience coupled with a strategic vision to lead the organization in the next stage of its growth,” stated Doug Bayerd, principal at Marlin Equity Partners, the company that has owned Tellabs since 2013 (see “Marlin Equity closes Tellabs acquisition”). “As the original executive sponsor and R&D VP of the Optical LAN (OLAN) product development, Rich is well-positioned to lead and grow the enterprise and federal government segments while continuing to support, sustain, and evolve our broadband solutions. On behalf of the board, we look forward to working closely with Rich as president and chief executive officer.”
Schroder has been with Tellabs for 15 years. He’s also worked at AFC, Marconi, RELTEC, DSC, and Siemens. “I am very excited with this opportunity and look forward to leading the organization into the next phase of support, development and growth,” he said. “Tellabs remains committed to delivering innovative PON technologies to its customers and creating value across the industry while continuing to serve our customers’ requirements.”
Norrod became Tellabs CEO in October 2017, joining the company from fellow PON systems developer Zhone Technologies (now Dasan Zhone Systems, or DZS).
This story was updated with information from Tellabs regarding the reasons for Jim Norrod stepping down.
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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.
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