Ribbon Communications names Bruce McClelland president, CEO and adds directors
Ribbon Communications Inc. (NASDAQ: RBBN), a cloud communications software company set to enter the optical space via its agreement to buy ECI Telecom (see "Ribbon Communications to acquire ECI Telecom"), has beefed up its management roster. The company named former ARRIS head Bruce McClelland as president, CEO, and a director, effective “on or around” March 1, 2020. Ribbon also added Stewart Ewing and Krish Prabhu to its board, effective in the same timeframe.
McClelland was the chief executive at ARRIS at the time of the company’s acquisition by CommScope in April 2019 (see “CommScope closes ARRIS acquisition”). He stepped down from his role as COO of the combined company the following August (see “Bruce McClelland out at CommScope”). McClelland also spent 11 years at Nortel Networks and Bell Northern Research.
"The Board is excited to appoint Bruce as the new president and CEO of Ribbon,” stated Richard Lynch, chairman of Ribbon’s board of directors. “He is a technical business leader with a proven history of developing and growing sustainable, diversified, and profitable businesses through multiple technology and business cycles. We believe Bruce is the right person to lead Ribbon forward into our next chapter as a combined company with ECI Telecom Group Ltd."
"I am honored to lead the Ribbon team during this exciting time in the company's history with the transformational merger with ECI on the near-term horizon. I look forward to bringing my knowledge and expertise to the combined company, working closely with the Ribbon Board and executive management team to create a premier workplace and winning culture for our employees while driving long-term value for our customers and stockholders," said McClelland.
Joining McClelland on the board will be Ewing and Prabhu. Ewing most recently served as executive vice president and CFO of CenturyLink, Inc. Prabhu is a former CTO and president of AT&T Labs. He also served as president and CEO of Tellabs and COO and CEO of Alcatel USA, as well as holding other senior positions at technology companies and financial firms.
"Stewart and Krish have remarkable backgrounds with significant depth of knowledge and we are thrilled to welcome them to our team," Lynch. "Stewart has nearly three decades of financial leadership in the telecommunications sector, and Krish brings a strong technical background with deep industry expertise. We believe their appointments further enhance our board's strength to create long-term value for our stockholders."
For related articles, visit the Business Topic Center.
For more information on high-speed transmission systems and suppliers, visit the Lightwave Buyer’s Guide.
To stay abreast of optical communications technology, subscribe to Lightwave’s Enabling Technologies Newsletter.
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.