The broadband and optical industry witnessed shifts in management ranks, with atNorth, LiveOak, Linxa Ribbon Communications and LiveOak and Linxa naming new leaders.
atNorth names Jeff Kjeldsen as Denmark's operations director
atNorth, a Nordic colocation, high-performance computing, and artificial intelligence service provider, has tapped Jeff Kjeldsen to be Operations Director for Denmark - a vital role following the recent announcement of atNorth's second data center in Denmark and largest site to date--DEN02. Having previously worked for Meta and Amazon Web Services (AWS), Jeff has a wealth of technical experience in the data center industry. His expertise in waste heat recovery systems, automation technology, and large-scale infrastructure operations, as well as his commitment to team empowerment, make him ideally suited to the role. He will deliver operational excellence across North's Danish sites, ensuring the facilities meet client requirements and stringent industry standards. The business has a growing presence in Denmark, with its DEN01 site due for completion in the second quarter of 2025 and the recently announced mega site, DEN02.
Simon Dodsworth Joins Linxa as CEO to drive growth
Telecom industry veteran Simon Dodsworth takes the helm at Linxa as CEO, aiming to strengthen the company's position as a partner for voice and messaging operators and carriers worldwide. He is coming to Linxa from Arelion, where he played a pivotal role in transforming global voice and messaging services, positioning the company as a top-tier telecom solutions provider. In his new role, Simon is committed to building on Linxa's strong foundation and driving forward with a vision to strengthen Linxa's position as the partner of choice for voice and messaging operators and carriers worldwide.
Rob Hughart takes the CEO reins at Trueline Infrastructure Solutions
Trueline Infrastructure Solutions, a construction company serving the telecom and utility industry segments, has named Rob Hughart as CEO. Hughart previously served as the Interim CEO of Young's Communications, Atlantic Engineering, and Fiber Optic Services, the three companies backed by Grain Management that formed Trueline in September 2024. Hughart joined the business in July 2023 as Chief Operating Officer following a nationwide recruitment search. As COO, Hughart oversaw several business units, including Engineering & Construction Operations, Business Development, Project Controls, Digital Transformation, Support Services, and Marketing. He also led the integration and transformation of the three predecessor companies to form Trueline Infrastructure Solutions. Before joining Trueline, Hughart held leadership positions at Tilson Technology, KGPCo, Frontier Communications, Verizon, and Bell Atlantic.
Ribbon Communications appoints John Townsend as CFO
Ribbon Communications has named John Townsend executive vice president and chief financial officer. Townsend will succeed Ribbon’s current CFO, Miguel Lopez, who announced his retirement in August. Townsend has a lengthy history within the industry, most recently serving as the CFO of Digicel. Before this, Townsend spent almost two decades at Vodafone and then nine years at Verizon Communications.
Shane Schilling becomes LiveOak Fiber’s CEO following the founder’s passing
LiveOak Fiber’s COO, Shane Schilling, has become the company’s acting CEO after the passing of the company’s co-founder, Jody Craft. Schilling joined LiveOak Fiber in April of 2023. He has held several Chief Technology Officer roles and gained experience leading core networking, all back-office systems, Corporate IT, Cyber Security, Fiber Construction, and Service Delivery. He has been serving as LiveOak Fiber’s Chief Operating Officer. Schilling holds a bachelor’s degree in software development and is a certified full-stack developer from the University of Texas. He’s completed the Thayer Executive Leadership Program at West Point and the Executive Management Program at the MIT Sloan School of Business.
If you have an executive at your company who has joined or been promoted to a new position, contact Sean Buckley, Editor in Chief of Lightwave+BTR, at [email protected].
