CIENA Appoints Gary B. Smith Chief Operating Officer.LINTHICUM, Md.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Aug. 25, 1999-- CIENA Corporation Ciena Corporation NASDAQ: CIEN develops and markets communications network platforms and software, and offers professional services. The Company's broadband access, data and optical networking platforms, software tools, and global network services support worldwide telecom (NASDAQ NASDAQ in full National Association of Securities Dealers Automated Quotations U.S. market for over-the-counter securities. Established in 1971 by the National Association of Securities Dealers (NASD), NASDAQ is an automated quotation system that reports on : CIEN CIEN Ciena Corporation (stock symbol) ) today announced that Gary B. Smith, CIENA's senior vice president, Worldwide Sales, has been appointed to the newly created role of Chief Operating Officer Chief Operating Officer (COO) The officer of a firm responsible for day-to-day management, usually the president or an executive vice-president. , reporting to CIENA President and Chief Executive Officer, Patrick Nettles net·tle n. 1. Any of numerous plants of the genus Urtica, having toothed leaves, unisexual apetalous flowers, and stinging hairs that cause skin irritation on contact. 2. Any of various hairy, stinging, or prickly plants. . In addition to his continuing responsibility for CIENA's Worldwide Sales efforts, in his new role, Smith will oversee the operating aspects of CIENA's Core Switching and Transport Systems divisions, including manufacturing and product development for those divisions. He also assumes responsibility for CIENA services and customer support efforts. As CIENA's President and Chief Executive Officer, Patrick Nettles will maintain direct-report responsibility for the company's strategic marketing, corporate and market development efforts, as well as for its finance, human resources The fancy word for "people." The human resources department within an organization, years ago known as the "personnel department," manages the administrative aspects of the employees. and legal organizations. CIENA's Access Switching Division (ASD ASD abbr. atrial septal defect ASD Atrial septal defect, see there ), led by Mike Champa, will continue to report directly to Nettles. "CIENA's success to date is a result our ability to rapidly turn technology development into manufacturable products that the customer needs," said Patrick Nettles, CIENA's president and chief executive officer. "By assigning Gary operating responsibility for product development and manufacturing within our Core Switching and Transport Systems divisions, we've formalized for·mal·ize tr.v. for·mal·ized, for·mal·iz·ing, for·mal·iz·es 1. To give a definite form or shape to. 2. a. To make formal. b. the critical link between sales, product development and manufacturing - it all starts and ends with the customer." Gary B. Smith has more than 20 years of global experience in senior general management within the telecommunications industry and a successful track record of managing growth in operational disciplines such as customer service, manufacturing and engineering. Smith joined CIENA in November 1997 as Vice President, International Sales and assumed the role of Senior Vice President, Worldwide Sales in September 1998. "Since its inception, CIENA has been able to maintain and cultivate the symbiotic relationship symbiotic relationship (sim´bīot´ik), n in implantology, that relationship assumed by an implant and the natural teeth to which it has been splinted. between the customer and our product development efforts. As CIENA's product and customer base grows and diversifies it's imperative to continuously execute on ever shortening product development and manufacturing cycles," said Smith. "It's my objective in this new role to facilitate rapid time-to-market for new products while maintaining the high quality of products and services that CIENA's customers have come to expect." "We believe CIENA's market position has been bolstered this year by decisive moves to broaden our product and market footprint to improve our competitive advantage," concluded Nettles. "With Gary's focus turned toward our customers and CIENA's current operations, I expect to be able to devote more time to fostering CIENA's longer term development - exploring new market opportunities and new ways to build future value for CIENA's shareholders." NOTE TO INVESTORS Forward-looking statements in this release are based on information available to the Company as of the date hereof. The Company's actual results could differ materially from those stated or implied in such forward-looking statements, due to risks and uncertainties associated with the Company's business, which include the risk factors disclosed in the Company's Form 10-Q Form 10-Q See 10-Q. filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on August 19, 1999. ABOUT CIENA CIENA Corporation's market-leading optical networking systems form the core for the new era of telecommunications networks worldwide. CIENA's LightWorks(TM) architecture changes the fundamental economics of service-provider networks by simplifying the network and reducing the cost to operate it. Additional information about CIENA can be found at http://www.ciena.com. |
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