TMCnet News
Tekelec Names Frank Plastina CEOMORRISVILLE, N.C. --(Business Wire)-- Jan. 23, 2006 -- Tekelec (NASDAQ: TKLC), a leading developer of telecommunications products for fixed, mobile and packet networks, today announced the appointment of Frank Plastina as chief executive officer, president and a member of the board of directors. He will join Tekelec on Feb. 6, 2006. Plastina brings a wealth of experience, global customer relationships and leadership to his new position. "Tekelec's board of directors made a conscious decision to spend whatever time it took to find the person we felt was best qualified to lead the company forward," said Jean-Claude Asscher, chairman of the board. "We think that we have done just that and feel very fortunate to be able to bring Frank's talents to Tekelec." For much of his career, Plastina served in senior executive and management positions at Nortel Networks. In 1997, he was appointed general manager of Nortel's DMS-10 and Signaling Solutions Group. In a series of senior positions during the next four years, he led the successful development and marketing of Nortel's portfolio of voice over Internet protocol (VoIP) and other convergence products designed to move customer networks from circuit to packet-switched next-generation networking. Between 1999 and 2001, he had profit and loss responsibility for Nortel's Wireless and Carrier business, a global organization with $7.8 billion in revenue and 20,000 employees. In 2001, he was named president of Nortel's Metro and Enterprise Networks, with $6 billion in revenue and 18,000 employees. In those roles, Plastina oversaw major business relationships with Tier 1 carriers and service providers around the world. In 2003, Plastina joined Warburg Pincus LLC, a private equity firm, as an executive in residence, evaluating potential investments and providing executive support to its portfolio companies. Later that year, he became CEO of one of those companies, Proxim Corporation, a provider of Wi-Fi and broadband wireless access products. He served in that capacity until 2005 when its assets were sold. He returned to Warburg Pincus as an executive in residence. "Tekelec has a tremendous reputation within the industry--one that I learned was fully earned when I visited customers as a competitor," said Plastina. "Its technological innovation, commitment to quality and customer focus resonate very strongly with me. "Tekelec has assembled an impressive set of assets during the last few years of rapid growth," added Plastina. "I'm eager to work with the tremendously talented Tekelec team. The combination of signaling leadership, next-gen switching capabilities and software innovation provides a unique and powerful basis for Tekelec's solutions leadership in the world of multi-media networking. I look forward to maximizing the value of that portfolio for the benefit of customers and shareholders alike." Plastina lives in Cary, NC. About Tekelec Tekelec is a leading developer of now and next-generation signaling and switching telecommunications solutions, business intelligence tools and value-added applications. Tekelec's innovative solutions are widely deployed in traditional and next-generation wireline and wireless networks and contact centers worldwide. Corporate headquarters are located in Morrisville, N.C., with research and development facilities and sales offices throughout the world. For more information, please visit www.tekelec.com. |
