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Calix Adds ExecutivesJun 29, 2009 (Close-Up Media via COMTEX) -- Calix, a communications equipment supplier focused solely on access solutions for broadband service delivery, announced that it has expanded its leadership team with the appointment of four new executives to sales, marketing, and business and market development positions. Calix is also expanding its field and corporate operations to enhance its direct customer engagement model to better prepare it for the potential impact the broadband stimulus component of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act will have on its service provider customers. The enhanced Calix field sales structure splits North America into two discrete regions. - Ken Grelck joins Calix as vice president of regional sales for the Eastern U.S. and all of Canada. - Skip Hirvela has been promoted to vice president of regional sales, with responsibility for the Western half of the U.S. - Robert Checketts, the recently named vice president of field marketing, complements this new structure by driving all customer-facing marketing activities. - Calix has also named Todd Ortberg to the new position of senior vice president of business and market development. In this role, Ortberg will handle new strategic business relationships as well as explore emerging market opportunities for the company. The new Calix executives will focus on cultivating customer, prospect, and partner relationships during this market opportunity, working with service providers to strategically evolve their networks and business models to best position themselves for the future. "Challenging economic times present opportunities for customers and vendors alike," said Carl Russo, president and CEO of Calix. "We have chosen to position ourselves for continued growth, and this new team of executives brings Calix and its customers the experience and resources required to capitalize on this opportunity." Ken Grelck has 26 years of experience in telecommunications, networking, and services, leading sales organizations of all sizes at Nortel Networks. Most recently, he was vice president of North American Sales, managing a 570-person sales team that generated more than $1.3 billion in revenue. Other leadership positions he held at Nortel include vice president of North American sales and vice president of major account sales. During the past six years, Skip Hirvela has held regional sales manager positions at Calix and has been instrumental in introducing new products, penetrating new accounts, and growing the company's market share. He has 20 years of sales and marketing experience in the telecommunications and networking industry, most recently as director of sales at Myrio. Hirvela has also worked at NetworkTwo Communications, DecisionOne, Reltec, and AT&T Global Information Systems. Robert Checketts has gained extensive experience in the past 25 years with successful start-ups and companies in the technology, telecommunications, and networking industry. He joins Calix from Juniper Networks where as director of Americas marketing he supported the full range of Juniper products across all markets. In addition, Checketts has held executive marketing positions at Cisco Systems, Yosemite Technologies, Lucent, Sun Microsystems, and Novell. Todd Ortberg has spent 24 years in the telecommunications industry in a variety of roles. Previously, he was president and CEO of network software technology vendor Alvarri. Prior to Alvarri, Ortberg was managing director of Coral Capital Management, where he led communications investments in dozens of venture backed companies. Ortberg has also held leadership roles at ADC Telecommunications, where he served as vice president and general manager of its Cable Access Systems division and vice president of engineering. Prior to ADC, Ortberg held numerous marketing and engineering management positions with Rockwell International and Texas Instruments, and was an adjunct faculty member at Upper Iowa University, where he taught Business Strategy. ((Comments on this story may be sent to [email protected])) |