AUSTIN, Texas, Jan. 2, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Aviat Networks,
Inc. (NASDAQ: AVNW), the leading expert in wireless transport
solutions, today announced the appointment of Peter Smith as President and Chief Executive
Officer. Mr. Smith's employment with the Company is effective as of
today and concludes an extensive search process undertaken by the
Board of Directors. Stan Gallagher,
who took on the additional role as Interim Chief Executive Officer
in September 2019, will remain with
the Company, serving as Chief Operating Officer and Principal
Financial Officer.
John Mutch, chairman of the board
of directors of Aviat Networks stated, "The addition of Pete to our
team is a win for Aviat and all of our stakeholders as he comes to
us with a proven track record of creating value. He brings vast
operational, business development and M&A experience, which the
board believes is highly complementary, and will blend very well
with the talent we have assembled. This is critical as we are
moving into an expected period of growth and improved
profitability, while concurrently looking at all avenues that will
drive a new cycle of value creation."
Mr. Smith brings more than 25 years of leadership experience in
business management, having most recently served as Senior Vice
President, US Windows and Canada
for Jeld-Wen (NYSE: JELD), one of the world's largest door and
window manufacturers. In this role, he had full profit and loss
responsibility for Jeld-Wen's $1B+ windows business and helped
deliver growth and improved profitability through the
implementation of lean manufacturing principles and strategic
growth programs. Prior to Jeld-Wen, he served as President of
Polypore International's Transportation and Industrial segment,
where he implemented a strategy for growth in a stagnant business
and helped prepare the former public company for sale to the Asahi
Kasei Group. Previously, he served as Chief Executive Officer and a
director of Voltaix Inc., a specialty chemicals manufacturer and
supplier to the semiconductor industry, until its sale to Air
Liquide.
Earlier in his career, Mr. Smith held a number of executive
leadership positions at Fortune 100 and Fortune 500 companies
including Cooper Industries (wireless business), Dover Knowles
Electronics (semiconductor components business) and Honeywell
Specialty Materials (display business). In these roles, he held
various responsibilities in the areas of operations, sales and
marketing, business development, and mergers and acquisitions. Mr.
Smith also served on the board of Soleras Advanced Coatings, a
specialty materials company from 2015 to 2018. He has a Bachelor of
Science degree in Material (Ceramics) Engineering from Rutgers University, received his PhD in Material
Science and Engineering from Rutgers
University and holds a Master of Business Administration
degree from Arizona State
University.
Mr. Smith added, "I am very excited to join Aviat and truly
looking forward to working with Stan, the leadership team and our
talented employees, as we seek to grow our business and enhance our
competitive position. The Company has a strong brand and the trust
of its customers, innovative and differentiated solutions, and is
entering a phase of anticipated growth. It is my goal to support
the team in its execution of operational excellence programs, while
leveraging my skillsets to enhance our platform further,
potentially expand into new business areas or markets, and
ultimately, lead to a stronger offering for our customers and
greater value for our shareholders."
About Aviat Networks
Aviat Networks, Inc. is the leading expert in wireless transport
solutions and works to provide dependable products, services
and support to its customers. With more than one million systems
sold into 170 countries worldwide, communications service providers
and private network operators including state/local government,
utility, federal government and defense organizations trust Aviat
with their critical applications. Coupled with a long history of
microwave innovations, Aviat provides a comprehensive suite of
localized professional and support services enabling customers to
drastically simplify both their networks and their lives. For more
than 70 years, the experts at Aviat have delivered high performance
products, simplified operations, and the best overall customer
experience. For more information, visit
www.aviatnetworks.com or connect with Aviat Networks on
Twitter, Facebook and LinkedIn.
Media Contact: Gary Croke, Aviat Networks, Inc.,
gary.croke@aviatnet.com
Investor Contact: Glenn Wiener, GW Communications,
gwiener@GWCco.com or 212-786-6011
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SOURCE Aviat Networks, Inc.