Gary B. Smith

Before taking the helm as CEO, Gary was Ciena’s chief operating officer and head of worldwide sales. Previously he headed sales and marketing at Intelsat and held global senior executive roles in several pioneering European communications companies, including Cray Communications, Inc. and Case Communications Group.

Gary currently serves on the Board of Directors at Planet Labs PBC, a leading provider of global, daily satellite imagery and geospatial solutions. He also regularly participates in initiatives with the Center for Corporate Innovation.

Appointed by Barack Obama, Smith served on the President’s National Security Telecommunication Advisory Committee (NSTAC) from 2011 to 2023. He previously served on the Boards of Directors for Commvault and Avaya, and was the Chair of the Wake Forest Center for Entrepreneurship Advisory Council.