Michelle Gardiner

Michelle Gardiner is a seasoned professional in the field of engineering and product introduction with over 13 years of experience at Ciena, where current responsibilities as Director of NPI Equipment Engineering involve leading teams focused on Optical Modem, Photonics, and Components for New Product Introduction Test Equipment Engineering. Michelle's expertise includes support for Contract Manufacturers throughout product life cycles, capacity planning, test station deployment, and automated process optimization. Previous roles at Ciena include Senior Manager positions in Test Equipment Engineering and Process Engineering, where best manufacturing practices were established with Electronic Manufacturing Services partners. Earlier in the career, Michelle served as Project Manager, coordinating design teams and managing vendor interactions. Prior industry experience includes a role at Nortel as OEM Design Prime, backed by a Bachelor of Science degree in Electronics Engineering Technology from DeVry Institute of Technology.