ATX Networks, a global specialist in broadband access and media distribution platforms, announced that its board of directors has selected Dan Whalen, a cable-industry veteran and most recently chief product officer at ADTRAN, as president and chief executive officer, effective immediately. Whalen has also joined the ATX board of directors.
Whalen brings more than 20 years of senior management experience in the broadband and content industry to his new role at ATX. His work history includes a variety of leadership roles and stretches across multiple technology disciplines.
“Dan is the ideal choice to lead ATX through its next phase of growth,” said Camilo E. Horvilleur, board member of ATX Networks and managing director at H.I.G. Capital. “A stellar record of achievement that spans sales, product and operational roles with some of the most prestigious technology firms in the world is the right resume for taking ATX to the next level.” Ryan Kaplan, board member of ATX Networks and managing director of H.I.G. Capital added, “The broadband access and content distribution industry is evolving at an accelerated pace and Dan possesses the vision and versatility to help our customers expand and excel in an era of unprecedented disruption.”
Whalen joins ATX at a pivotal point in the company’s 35-year history. As stated by the company:
Today, nearly every cable operator relies on ATX’s RF management equipment to deliver video and broadband services. But as the HFC network evolves toward a distributed architecture, ATX has increasingly focused its RF core competencies on the outside plant. Those efforts resulted in the 2019 introduction of its GigaXtend Next-Gen Outside Plant portfolio, anchored by the industry’s only authorized GainMaker-compatible family of amplifiers and hardline passives capable of supporting future frequencies of 3GHz or higher.
ATX is also looking to expand the global footprint of its commercial services gateways, used by the world’s largest Pay-TV providers to deliver premium video services into millions of hotel rooms and other non-residential venues around the globe. In October, ATX unveiled major enhancements to the Visium MD Media Gateway portfolio to make it easier than ever for service providers to increase the reach and revenue of their commercial services offerings.
“ATX possesses one of the most respected pedigrees in access networking and media distribution, with the world’s leading communications service providers relying on ATX innovations to run both their residential and commercial businesses,” said Whalen. “I’m excited by the opportunity to build on that legacy, intensify our customer focus and make our solutions even more relevant to the future success of the global broadband community.”
Prior to joining ADTRAN, Whalen held a variety of leadership positions at ARRIS, acquired by CommScope in 2019, including Senior Vice President of Sales, Senior Vice President and General Manager of Global Services, and, most recently, President, Network & Cloud. Whalen’s work history also includes key positions at Cisco Systems, Comdisco, KPMG and Bell Atlantic.
Whalen will be leading ATX’s overall strategic vision, strategy and execution globally. Extending ATX’s leadership in commercial services gateways, RF and HFC, diversifying its solution portfolio and expanding its global business are among his early objectives.
“ATX has a reputation for nimbleness in responding to current and emerging customer requirements,” added Whalen. “Broadband connectivity and video content delivery are increasingly essential components of our daily lives, and communications service providers will need to be more flexible and industrious than ever to meet future customer demands. ATX is committed to helping service providers meet those challenges and grow their businesses through agile and timely innovation.”
Whalen holds a Bachelor of Engineering degree from Stevens Institute of Technology.