Ex-ARRIS chief Bruce McClelland named president, CEO of Ribbon Communications

McClelland was the chief executive at ARRIS at the time of the company’s acquisition by CommScope in April 2019 (see “CommScope closes on ARRIS buy”). He also was at the helm of ARRIS when it purchased Ruckus Wireless from Broadcom in 2017 (see "ARRIS Buying Ruckus Wireless for $800 Million"). McClelland stepped down from his role as COO of the combined CommScope the following August. McClelland also spent 11 years at Nortel Networks and Bell Northern Research.

"The Board is excited to appoint Bruce as the new president and CEO of Ribbon,” stated Richard Lynch, chairman of Ribbon’s board of directors. “He is a technical business leader with a proven history of developing and growing sustainable, diversified, and profitable businesses through multiple technology and business cycles. We believe Bruce is the right person to lead Ribbon forward into our next chapter as a combined company with ECI Telecom Group Ltd."

"I am honored to lead the Ribbon team during this exciting time in the company's history with the transformational merger with ECI on the near-term horizon. I look forward to bringing my knowledge and expertise to the combined company, working closely with the Ribbon Board and executive management team to create a premier workplace and winning culture for our employees while driving long-term value for our customers and stockholders," said McClelland.

Joining McClelland on the board will be fellow new additions Stewart Ewing and Krish Prabhu. Ewing most recently served as executive vice president and CFO of CenturyLink, Inc. Prabhu is a former CTO and president of AT&T Labs. He also served as president and CEO of Tellabs and COO and CEO of Alcatel USA, as well as holding other senior positions at technology companies and financial firms.

"Stewart and Krish have remarkable backgrounds with significant depth of knowledge and we are thrilled to welcome them to our team," Lynch. "Stewart has nearly three decades of financial leadership in the telecommunications sector, and Krish brings a strong technical background with deep industry expertise. We believe their appointments further enhance our board's strength to create long-term value for our stockholders."