Gary Smith
Events
Gary Smith
Ciena, President & CEO
About the Speaker
Gary B. Smith, President and CEO of Ciena since 2001, is one of the longest serving public company chief executives in the technology sector. At Ciena, he has delivered a strong track record of business performance by building a people-first culture that is focused on developing market-leading innovation. He has led the company's transformation from a niche optical technology provider to a global leader in network solutions.
Prior to Ciena, he was responsible for the privatization of Intelsat, and held global roles in pioneering European companies, including Cray Communications and Case Communications Group.
Smith served on the National Security Telecommunications Advisory Committee (NSTAC) from 2011 to 2023. He also served as lead outside Director and Chair of the Governance and Nominations Committee of Commvault, and was the first independent appointed director for Avaya.
Smith is a citizen of both the U.S. and UK. He earned an MBA from Ashridge Management College in the UK. Smith is also an award-winning photographer and a lifelong member of the Royal Photographic Society. He published his first book, PATHWAYS, in 2023.
