Ciena^® Corporation (NYSE: CIEN), a networking systems, services and software company, today announced the appointment of Joe Cumello as Senior Vice President and General Manager of Blue Planet, a division of Ciena. Cumello has served as Ciena’s Senior Vice President, Global Marketing & Communications since September 2020, and previously as Vice President, Global Marketing & Partners. He rejoined the company in 2015 through its acquisition of Cyan, where he served as Chief Marketing Officer and a member of the company’s management team, which introduced Blue Planet to the industry.

In his new role, Cumello continues reporting to President and CEO Gary Smith, and will be responsible for all aspects of driving the next phase of growth for the company’s Blue Planet division.

“Joe possesses a strong software pedigree, coupled with a deep understanding of Ciena’s corporate strategy and market positioning strengths, that will drive our Blue Planet business forward in alignment with market dynamics and customer demand,” said Gary Smith, president and CEO, Ciena.

In the networking industry for more than 30 years, Cumello initially joined Ciena in 2004 through its acquisition of Internet Photonics. Following that, he held executive roles at Sidera Networks and SafeNet. He then joined Cyan in 2013 before rejoining Ciena. He holds a bachelor’s degree from the University of Maryland, College Park.

Rebecca Smith Appointed as Senior Vice President, Global Marketing & Communications

Concurrently, Ciena named Rebecca Smith to succeed Cumello in the role of Senior Vice President, Global Marketing & Communications. Smith is being promoted to her new position after serving since 2017 as Ciena’s Vice President, Global Portfolio and Programs Marketing, leading the company’s product, solution and vertical marketing strategies, driving global campaigns, and overseeing the market and competitive intelligence team.

Joining Ciena’s executive leadership team, Smith assumes global responsibility for articulating Ciena’s value proposition, advancing the company’s brand and thought leadership platforms, and driving engagement across key stakeholder groups, including customers, partners and employees.

With more than 25 years of industry experience, Smith previously held senior customer-facing roles within Amdocs, including Vice President of Sales for its North American Division and Vice President of Product and Solutions Marketing, where she cultivated go-to-market strategies across Amdocs’s portfolio. She holds an MBA and BA in Economics from McMaster University in Hamilton, Ontario.

Gary Smith commented: “Having worked under Joe’s leadership for several years and directly with our go-to-market teams as well as customers around the world, Rebecca is well-suited to continue leading our global marketing strategy to bring innovation to our brand and accelerate our market momentum.”

The leadership appointments of Cumello and Smith are effective January 30, 2023.