TORONTO, December 4, 2020 – Optiva Inc. ( “Optiva” or the “Company“) (TSX:OPT), a leader in providing communications service providers (“CSPs”) worldwide with cloud-native revenue management software on the private and public cloud, is pleased to announce the appointment of John Giere as President and Chief Executive Officer of the Company. He will also be appointed to the board of directors of Optiva. Giere has served with leading global vendors, including Openwave Mobility, Alcatel-Lucent and Ericsson. He has more than 25 years of telecommunications industry leadership, building customer relationships and delivering innovative products to the market.
“John has a proven track record as a CEO leading and building successful global telecom software businesses. The board is confident his expertise will propel Optiva’s team and its cloud-native BSS product roadmap,” said Robert Stabile, Chairman of the Board of Optiva. “John is a highly respected industry leader who shares Optiva’s commitment to customer success and will guide Optiva in the next phase of focusing our cloud-native products to address emerging 5G market opportunities that encompass new SaaS business models supporting a rapidly expanding monetization ecosystem.”
“I look forward to leading Optiva’s outstanding team to drive a compelling company vision aligned with a market leader strategy and vibrant company culture. My achievements are the result of building talented teams who work with agility, innovation and a full focus on partnering with our customers to achieve success,” said Giere. “That is how Optiva will dominate the cloud-native BSS category and drive profitable growth.”
Prior to joining Optiva, Giere served as Chief Executive Officer of Openwave Mobility and General Manager of the mobility business unit for Openwave Systems. He also served as Chief Marketing Officer for Alcatel-Lucent and Lucent Technologies and held vice president roles in sales, marketing and business development at Ericsson. Giere holds an MBA from the University of Maryland and a BS degree from Georgetown University.
About Optiva Inc.:
Optiva Inc. is a leading provider of cloud-native revenue management software for the telecommunications industry. Its products are delivered on private and public cloud and in various as-a-service models. The company’s revenue management, monetization and engagement solutions help telcos worldwide in different lines of business to achieve their goals. Optiva brings years of telecom expertise to its portfolio, worldwide delivery experience and unique cloud journey, offering telcos unmatched speed, scale, flexibility and savings. Optiva helps operators unlock their potential to maximize digital, 5G and IoT market opportunities. Established in 1999, Optiva Inc. is on the Toronto Stock Exchange (TSX: OPT). For more information, visit www.optiva.wpengine.com.
Caution Concerning Forward-Looking Statements
This press release contains forward-looking statements and forward-looking information within the meaning of applicable securities laws. Often, but not always, forward-looking statements can be identified by the use of words such as “plans”, “expects”, or “does not expect”, “is expected”, “budget”, “scheduled”, “estimates”, “forecasts”, “intends”, “anticipates” or “does not anticipate”, or “believes”, or describes a “goal”, or variation of such words and phrases or state that certain actions, events or results “may”, “could”, “would”, “might” or “will” be taken, occur or be achieved. These statements are forward looking and are based on the Company’s expectations as of the date of this press release. There is no assurance that any forward-looking statements will materialize. Risks that could cause our results to differ materially from our current expectations include the risks regarding the Company’s business discussed in the Company’s most recent annual information form, which is available on SEDAR at www.sedar.com and on Optiva’s website at www.optiva.wpengine.com/investors/. The Company disclaims any intention or obligation to update any forward-looking statements, except as required by law, even if new information becomes available, as a result of future events or for any other reason.
For additional information, please contact:
Media Inquiries:
Misann Ellmaker
Investor Relations:
Ali Mahdavi
Accomplished Telecom Veteran John Giere to Lead Optiva as President and Chief Executive Officer