Juniper Networks Names New CEO

Juniper Networks has appointed a former technology executive from Barclays as its new boss.

The networking vendor announced the appointment of Shaygan Kheradpir 13 November, with the board of directors praising his business and technology acumen.

Track Record

“Shaygan has a proven track record of successful business operations and technology leadership, with industry knowledge and technical vision from the perspectives of both telecommunications service providers and global enterprises,” Scott Kriens, chairman, said in a statement. “Most importantly, Shaygan’s values and vision for the company align very tightly with our own, building a strong foundation for Juniper’s future.”

Kheradpir spent two years at Barclays, serving as chief operations and technology officer. He also was a member of the firm’s executive committee. Before his time with Barclays, he was executive vice president and chief information and technology officer at Verizon Communications, spending a decade with the telecommunications vendor.

“Juniper Networks delivers innovations that are transforming the way people interact, conduct business, and connect as a global community,” he said in a statement. “I am honoured to lead this visionary organisation and look forward to working with this group of dedicated and talented professionals to drive the next phase of the company’s growth.”

Kevin Johnson on 23 July announced his intention to retire, making his statement the same day that he and other executives released strong second-quarter financial numbers. He said he wants to spend more time with his family. The company’s board at the time noted that Juniper’s business had grown 50 percent during Johnson’s tenure.

Officials 22 October announced that in the third quarter, the company grew revenues 6 percent – to $1.18 billion (£736m) – from the same period in 2012 and that it earned $99 million (£62m). Juniper forecast revenues between $1.2 billion (£749m) and $1.23 billion (£767m) for the current quarter.

SDN Push

Juniper, like such competitors as Cisco Systems and Hewlett-Packard, is working to build out its software-defined networking (SDN) strategy while protecting its profitable physical switch and routing business.

The company 29 October launched its new MetaFabric networking architecture that, among other things, makes it easier for organisations to move applications and data not only within the data centre but also between data centres, an important capability for cloud service providers and businesses that operate more than one data centre.

MetaFabric essentially combines Juniper’s QFabric with its switches – both the QFX line and the EX family – MX routers, SRX security solutions and Contrail SDN controller.

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Originally published on eWeek.