Harmonic Inc.'s Board of Directors has appointed Dr. Patrick Harshman president and CEO, effective immediately. Harshman succeeds Anthony Ley who has led Harmonic's growth and development for 18 years. Ley is retiring from his position, but will continue as the "non-executive" Chairman of the Board of Directors, according to the company. Harshman will also serve on the Board.
"The Board's extensive search confirmed my belief that Patrick is an outstanding leader with the right mixture of technical talent, business acumen and strategic vision to lead Harmonic successfully into the future," said Ley.
Harshman, 41, joined the company in 1993 and has held key leadership positions in marketing, international sales, and research and development. In December 2005, he was appointed executive vice president responsible for the majority of the company's operational functions. Prior to the consolidation of the company's product divisions, Harshman held the position of president of the Convergent Systems division and, for more than four years, was president of the Broadband Access Networks division. Harshman earned a Ph.D. in Electrical Engineering from the University of California, Berkeley, and completed an Executive Management Program at Stanford University.
"... I look forward to taking on the role of President and CEO of Harmonic and aim to expand our leadership position in the ever evolving world of video, data and voice delivery in both fixed and mobile environments," said Harshman.
Ley, 67, joined Harmonic in 1988 as president and CEO. He was elected chairman of the Board of Directors in 1995. During his tenure, Ley led Harmonic from a venture-backed startup to a publicly traded, multinational company providing digital video, broadband optical networking and IP delivery systems.
