FREMONT, CA — Avanex Corporation, a pioneer of intelligent photonic solutions that enable next-generation optical networks, today announced that Dr. Giovanni Barbarossa has been appointed by the Board of Directors as President and Chief Executive Officer of the company. Dr. Barbarossa has served as Interim Chief Executive Officer of Avanex since July 2008. Dr. Barbarossa also was named a member of the Avanex Board of Directors.

Avanex Board Chairman Paul Smith said that Barbarossa's knowledge of the company and industry, his strong relationships with customers, and his performance during his tenure as Interim Chief Executive Officer were key factors in the board's decision.

"During his tenure as Interim Chief Executive Officer, Dr. Barbarossa has begun executing on key initiatives aimed at improving financial performance, including reducing the company's cost structure and expediting time-to-market on key product platforms," Mr. Smith said. "Giovanni has secured the confidence of the board, our customers, and employees, and we believe that he is the right person to lead Avanex during these challenging times."

Dr. Barbarossa commented, "Avanex has significant opportunities due to its innovative operating model, which combines a low fixed-cost structure with industry-leading technology. We are investing in new development efforts to expand our product portfolio and engaging with Tier-1 customers for their next generation photonic solution needs."

Dr. Barbarossa, 47, has more than 15 years of experience in the optical networking industry, including 8 years with Avanex in a variety of technical and operational roles. Prior to his appointment as Chief Executive Officer, Dr. Barbarossa served as Chief Technical Officer and Senior Vice President. Dr. Barbarossa joined Avanex in 2000 and previously held senior management roles in the Optical Networking Division of Agilent Technologies and in the Network Product Group of Lucent Technologies. He was previously a Member of Technical Staff at AT&T Bell Labs and a research associate at BT Labs. Dr. Barbarossa received his Ph.D. degree in Electronics Engineering from the University of Glasgow, U.K. and a B.S. degree in Electrical Engineering from the University of Bari, Italy.

Source: Avanex Corporation