Ribbon Appoints Sam Bucci as EVP & GM, Packet Optical Networks

Ribbon Communications Inc., a global provider of real time communications software and packet and optical transport solutions to service providers, enterprises, and critical infrastructure sectors, has appointed Sam Bucci as Executive Vice President & General Manager, Packet Optical Networks, a newly created position following Ribbon's acquisition of ECI Telecom earlier this year.

"I am very excited to welcome Sam to the Ribbon leadership team," said Bruce McClelland, Ribbon Communications Chief Executive Officer. "He is a perfect fit to help us execute on both our short-term and long-term strategy of establishing Ribbon as a force in the global data communications industry. Sam is a thoughtful technology and business leader who has successfully built and executed multi-year strategies focused on taking advantage of technical and commercial discontinuities to deliver differentiated offerings and gain market share in a complex, competitive operating environment. His outstanding reputation and impressive track record will be a significant addition to the Ribbon leadership team."

McClelland added, "Sam's experience and leadership guiding optical product development teams over the last 15 years will be a great asset for Ribbon as we continue supporting our customers in building out their networks to meet the explosive demand for bandwidth anticipated by the deployment of next generation 5G technology."

Bucci has 30 years of experience in the communications sector and most recently lead the optical business unit for Nokia, managing a multi-billion-dollar business unit and leading a global team. Prior to his tenure at Nokia and Alcatel-Lucent, Bucci spent several years at Nortel Networks' optical business unit in various senior product management, sales and business development roles. He received a Bachelor of Engineering degree with distinction from McGill University in Canada.

"I am thrilled to join Ribbon during this exciting period for the packet optical market," said Bucci. "Ribbon's recent acquisition of ECI Telecom, combined with the renewed energy and great leadership Bruce is providing, creates a clear path for Ribbon to be a disruptive force in the market. I am excited to be a part of these efforts and look forward to supporting the strategy."