Former Cisco vice president joins Avaya

Kennedy was previously the CEO of JDS Uniphase Corporation and replaces Charles Giancarlo, who is now chairman of Avaya’s board of directors.

“Avaya has a proven record of enabling enterprises to gain a marketplace advantage through the strategic use of communications,” said Kennedy.

“I look forward to leading our employees and working with our business partners to deliver the communications capabilities enterprises rely on to grow revenue, strengthen their ties to customers and enhance employee productivity.”

His former roles include chief operating officer Openwave Systems and eight years at Cisco Systems, most recently as senior vice president of the Service Provider Line of Business and Software Technologies Division.

Kennedy also spent 17 years with AT&T Bell Laboratories.

He is a member of the board of directors of KLA-Tencor Corporation and JDS Uniphase Corporation and a member of the Board of Regents of Loyola Marymount University.

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