Rothenstein appointment is a promotion, having served as Ciena’s senior vice president, general counsel and corporate secretary since November 2008, and as acting chief strategy officer since March 2022.
Reporting to president and CEO Gary Smith, Rothenstein will lead Ciena’s strategic planning and implementation processes, and growth through things such as mergers and acquisitions, strategic alliances and partnerships, and venture capital investments.
He will also lead the development of emerging solutions in support of existing businesses or enter new markets. In addition, he will continue to lead the company’s sustainability and enterprise risk management programs as well as the corporate real estate function.
“David is a seasoned strategist with deep industry and institutional experience, having played a critical role in Ciena’s success for more than two decades, including the design and implementation of many of Ciena’s transformative growth opportunities,” said Smith.
“As chief strategy officer, he will further contribute to our continued growth through the reinforcement of our market leadership and the expansion of our addressable market and share.”
At the same time, the company also confirmed that Sheela Kosaraju (pictured above) has been appointed as senior vice president and general counsel.
Kosaraju joined Ciena in 2010 and has served as vice president, deputy general counsel and head of international legal since August 2020, and previously as vice president and associate general counsel.
Also reporting to Smith and joining Ciena’s executive leadership team, Kosaraju is responsible for managing all of Ciena’s global legal matters as well as for the company’s compliance and ethics program and government affairs.
“In her new role, Sheela will bring critical global perspectives to our executive leadership team, reflecting her proven track record at the company over many years as a leader on the legal team, particularly with respect to international business strategy,” said Smith.
