Juniper Networks has found its new CEO.
The company announced today that Shaygan Kheradpir, chief operations and technology officer from Barclays PLC, has been tapped to lead the company on Jan. 1. He replaces current CEO Kevin Johnson, who is retiring. Johnson's tenure had been up and down, but he will remain as a member of the board.
Before joining Barclays in 2011, Kheradpir served as executive vice president and chief information and technology officer at Verizon one of Juniper's largest customers.
Juniper had been searching for a new CEO since Johnson announced his retirement plans in July.
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"The board has conducted a comprehensive search process and we're very excited to name Shaygan Kheradpir as our next chief executive officer," said Scott Kriens, Juniper chairman, in a statement. "Shaygan has a proven track record of successful business operations and technology leadership, with industry knowledge and technical vision from the perspectives of both telecommunications service providers and global enterprises. Most importantly, Shaygan's values and vision for the company align very tightly with our own, building a strong foundation for Juniper's future."
Kheradpir stated: "Juniper Networks delivers innovations that are transforming the way people interact, conduct business, and connect as a global community. I am honored to lead this visionary organization and look forward to working with this group of dedicated and talented professionals to drive the next phase of the company's growth."
Kheradpir was an original member of the management team when Verizon was created, transitioning from a regional telephone company to a broadband, media and global communications service provider. During his tenure, he helped to create and implement the company's newer generation services, such as IP multimedia and FiOS fiber optic broadband and video service.
Juniper is realizing solid demand for its service provider edge and core routers, but its enterprise business is more challenging. Its security business is struggling to stem declining revenue and market share, and it was reportedly up for sale at one time.
In Ethernet switching, Juniper gained share in the second quarter, but it faces stiff competition in both the campus and data center markets. Its QFabric data center fabric got off to a sluggish start, and it's clear that that strategy is being revamped as Juniper unveils new switches like the EX9200 and fabric architectures like Virtual Chassis Fabric and MetaFabric.
Picking a new CEO with a service provider routing background, Juniper's foundational business, had been expected.
Kheradpir holds a bachelor's, master's, and Ph.D. in electrical engineering from Cornell University.
Jim Duffy has been covering technology for over 27 years, 22 at Network World. He also writes The Cisco Connection blog and can be reached on Twitter @Jim_Duffy.
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