LightRiver, the premier provider of next-generation network automation and productivity solutions, has expanded its Board of Directors with the appointment of Steve Smith, a seasoned telecommunications finance executive with more than 30 years of industry experience.

Smith most recently served as Senior Vice President of Corporate Finance for Verizon, where he oversaw enterprise-wide financial planning and wireless business development, including mergers and acquisitions. His leadership at Verizon spanned roles in finance, operations, sales, and global strategy — experience that will prove invaluable as LightRiver continues to scale its multi-vendor automation, orchestration, and network optimization portfolio.

“Steve’s understanding of the network and capital efficiency challenges that exist in Tier 1 multi-generation, multi-vendor operations, and the benefits of solving for them, are a perfect complement to our software-enabled services portfolio,” said Mike Jonas, CEO at LightRiver. “His guidance in prioritizing the most impactful use cases will be an intelligent transformation game changer for LightRiver and our clients.”

As a CFA charterholder with both engineering and business backgrounds, Smith joins LightRiver’s leadership and Grain Management ecosystem at a pivotal moment in the industry, when service providers are seeking smarter, faster paths to network automation, openness and efficiency.

“There is a tremendous opportunity for service providers to unlock value by simplifying their network infrastructure and operations,” added Smith. “I’m delighted to join the LightRiver Board and help LightRiver realize this opportunity.”

With this appointment, LightRiver reinforces its mission to deliver the next generation of open, disaggregated, and automated network solutions, helping service providers make complex networking simple.

Read the full press release here and connect with LightRiver today to learn how LightRiver’s network design and deployment solutions translate into client success.