AURORA, Ill.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Westell Technologies, Inc. (NASDAQ: WSTL), a leading provider of in-building wireless, intelligent site management, cell site optimization, and outside plant solutions, today announces that Jeannie H. Diefenderfer has been named to Westell’s Board of Directors. Ms. Diefenderfer brings over twenty-eight years of technical and operational experience to Westell’s Board, including ten-plus years in executive leadership positions at Verizon Communications.
“We are extremely pleased to announce Jeannie’s placement on Westell’s Board of Directors,” states Tom Gruenwald, President and Chief Executive Officer, Westell Technologies. “Her extensive work history and overall body of accomplishments is truly impressive. As a Board member, Jeannie will provide critical guidance and unique perspectives into wireless industry trends and strategies. We are truly honored to have her join us as we continue to march forward with a clear and effective strategy for success.”
Ms. Diefenderfer has held a number of senior leadership positions at Verizon, including a 10,000-person global customer care organization for Verizon’s largest enterprise customers. She achieved over $1 billion in synergies for Verizon during the three years she served as the Chief Procurement Officer when she managed a $10 billion-plus purchasing program. In addition, as the Senior Vice President of Global Engineering and Planning, she implemented a network capital program of over $10 billion to expand Verizon’s global backbone network across six continents, as well as its nationally renowned FIOS network.
Ms. Diefenderfer is also an independent director on the Board of MRV Communications, Inc. (NASDAQ: MRVC), a member of the Accenture Network Advisory Council, serves as an Advisor to Vasona Networks and Federated Wireless, and is a Trustee of Tufts University.
From 2007 to 2015, Ms. Diefenderfer served on the Board of the Ms. Foundation for Women, where she served as the Vice Chair of the Board from 2013 to 2014 and Chair of the Governance Committee from 2013 to 2015. From 2001 to 2008, she was a member of the Board of Independent Trustees at Citizens Funds, an SRI mutual fund complex based in Portsmouth, New Hampshire.
Ms. Diefenderfer was also featured in the 1999 Crain's New York Business "40 under 40" as one of 40 young "rising stars" and was a member of the 1999 class of the David Rockefeller Fellows Program. In addition, she received the 1999 Corporate Achievement Award from the Organization of Chinese Americans and the 2001 Star Award from the New York Women's Agenda. A native of Seoul, South Korea, Ms. Diefenderfer immigrated to the US when she was 13 years old. She holds a BS in Chemical Engineering from Tufts University, and an MBA from Babson College.
About Westell
Westell Technologies, Inc., headquartered in Aurora, Illinois, is a leading provider of in-building wireless, intelligent site management, cell site optimization, and outside plant solutions focused on innovation and differentiation at the edge of telecommunication networks, where end users connect. The Company’s comprehensive set of products and solutions enable telecommunication service providers and other network operators to improve network performance and reduce operating expenses. With millions of products successfully deployed worldwide, Westell is a trusted partner for transforming networks into high quality, reliable systems. For more information, please visit www.westell.com.
