Leaders to Reveal the Next Generation in Optical Networking and Communications at the 2020 OIDA Executive Forum

The Premier Annual Event Enables Industry Peers to Connect and Exchange Ideas and Solutions

WASHINGTON--(BUSINESS WIRE)--The Optical Society (OSA), co-locating with Optical Fiber Communication Conference and Exhibition (OFC), will hold the annual OIDA Executive Forum on 9 March 2020 at the Hilton San Diego Bayfront Hotel, U.S.A.

More than 200 senior-level executives will attend this event to discuss recent technology advancements, opportunities and challenges facing the next generation in optical networking and communications.

“The Executive Forum on Monday of OFC is the place where you can pick up the latest trends on optical systems and components as well as major market changes or disruptions,” says Eve Griliches, product marketing manager, Cisco. “It sets the pace for the entire week of OFC.”

The 2020 program will feature a keynote presentation by Elizabeth Rivera Hartling, Subsea Optical Network Architect, Facebook, U.S.A., on “The Growing Facebook Network: Connecting the Planet.”

Other highlights will include panel discussions, a special “Fireside Chat” discussion and various networking events that will enable executives in the optical networking and communications business to connect with industry peers who are implementing solutions and addressing issues much like their own.

What: OIDA Executive Forum

When: Monday, 9 March 2020, 7:30 a.m. to 7:00 p.m. (PDT)

Where: Hilton San Diego Bayfront Hotel – Indigo Ballroom, San Diego, California, USA

In addition to the keynote speaker, attendees will also hear from industry leaders in the following panel presentations:

• Will Open Optical Networking Change the Service Provider Landscape? The panel will include Stephen Hardy (Moderator), Lightwave; Mattias Fridström, Telia; Ron Johnson, Cisco; Beck Mason, Lumentum; and Hans-Juergen Schmidtke, Facebook.
• Network Automation: When Do We Get There? The panel will include Heidi Adams (Moderator), IHS Markit; Kailem Anderson, Blue Planet/Ciena; Hua-Jang Han, Verizon; Kartik Sethuraman, NEC Corporation of America; and Anees Shaikh, Google.
• The Next Big Things – AI, Cloud Gaming, and AR/VR. The panel will include Jörg-Peter Elbers (Moderator), ADVA; Martin Capurro, Comcast; Jason Hoffman, Mobile Edge X; Dhiraj Mallick, Cerebras Systems; and Ed Tiedemann, Qualcomm.
• What is Going on at the Edge? The panel will include Shamim Akhtar (Moderator), Apple; Cole Crawford, Vapor IO; Seungjoo Hong, SK Telecom; Greg Pattine, Edge Micro; and Glenn Wellbrock, Verizon.

This year’s Fireside Chat: The View from the Top, will be moderated by Natarajan Subrahmanyan, AO Asset Management. It will feature Alexis Bjorlin, Broadcom; Bill Gartner, Cisco; Xiang Liu, Futurewei Technologies; Alan Lowe, Lumentum; and Chuck Mattera, II-VI Incorporated.

Credentialed members of the media may attend the OIDA Executive Forum by contacting: [e-mail]

View the forum schedule and speaker profiles.

The 2020 OIDA Executive Forum at OFC is sponsored by Cisco, MRSI Systems and Lightwave.

OSA Industry Development Associates (OIDA), operated as a division of The Optical Society (OSA), serves and represents organizations engaged in the business of optics and photonics—from start-ups to Fortune 500s. In support of its member companies, OIDA promotes and protects the business of optics and photonics in driving innovation, creating jobs, and accelerating growth in the U.S. and around the world. OIDA provides exclusive roadmap reports and market data for the industry, serves as the voice of the industry to government and academia, acts as a liaison with several trade associations worldwide and provides a network for the exchange of ideas and information within the optics and photonics community.

About The Optical Society

Founded in 1916, The Optical Society (OSA) is the leading professional organization for scientists, engineers, students and business leaders who fuel discoveries, shape real-life applications and accelerate achievements in the science of light. Through world-renowned publications, meetings and membership initiatives, OSA provides quality research, inspired interactions and dedicated resources for its extensive global network of optics and photonics experts. For more information, visit osa.org.