UNITED STATES

SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION

WASHINGTON, D.C. 20549

 

 

FORM 8-K

 

CURRENT REPORT

Pursuant to Section 13 or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934

 

November 13, 2019

Date of Report (Date of earliest event reported)

 

 

RIBBON COMMUNICATIONS INC.

(Exact Name of Registrant as Specified in its Charter)

 

 

4 TECHNOLOGY PARK DRIVE, WESTFORD, MASSACHUSETTS 01886

(Address of Principal Executive Offices) (Zip Code)

 

(978) 614-8100

(Registrant’s telephone number, including area code)

 

N/A

(Former Name or Former Address, if Changed Since Last Report)

 

 

Check the appropriate box below if the Form 8-K filing is intended to simultaneously satisfy the filing obligation of the registrant under any of the following provisions (see General Instruction A.2. below):

 

o  Written communications pursuant to Rule 425 under the Securities Act (17 CFR 230.425)

 

o  Soliciting material pursuant to Rule 14a-12 under the Exchange Act (17 CFR 240.14a-12)

 

o  Pre-commencement communications pursuant to Rule 14d-2(b) under the Exchange Act (17 CFR 240.14d-2(b))

 

o  Pre-commencement communications pursuant to Rule 13e-4(c) under the Exchange Act (17 CFR 240.13e-4(c))

 

Securities registered pursuant to Section 12(b) of the Act:

 

 

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant is an emerging growth company as defined in Rule 405 of the Securities Act of 1933 (§230.405 of this chapter) or Rule 12b-2 of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 (§240.12b-2 of this chapter).

 

Emerging growth company  o

 

If an emerging growth company, indicate by check mark if the registrant has elected not to use the extended transition period for complying with any new or revised financial accounting standards provided pursuant to Section 13(a) of the Exchange Act.  o

 

 

 

Item 5.02.                     Departure of Directors or Certain Officers; Election of Directors; Appointment of Certain Officers; Compensatory Arrangements of Certain Officers.

 

As of November 13, 2019, Franklin (Fritz) W. Hobbs is no longer serving as the President and Chief Executive Officer of Ribbon Communications Inc. (the “Company”). On November 13, 2019, the Board of Directors of the Company (the “Board”) appointed Steven Bruny, the Company’s current Executive Vice President, Global Sales & Services, and Kevin Riley, the Company’s current Executive Vice President, Chief Technology Officer and Advanced R&D, to the additional role of Interim Co-Presidents and Chief Executive Officers, to assume the duties of the Company’s President and Chief Executive Officer while the Board searches for a permanent successor to Mr. Hobbs.

 

Mr. Bruny has served as the Company’s Executive Vice President, Global Sales & Services since January 2019. He previously served as the Company’s Executive Vice President, Global Operations from October 2017 to January 2019; as Chief Operating Officer of GENBAND from January 2015 to October 2017; and as Senior Vice President of Major Accounts Sales for GENBAND from July 2012 to January 2015. Prior to joining GENBAND, from July 2005 to March 2012, Mr. Bruny served as Chief Executive Officer of Aztek Networks, Inc., a telecommunications company, which was acquired by GENBAND in 2012. Prior to joining Aztek Networks, Inc., in 1999, Mr. Bruny co-founded Connexn Technologies, Inc., a telecommunications company, which was acquired by Azure Solutions, Ltd., in 2004. Prior to his position at Connexn Technologies, Inc., Mr. Bruny was Founder and CEO of IGS, a telecommunications software supplier, from 1993 to 1998. From 1988 to 1993, Mr. Bruny was also Founder and CEO of Information + Graphics Systems, Inc., a GIS software provider that was acquired by Hitachi Software Engineering in 1993. Mr. Bruny holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Physics from Colorado State University and a Master of Business Administration degree from the University of Colorado.

 

Mr. Riley has served as the Company’s Executive Vice President, Chief Technology Officer and Advanced R&D since October 2017 and was Sonus Networks, Inc.’s (“Sonus”) Senior Vice President, Engineering and Operations and Chief Technology Officer from February 2016 until the merger of Sonus and GENBAND in 2017. Previously, Mr. Riley served as Sonus’ Vice President, Engineering and Chief Technology Officer from July 2014 to January 2016; Vice President of Platform Engineering from October 2012 to July 2014; and a Sonus Fellow from May 2011 to September 2012. Prior to joining Sonus, he was the Software Development Director at Verivue, Inc., a content delivery network software company, from August 2009 to May 2011. Mr. Riley holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Electrical Engineering from the University of Massachusetts, Amherst and a Master of Science degree in Electrical Engineering from Northeastern University.

 

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SIGNATURE

 

Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, the Registrant has duly caused this report to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned hereunto duly authorized.

 

 

Date: November 14, 2019	RIBBON COMMUNICATIONS INC.
	By:	/s/ Daryl E. Raiford
		Name: Daryl E. Raiford
		Title: Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer

 

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