SAN JOSE, Calif. -- New Focus, Inc., (Nasdaq: NUFO - news), a leading supplier of innovative products serving the telecommunications, test and measurement, and photonics tools markets, today announced that Nicola Pignati has been promoted to president and chief executive officer and will join the company's board of directors following the company's annual meeting of stockholders scheduled for May 29, 2002. The company also announced that R. Clark Harris would remain in an active role as its chairman of the board and chief strategy officer. Mr. Pignati joined New Focus in April 2000 as chief operating officer and was recently promoted to executive vice president, chief operating officer in December 2001. Prior to joining the company, Mr. Pignati co-founded MMC Technology, Incorporated, a supplier of thin-film media to the disk drive industry, in April 1996 and served as president and chief executive officer from its inception. MMC Technology is now a subsidiary of Maxtor Corporation. "We congratulate Nic on his well deserved promotion and are confident in his abilities to direct the restructuring activities that the company has undertaken. As an experienced veteran of the highly competitive disk drive industry, Nic understands how to run a lean and highly efficient organization. He also has valuable experience as an entrepreneur and as an executive team member in larger organizations. Nic's experience base will help New Focus to further its operational objectives in light of its near-term revenue prospects while also focusing on growth opportunities, both organically and through acquisitions," said Harris, chairman and chief strategy officer of New Focus, Inc. New Focus Inc.