Sumitomo Hires CEO, Prez/COO

RESEARCH TRIANGLE PARK, N.C. -- Sumitomo Electric Lightwave Corp., a leading manufacturer of optic fiber cable, related optical products, and fiber-to-the-premise solutions announced today the appointments of Hiroaki Horima as Chief Executive Officer (CEO) and Fred McDuffee, President and Chief Operating Officer (COO).

The Board of Directors at Sumitomo Electric Industries, Ltd. (SEI), parent company of Sumitomo Electric Lightwave, appointed Horima as CEO after having considered his record of outstanding leadership as the company's former president from 1994 to 2000. His contribution to the telecommunications industry as a board member of the International Wire and Cable Symposium (IWCS) was also recognized. Since 2000, Horima has served on SEI's board of directors and as General Manager of its Fiber Optics division, leading the introduction of new Sumitomo technologies and access network innovations.

McDuffee was named the first non-Japanese president and COO in the U.S. to head a Sumitomo Electric manufacturing subsidiary. He also will serve on Sumitomo Electric Lightwave's Board of Directors. As senior vice president for Sumitomo Electric Lightwave for the past six years, McDuffee oversaw the manufacturing, product engineering, and marketing groups for the company's Research Triangle Park and Whiteville, North Carolina facilities. Since joining the company in 1985, he has been instrumental in the establishment, advancement, and continuous growth of Sumitomo Electric Lightwave in the North American telecom and datacom markets. McDuffee currently serves on the board of directors of the Telecommunications Industry Association (TIA).

Sumitomo Electric Lightwave