Tellium President Retires

OCEANPORT, N.J. -- Tellium, Inc. (NASDAQ: TELM), provider of the world's first in-service intelligent core optical switch, announced that Dick Barcus, Tellium's president and chief operating officer, is retiring. Bill Proetta, who currently holds the position of vice president, product management at Tellium, will succeed Barcus. Barcus joined Tellium in February 1998 as vice president of marketing and product management. He was appointed president and chief operating officer of Tellium in May, 1999. "From the day he joined Tellium, when it was less than a year old, Dick has made great personal sacrifices to help Tellium become the company it is today," said Harry J. Carr, Tellium's chairman and chief executive officer. "Dick has been my partner and friend since I came to Tellium and I will miss him greatly. At the same time, I believe that a true hallmark of great leaders is that they are willing to hire and nurture people who can succeed them. Dick has developed and grown a great team and, in Bill Proetta's case, a great leader. Dick will work with Bill and me during a transition period after which he will re-join his family in Virginia. Tellium employees and investors owe their gratitude to Dick for helping to make Tellium the leader it is today in the optical switching space."Tellium Inc.