Optical networking provider LightRiver has appointed Jim Brinksma as SVP of software solutions, a move the company claims will further scale its services and “magnify the impact of its platform in the industry.”
Founded in 1998, LightRiver helps customers design and deploy fiber transport networks using gear from vendors like Ciena, Cisco, Infinera and Nokia. Its clients include telecom operators, utilities, data centers and cloud companies. In 2022, LightRiver was acquired by private equity firm Grain Management.
In his role, Brinksma will be tasked with expanding LightRiver’s portfolio globally, while focusing on software automation and network monitoring as well as making fiber networks more efficient for operators. He will be based out of the company’s software development center in Holmdel, New Jersey.
Prior to joining LightRiver, Brinksma was CTO at Megaport, an IT service management company. He also worked at Ciena as VP of sales engineering and customer operations and as VP of strategy and business development at Ciena BluePlanet.
“Jim's appointment comes at a crucial time as we expand the delivery of cutting-edge, next-generation optical networking technologies, software-defined networks, and automated wavelength monitoring services,” stated LightRiver CEO Mike Jonas.
Jonas was named LightRiver CEO in August 2023, after serving as the company’s president of customer operations for over 10 years.
“[Brinksma’s] extensive experience in corporate and software development, combined with his visionary approach, aligns perfectly with our efforts to revolutionize network infrastructures and operations for our clients,” he added.
LightRiver in October entered a partnership with Douglas Fast Net to upgrade the latter’s regional backbone. Specifically, LightRiver will help design a new dense wavelength-division multiplexing (DWDM) network that would support 400G coherent optics.
“I look forward to leveraging my experience to drive innovation and growth across LightRiver's software automation and productivity solutions,” Brinksma commented.