Grain Management-Backed LightRiver Announces Appointment of Mike Jonas as CEO
CONCORD, Ca. (August 1, 2023)
LightRiver, the premier optical network integration solution provider for next generation, multi-vendor, Factory Built Networks® and netFLEX® Transport Domain Orchestration and Control Software solutions, announced today its appointment of Mike Jonas as Chief Executive Officer. Jonas steps into the role following the retirement of founder and CEO Glenn Johansen.
With LightRiver since 2003, Mike Jonas has served as President of Customer Operations for over ten years, leading business and technology development. Jonas’ prior experience includes the development and application of software, hardware, and manufacturing technologies to mobile and wireless, and rugged computing platforms for the military, law enforcement and automotive industries in various C-suite positions. Jonas holds a Bachelor of Engineering degree from Stevens Institute of Technology and an MBA.
“First, on behalf of everyone at LightRiver, I want to thank Glenn for his leadership in building an organization committed to integrity, excellence and innovation,” said Jonas. “I am excited to leverage that foundation as we take LightRiver to the next level, accelerating the adoption of open and disaggregated technologies, practical network automation and white glove managed services.”
“For the past 25 years, founding and building LightRiver and leading its employees has been one of the great honors of my life,” said Johansen. “Thanks to their passion and support, as well as that of our partners, we have been able to create a business that provides world class solutions for our customers. Through focus and a deep understanding of their needs, we have helped our clients to evolve with the right next-generation technologies. Mike has been key in building LightRiver’s culture and business for over twenty years, and the Company could not be in better hands in pursuit of that next level of growth and success.”
Nikola Trkulja, Managing Director at Grain Management, said, “Under Glenn’s leadership, LightRiver has grown into a market and technology leader. We are confident in Mike’s ability to continue driving this successful business to greater heights, and we are pleased to welcome him as the new CEO.”
Established in 1998, LightRiver is North America’s largest multi-vendor transport systems integrator for network operators, offering full lifecycle hardware, software, services, and support solutions in multi-technology networking. It specializes in the design, procurement, delivery, and ongoing technical support of heterogenous transport networks and the open software tools to discover, monitor, provision, and control multi-vendor packet optical networks.
About LightRiver
LightRiver is the premier provider of next generation, multi-vendor, Factory Built Networks® and netFLEX® vendor neutral, Optical Domain Control Software solutions. LightRiver is an expert in Packet Optical, DWDM/ROADM, MPLS and Carrier Ethernet systems and designs, engineers, commissions, automates and supports next generation, software controlled, transport networks for mission-critical clients that require the highest capacity, reliability, resiliency and manageability that today’s optical communications technology can deliver.
LightRiver is a portfolio company of Grain Management LLC, a leading Washington, D.C.-based investment firm, focused on the global communications sector. LightRiver delivers unique value with turnkey hardware and software solutions, carrier-grade quality and unparalleled customer care in multi-technology networking.
For additional information about LightRiver, please visit www.lightriver.com.
About Grain Management
Grain Management, LLC is a leading private investment firm that focuses on communications infrastructure and technology companies that connect the world to the information economy. Founded in 2007, the Firm invests exclusively in the global broadband industry, employing a rigorous, data-based process buoyed by deep sector expertise to identify investment opportunities in key areas of communications, including fiber networks, wireless spectrum, cell towers, infrastructure services and managed services. For more information visit www.graingp.com.
Contacts:
Grain Public Relations
