1. Mitchell H. Auster
11 Copland Ct., E. Windsor, NJ 08520 • 609.426.8812 (h) • 609.203.2029 (m) • mitchauster@gmail.com
QUALIFICATIONS Experienced telecommunications Solutions Marketing leader with strong customer-facing
SUMMARY skills. Able to rapidly learn new technology and appreciate industry dynamics and operator
challenges. Able to leverage broad technical and market background, analytical thinking,
intuition and marketing savvy to create high-impact, successful product strategies. Combine
startup company energy and creativity with mature company depth and attention to results.
EDUCATION Rutgers University, Graduate School of Management - New Brunswick, NJ
Master of Business Administration (MBA) - 1993
Pennsylvania State University - State College, PA
BS in Computer Science; Mathematics minor - 1986
EXPERIENCE
1/03 – present CIENA COMMUNICATIONS – Linthicum, MD
(via acquisition of startup Internet Photonics in May 2004 for $150M)
Senior Director, Product Marketing and Business Development
! Led a cross-functional team in the development of a nextgen SDN+NFV service
orchestration and network operations framework.
! Led the market launch team and developed positioning strategy and solution marketing
materials for Ciena’s Agility Matrix NFV solution.
! Represent Ciena in Open Networking Foundation (ONF), ETSI NFV ISG and OPNFV.
! Co-led the strategy and market development of SDN incubation project resulting in the
productization of the first OpenDaylight-based, carrier-grade SDN WAN controller and
applications.
! Co-inventor of filed patent application (10.22.75.PROV) for ‘Network Service Pricing and
Resource Management’. Focused on dynamic pricing for on-demand network services.
! Led the market development of Ciena’s Cloud Networking Solution including the SDN-
enabled V-WAN network virtualization and connectivity services automation application.
! Developed Core Router Offload traffic/economic model for solution selling.
! Led Solutions group to develop and launch Ciena’s Ethernet technology, portfolio and
positioning strategy centered upon metro/core packet-optical networking and purpose-
built service access devices resulting in growth from nominal revenues to over $40M per
quarter and recognition as a thought-leader in Carrier Ethernet.
! Led inbound/outbound marketing effort including traffic/economic models to position
Ethernet transport and switching, WDM, and multi-service, sub-wavelength cross-connect
products into triple-play, wireless backhaul and managed services networks.
! Co-developed launch and subsequent positioning material for CN 4200 resulting in
$200M+ annual run rate 4 years after introduction of new packet-optical platform.
! Developed business case and requirements for a Digital Video Transport solution.
! Launched CN 4350 video-optimized Ethernet switch into cable. Developed competitive
material versus Cisco and won away 3 customers in first quarter of availability.
! Authored and presented by-line articles and conference papers on Programmable OTN,
Triple-Play Architecture, Packet-Optical Transport, Router Bypass/Offload, etc.
3/02 – 9/02 MOBILECORE NETWORKS, INC. – Marlborough, MA
Founder and VP, Product Management, Marketing & Business Development
! Co-founded a company to deliver a converged softswitch-based MSC and SGSN.
Concept was subsequently funded in restart by my co-founder in 2007.
! Researched the market and competition, co-defined product requirements, built the
business plan and presented to Venture Capital community and Customers.
10/99 – 3/02 ADC TELECOMMUNICATIONS (IP Cable Group) – Westborough, MA
(via acquisition of startup Broadband Access Systems in September 2000 for $2.25B)
10/99 – 3/02 Vice President, Product Management, Marketing & Business Development

2. ! Led team of 3 Directors and their departments in all product management, product
marketing and business development activities for $100M/yr IP Cable portfolio:
o Cuda 12000 – a carrier-class Cable Modem Termination System (CMTS) &
IP/MPLS Router with integrated Class 5 softswitch & media gateway.
o FastFlow Broadband Provisioning Manager – a fault-tolerant, IP-based
subscriber/device activation and IP address management system for cable.
! Grew Cuda market share from 7% to over 18% and a $100M run rate in one year.
Simultaneously lowered marketing budget over 40%.
! Developed OEM partnerships with Siemens & Nortel securing 3 International customers
including the world’s first large-scale IP Local Cable Telephony deployment.
! Positioned BAS for acquisition as core member of pre- and post-offer target due diligence
team. Delivered projections and product positioning material.
! Authored and presented papers on IP Cable Telephony for several speaking
engagements (e.g. Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), NCTA, VON Europe).
! Inventor of patent pending (US Serial# 10/027,781) for ‘Active-Active Redundancy in a
CMTS’. Solution enabled win of largest IP Local Cable Telephony contract.
! Member of Board of Directors of the International Softswitch Consortium (ISC).
7/86 – 9/99 LUCENT TECHNOLOGIES, INC. (formerly AT&T Network Systems)
7/98 – 9/99 Senior Manager, Product Marketing – Murray Hill, NJ
! Supervised a team performing technical product marketing for the PathStar Access
Server – the first commercially successful IP-based Class 5 Softswitch and voice/data
convergence system; included IP routing, POTS, DSLAM, and Media Gateway. Won
Internet Telephony Product of the Year award. Drove $100M in sales for 1999.
! Responsible for product launch, customer team interface & training, product strategy &
positioning, market assessment, feature definition & prioritization, competitive
assessment, bids & proposal support, and customer presentations.
! Honored with one of only two Data Networking BU Lifetime Achievement awards.
7/96 – 6/98 Manager, Remote Access & Internetworking Products – Warren, NJ
! Supervised product management team for the Internet Telephony Server (won N+I’s Best
of Show award), Packet Phone Adapter, PortMaster Remote Access Server, PacketStar
IP Switch and RADIUS & Connection Management System.
! Defined Remote Access & Internetworking product and offer strategy. Analyzed market
opportunities and business cases and made strategic portfolio decisions.
! Initiated contact and led due diligence for the $650M acquisition of Livingston
Enterprises. Built Lucent’s credibility in the IP community & entry to ISP accounts.
1/95 – 7/96 Marketing Manager – Warren, NJ
! Led marketing for Data Networking BU’s Frame Relay, SMDS & ATM switch products.
! Led a diverse taskforce in developing a Business Broadband portfolio and network
management strategy to address the RBOC market.
! Chosen to participate in and completed the AT&T Leadership Continuity Program, an
honor reserved for less than 2% of the management population.
7/93 – 12/94 ATM Market Manager (Member of Technical Staff) – Warren, NJ
! Matrix managed the customer-specific market managers for the GlobeView-2000 ATM
Switching System and multimedia applications resulting in >$20M in revenue.
! Co-developed pricing, marketing and feature strategy for ATM switching product line,
providing entry into several formerly lost customers.
! Coordinated and negotiated trials, rollouts and partnerships in the domestic service
provider market, capturing sales or trials with all of our key customers.
5/91 – 7/93 Data Networking Market Manager (Member of Technical Staff) – Warren, NJ
! Managed the marketing, sales, deployment and after-sale support of $15M of SMDS,
Frame Relay and X.25 equipment and professional services to GTE.
! Conceived of and coordinated a customer-acclaimed Customer Symposium on Data
Networking for >1000 attendees coming in $100K under budget.
1/88 – 4/91 Implementation Manager (Member of Technical Staff) – West Long Branch, NJ
! Headed customer technical support for Radiology Information and PACs Systems..
7/86 – 12/87 Information System Designer – Holmdel, NJ