HAMID ARABZADEH

Chairman and CEO

“AI infrastructure is entering a fundamental architectural transition as copper interconnect reaches its physical limits. At Ranovus®, we pioneered a full-stack co-design approach with our Tier-1 partners to deliver optical infrastructure that scales with the demands of hyperscale AI. It is a privilege to build this company alongside industry veterans who have repeatedly transformed breakthrough ideas into world-first technologies deployed at global scale.” — Hamid

Hamid is Co-Founder and CEO of Ranovus® and has led the company since its inception in 2012. He brings extensive global leadership experience in optical networking and semiconductor adjacent technologies. Prior to co-founding Ranovus, Hamid was Chairman and CEO of CoreOptics Inc., an innovative developer of signal-processing-based photonic subsystems headquartered in Nuremberg, Germany, which was acquired by Cisco (NASDAQ: CSCO) in 2010.

Earlier in his career, Hamid held senior leadership roles at Nortel Networks across Brazil, Mexico, England, and the U.S., driving the design and deployment of long-haul and metro optical networks worldwide. His last role at Nortel was Vice President & General Manager of the Metro DWDM Optical business unit.

Beyond Ranovus®, Hamid is a co-founder and investor in multiple Canadian scaleups across AI sovereign cloud, cybersecurity, and healthcare sectors. He holds a B.Sc. in Electrical and Computer Engineering from the University of Waterloo, an MBA from McGill University, and enjoys downhill skiing, tennis, and soccer.

Hojjat Salemi

Chief Business Development Officer

“At Ranovus®, I have the privilege of bringing together world-class technology and world-class partners. It is inspiring to work with teams and customers who recognize how co-packaged optics will reshape the future of AI infrastructure.” — Hojjat

Hojjat is Chief Business Development Officer at Ranovus®, where he leads strategic technology partnerships and ecosystem collaborations that accelerate the adoption of next-generation optical interconnect solutions for AI and hyperscale infrastructure. A Silicon Valley executive with 40 years of experience spanning systems, semiconductors, and optical networking, Hojjat has built and scaled multiple businesses at the intersection of optical transport, data center infrastructure, and high-performance networking.

Prior to joining Ranovus®, Hojjat served as Vice President of Optical Transport at Inphi. He joined the company following its acquisition of Cortina Systems in 2014, where he was a co-founder and led the Optical and Data Center Business Unit. At Cortina, he was responsible for the P&L and growth of the business and played a key role in corporate development activities, including mergers, acquisitions, and strategic due diligence.

Earlier in his career, Hojjat served as Chief Technology Officer of Skystone Systems, a fabless semiconductor company specializing in Ethernet and datacom technologies. Skystone was acquired by Cisco Systems in 1997, becoming Cisco’s first acquisition outside the United States and forming the foundation of Cisco’s major R&D presence in Ottawa, Canada.

He began his career in engineering and leadership roles at Mitel, Fitel PMX, Newbridge Networks, and Nortel Networks, where he contributed to the development of advanced communications systems and VLSI technologies.

Hojjat holds Bachelor and Master of Engineering degrees from the University of Ottawa. In 2010, he received the University of Ottawa Faculty of Engineering Alumni Award of Excellence. He is also an inventor on several patents related to systems and semiconductor design.

Georg Roell

Chief Technology Officer

“At Ranovus®, I get to work with people who turn deep optical expertise into real breakthroughs. It is energizing to shape the roadmap for next-generation optical interconnects with a team this smart, this collaborative, and this committed to the future.” — Georg

Georg is Chief Technology Officer at Ranovus®, where he leads the company’s technology vision and innovation roadmap in co-packaged optics and next-generation optical interconnects for data centers. He brings decades of experience designing, industrializing, and scaling high-speed optical transmission systems.

Before joining Ranovus®, Georg was a Distinguished Engineer and Senior Director of Operations at Cisco Systems. Prior to Cisco’s acquisition of CoreOptics in 2010, he co-founded CoreOptics and served as Chief Technology Officer, Vice President of Operations, and Managing Director.

Earlier, Georg was Director of Lightwave Technology within the Optical Networking Group at Lucent Technologies in Holmdel, NJ, and previously led hardware development for high-speed and high-capacity lightwave systems at Lucent in Germany.

Georg received the Bell Labs Fellowship for his outstanding contributions to high-speed optical transmission systems and earned an Ingenieur graduate degree in telecommunications from the Ohm Polytechnikum in Nuremberg, Germany.

André Levasseur

CFO

“At Ranovus®, I am excited by the combination of breakthrough optics and disciplined execution. It is rewarding to work with teams who think big about the future of AI infrastructure while staying laser focused on building a durable, healthy business.” — André

André is Chief Financial Officer at Ranovus®, responsible for the overall financial management of the company. Beyond the core responsibilities of financial reporting, audit and compliance, planning, treasury, and capital structure, he plays a key role in strategic planning, corporate management, capital allocation, and performance management.

André brings over 30 years of experience building and leading semiconductor and cleantech companies through international expansion and capital markets transactions, including more than 25 years in high-technology and entrepreneurial environments. He has served as CFO for both privately held and publicly traded companies, supporting growth, transformation, and investor engagement.

André holds a Bachelor of Commerce degree and a Graduate Diploma in Accounting from Concordia University in Montreal, and is a Chartered Professional Accountant (CPA, CA).

Committed to fostering growth beyond the balance sheet, André is an active member of the community, providing pro-bono financial mentorship to non-profit organizations and advising early-stage start-ups on their path to scale.

John Martinho

SVP Research and Development

“At Ranovus®, I am fortunate to work with teams who thrive on turning ambitious ideas into working silicon and systems. The mix of deep technical expertise and genuine curiosity here makes it possible to move fast without compromising on performance or quality.” — John

John is Senior Vice President of Research and Development at Ranovus®, responsible for all aspects of product R&D across the company’s portfolio. He brings more than 25 years of experience leading global development organizations in optical communications.

Prior to joining Ranovus®, John was SVP for Research and Development at Lumentum, where he was responsible for a broad range of products across multiple platforms. He led the development of Lumentum’s TrueFlex® Wavelength Selective Switch product line and the Optical Transport Circuit Pack portfolio.

John holds a B.Eng. in Electrical Engineering from McGill University.

Christoph Schulien

SVP System Engineering

“At Ranovus®, I am surrounded by people who love turning complex optical systems into clean, working solutions. The mix of deep expertise, curiosity, and collaboration here makes it possible to take ambitious architectures all the way to deployed products.” — Christoph

Christoph is Senior Vice President of System Engineering at Ranovus®, responsible for system design and product architecture across the company’s product and technology portfolio. He brings decades of experience in high-speed optical and coherent system design and works closely with customers, silicon, and photonics teams to ensure Ranovus® solutions meet the performance, efficiency, and scalability demands of next-generation data centers.

Before joining Ranovus®, Christoph served as Director of Engineering for the High-Speed Optics group within Cisco’s service provider product organization, leading the development of several generations of coherent DSP SoCs and photonic transceiver subsystems deployed across multiple Cisco platforms for IPoDWDM and optical transport.

Previously, he co-founded CoreOptics Inc. and served as CTO and Vice President of the Coherent Product Group from 2006 until its acquisition by Cisco Systems in 2010, overseeing breakthrough coherent subsystem technology at 40G and 100G, including the world’s first coherent 40G MSA transponder module.

Earlier in his career, Christoph held senior product development roles at Philips and Lucent Technologies.

Christoph holds Dr.-Ing. and Dipl.-Ing. degrees from the University of the Saarland in Saarbrücken, Germany, and enjoys outdoor endurance sports including biking, hiking, mountain climbing, and cross-country skiing.

Shahram Akhavan

SVP NPI and Manufacturing

“At Ranovus®, I am inspired by how quickly our teams turn complex ideas into working products. It is rewarding to guide programs where deep technical expertise, discipline, and collaboration come together to deliver for our customers.” — Shahram

Shahram is Senior Vice President of NPI and Manufacturing at Ranovus®, responsible for the New Product Introduction and Manufacturing discipline. He brings more than 40 years of experience in engineering and management in the high-technology industry, leading cross-functional teams to deliver complex optical and networking products from concept through to volume manufacturing.

Prior to joining Ranovus®, Shahram held senior engineering and program management roles at Lumentum (formerly JDSU) and Nortel Networks.

During his time with Lumentum, he led program teams that delivered numerous circuit pack and amplifier module programs to tier-one customers, overseeing initiatives from design concept through production at contract manufacturers.

At Nortel, Shahram’s final assignment was in Product Incubation within the Advanced Technology division, where he managed distributed product development teams. Over his tenure he also held management and engineering roles in Optical Networks, Wireline Networks, and Standards divisions.

He has also held leadership roles at several industry-leading Canadian companies including Newbridge (now Nokia), General Dynamics, Bell-Northern Research, and MacDonald, Dettwiler and Associates.

Shahram holds a B.Sc. in Computer Science and Mathematics from the University of London and an M.Sc. in Computer Science from the University of Ottawa. He enjoys participating in team sports such as soccer, volleyball, and racket sports.

Heidi Hauver

VP People and Culture

“Ranovus® is powered by a team of deep experts and relentless innovators who love what they do. Hard puzzles feel solvable and even energizing when you are building alongside people who are this curious and this committed to what we are building together.” — Heidi

Heidi is a senior people and culture executive and strategic advisor with more than 20 years of experience helping high-growth, innovation-driven organizations scale in ways that still feel deeply human.

She partners with CEOs, founders, and executive teams to build scalable talent strategies, strengthen leadership capability, and enable high-performing, resilient organizations in complex, fast-moving environments.

With deep expertise in organizational design, leadership development, and workforce transformation, Heidi has served as the founding HR executive for multiple startups and scale-ups, building people functions from the ground up and aligning talent strategy with business and technology roadmaps.

She has led organizations through rapid growth and change, helping them navigate complex challenges in talent, culture, and leadership while maintaining clarity, cohesion, and performance.

Heidi is a recognized community builder who mentors entrepreneurs through CORE Innovation, SheBoot, and the University of Ottawa’s Startup Garage. She also contributes governance expertise to organizations including CHEO and Algonquin College.

Heidi represents Ranovus® on local committees supporting initiatives that strengthen talent pathways and advance inclusive workforce development.

She holds designations as:

Certified Human Resources Executive (CHRE)
Chartered Professional in Human Resources (CPHR)
Canadian Certified Inclusion Professional (CCIP)
Certified Coach Practitioner

Mike Sekerka

Vice President and GM of Defence and Government Business Unit

“Ranovus® sits at the intersection of innovative photonics and national security. It is a privilege to work with teams who care this deeply about both the technology and the mission it serves.” — Mike

Mike leads Ranovus®’ Defence and Government Business Unit and the company’s strategic commitment to building Canadian technological sovereignty in the AI era.

A former Aerospace Engineering Officer in the Canadian Armed Forces, he brings deep understanding of defence and government needs to the development and deployment of next-generation AI-related solutions for Canada and its allies.

Mike’s core focus is delivering commercially proven dual-use technologies that directly support Canada’s national security objectives, including key initiatives such as the proposed Sovereign AI Switch.

Mike also leads advanced strategic programs including Ranovus®’ engagement with the U.S. Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA), helping embed Canadian innovation within the broader allied defence ecosystem.

Prior to joining Ranovus®, Mike was CEO of Neptec Technologies Corp., where he commercialized 3D LiDAR sensors based on technology developed for NASA’s Space Shuttle.

He has also held senior leadership roles in engineering and product management at DragonWave, Nortel Networks, and Cambrian Systems.

Mike holds:

Bachelor of Engineering (Engineering Physics), Royal Military College of Canada
Master of Engineering in Photonics, McGill University
Executive MBA, University of Fredericton

He is a licensed Professional Engineer in Ontario and serves on the Academic Board of the University of Fredericton.

Outside of work, Mike is an avid downhill skier, curler, and cyclist who loves travelling and cooking.

Duncan Baird

VP Platform Engineering

“At Ranovus®, I get to work with teams who love building complete systems, not just components. It is incredibly rewarding to see our platforms bring advanced optics, electronics, and software together in ways that genuinely move the industry forward.” — Duncan

Duncan is Vice President of Platform Engineering at Ranovus®, leading teams that develop the hardware and software platforms supporting product integration and deployment of the company’s core technologies.

He brings over 20 years of engineering management experience spanning electronic hardware, ASIC, software, firmware, mechanical, and optical design domains.

Duncan has held design and management positions in communications technology, enterprise computing, and industrial metrology industries, including key roles at BTI Systems, Catena Networks (acquired by Ciena in 2004), and Hymarc Ltd.

Prior to joining Ranovus®, Duncan served as Engineering Director and General Manager of the Canadian design subsidiary of a startup developing integrated coherent optics.

Duncan holds B.Eng. and M.Eng. degrees in Electrical Engineering from McGill University and is a licensed Professional Engineer (P.Eng.) in Ontario.

He has served on the boards of several not-for-profit organizations promoting cultural and social justice objectives and is an avid performing musician involved in live and recorded music projects in the Ottawa region.

Doug Beckett

VP of Optical Technologies

“At Ranovus®, I get to work with people who are as obsessed with optical performance as they are with shipping real products. It is exciting to see innovative device physics turn into solutions that power the next generation of AI infrastructure.” — Doug

Doug is Vice President of Optical Technologies at Ranovus®, responsible for optical system performance and active optical device development across the company’s portfolio.

He brings more than 35 years of experience developing networking and telecommunications products, spanning laser design, semiconductor crystal growth, and optical systems design from WDM PON to ultra-long-haul coherent DWDM transport networks.

Prior to joining Ranovus®, Doug held roles at both startups and established network equipment manufacturers including Nortel, Ceyba, CoreOptics, and Ciena.

He began his career in the Advanced Technology Group at Bell-Northern Research, where he designed Nortel’s first widely deployed 1550 nm strained-quantum-well DFB laser.

Doug holds: