Robert Keys

Senior Director of Optical Transmission R&D at Ciena

Robert Keys is a Senior Director of Optical Transmission R&D at Ciena. In this role, Robert oversees all aspects of optical systems transmission including link performance assurance, planning tools, and optical hardware development. As a telecom industry veteran with 30 years of experience, Robert has held several leadership positions across different organizations. Prior to joining Ciena, Robert was the Vice President of Packet Optical R&D at Juniper Networks where he developed optical systems for switching and routing platforms. Robert also held the position of CTO at BTI Systems where he helped grow BTI Systems from $10 million to $100 million per year in revenue and played a critical role in the company’s acquisition by Juniper Networks. Robert has a Bachelor of Science, Master’s degree and a PhD in Nonlinear Optics from the University of Glasgow. He also has more than 20 patents.