Speaker Bio

Rod Naphan, Head of the Photonics Systems Business Unit, Fujitsu, and Chief Technology Officer, Fujitsu Network Communications, Inc., is responsible for the worldwide network optical transport and software business for Fujitsu.

As an architect of the Fujitsu networking vision, Rod provides executive leadership to the organizations that engage the industry, imagines the possibilities inherent in technology, and develops technology innovations enabling a more sustainable digital world. Over 30 years in the communications network industry, he has held various hands-on leadership roles in software and systems design engineering and product line management, spanning several generations of industry-leading communications equipment and software solutions. Prior to joining Fujitsu, Rod worked as a software engineer at Bell Northern Research in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada.

At Fujitsu Network Communications, Rod has been a champion for diversity in the workplace, and is a proud supporter of the Women’s Innovative Network (WIN), an internal program designed to promote diversity overall and support women’s growth in the network industry. He believes that a diverse employee base provides Fujitsu with innumerable benefits, including increased creativity, innovation, and profitable growth.

Rod currently serves on the Board of Directors for several industry associations: Tech Titans (Technology Association for North Texas); ATIS (Alliance for Telecommunications Industry Solutions); ONOS (an open source software community); and technical advisory boards for CIAN (Center for Integrated Access Networks, an NSF-sponsored university research center of excellence), and for various component technology companies.

Rod holds a BSc. in Honors Computing and Computer Electronics from Wilfrid Laurier University, and a MASc. in Systems Design Engineering from the University of Waterloo in Ontario.