Harold Grossnickle

HAROLD GROSSNICKLE joined Sphera Optical Networks, Inc. as its Chairman
and CEO in February 2000. Mr. Grossnickle’s 30 year career in the
telecommunications industry began at AT&T where he was responsible for
network operations, network engineering, product development/management
and sales. He has held senior executive positions at AT&T as Vice
President of a strategic business unit and he was the President of a
Global Crossing strategic business unit. While at Global Crossing, Mr.
Grossnickle established a worldwide operations and maintenance
organization, Global Crossing Network Center, Ltd. (GCNC), to support
the sub-sea and terrestrial networks comprising Global Crossing’s end-
to-end network. GCNC included a Customer Care and Billing Operations
organization headquartered in Bermuda and consisted of a staff of 600
people at GCNC and its UK subsidiary, Global Crossing Network Center
(UK), Ltd. Mr. Grossnickle earned a Bachelor of Science degree in
Industrial Engineering at Iowa State University and a Master of Business
Administration degree at the University of Missouri.