Technology >> CEO Interviews >> July 13, 1998
DAVID E. ORR is President and CEO of BroadBand Technologies, Inc. Before
joining BroadBand Technologies, Inc., Mr. Orr was President and CEO of
Alcatel Network Systems, Inc. He was responsible for the Richardson,
Texas-based company that included operations in Raleigh and Clinton,
North Carolina; Longview, Texas; Nogales, Mexico; Georgetown, Canada and
San Jose, California. This organization encompassed 6,000 people and had
$1.5 billion in revenue in 1996. The company designs, manufactures and
markets a full line of telecommunications systems products for the
transport and management of voice, data and image traffic. Alcatel
Network Systems is the U.S. and Canadian subsidiary for Alcatel's
telecommunications business. The parent company, Alcatel, is the world's
largest manufacturer of communications equipment. Prior to Alcatel, Orr
was Vice President and General Manager of Rockwell International's
Network Transmission Systems Division (NTSD). He was responsible for the
business located in Richardson, Texas, and was a direct report to Kent
M. Black, Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer of
Rockwell International Corporation. Alcatel Network Systems, Inc. is the
result of a merger between NTSD and Alcatel U.I. which took place in
August 1991. Orr was named president and CEO at that time. Previous
positions included Vice President of Worldwide Sales and Technical
Marketing for NTSD. He was appointed to this post in 1989 and had
primary responsibility for developing and implementing marketing
strategies for the division. This responsibility covered all customer-
related services including both domestic and international sales. Orr
joined Rockwell in 1985 as Regional Marketing Director for the
Telecommunications business. Orr also served two years as Director of
Marketing for that organization. Prior to joining Rockwell, he held
various positions with GTE including Network Director for General
Telephone Company of Wisconsin. Orr received a master's degree in
business administration from the University of Chicago in 1986, and a
bachelor's degree in industrial engineering from Gannon University,
Erie, PA in 1973. A member of the American Institute Engineers, Orr also
holds memberships in the Institute of Electronic Engineers (IEEE), the
National Communications Forum and the National Association of Radio and
Telecommunications Engineers. Active in the Dallas Community, Orr is a
member of the Board of Directors for the Dallas County Community College
District Foundation; Chairman of the Quality Texas Foundation; Board
Member of 'Dallas Area' Boy Scouts of America; serves on the Advisory
Council of the Erik Johnson School of Engineering and Computer Science
at the University of Texas in Dallas; and is a member of the Dallas
Citizens Council. Profile
context for what you see as your company today and then, if you would,
over the next two to three years, what are the key
