Nidal Abou-Ltaif
President, Avaya International
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Contact
Alex Alias
Avaya Media
alalias@avaya.com
+1 669-242-8034
Welcome to the Avaya Press Room
Avaya reimagines the ways people and businesses engage and experience the world. Innovating digital communications, Avaya defines the future of work and the customer experience. Here you can find the latest press materials, approved images, executive information, and additional information about Avaya.
Company Description and Fast Facts
Avaya in 25 Words
Avaya is shaping the future of work. Our Avaya OneCloud™ total experience platform and multi-cloud application ecosystem power personalized and effortless customer and employee experiences.
Avaya in 50 Words
Avaya is shaping what's next for the future of work, with innovation and partnerships that that redefine the customer and employee experience. Our Avaya OneCloud™ experience as a service platform and multi-cloud application ecosystem power personalized, intelligent, and effortless experiences to help you achieve your strategic ambitions and desired outcomes.
Avaya in 100 Words
Businesses are built by the experiences they provide, and everyday millions of those experiences are delivered by Avaya. We’re shaping what's next for the future of work, with innovation and partnerships that deliver game-changing business benefits. Our Avaya OneCloud™ experience as a service platform and multi-cloud application ecosystem power personalized, intelligent, and effortless customer and employee experiences. Our packaged communication and collaboration applications and APIs can be combined to compose AI-enabled total experiences that each interaction and moment demands. We are committed to help you achieve your strategic ambitions and desired outcomes by delivering experiences that matter.
100K+
More than 100K customers worldwide trust Avaya for reliable communications
190
Avaya has customers in 190 countries
40
Governments in 40 countries rely on Avaya
#1
#1 global leader in Contact Center solutions
Top 10
96% of the top global commercial and savings banks rely on Avaya
96%
Avaya is #1 in small-midsize business telephone systems globally
Top 10
The top 10 medical facilities in the U.S. use Avaya for their communications
100M+
Over 100 million UC lines deployed with customers globally
8,000
Avaya teams with more than 8,000 channel partners and agents globally
90%
More than 90% of the U.S.-based Fortune 100 are Avaya customers
4,300
Avaya holds more than 4,300 patents and applications worldwide
Top 7
The top seven managed care facilities in the U.S. rely on Avaya
9/10
Nine of the world’s top 10 car manufacturers rely on Avaya
Top 10
The world’s top 10 airlines rely on Avaya
Top 7
The world’s top 7 health services companies run on Avaya contact center solutions
Leadership
Avaya President & CEO
Jim Chirico
Jim Chirico is President and Chief Executive Officer. He assumed his new role on October 1, 2017, after previously serving as Chief Operating Officer and Global Sales Leader.
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President and Chief Executive Officer
Jim Chirico is President and Chief Executive Officer. He assumed his new role on October 1, 2017, after previously serving as Chief Operating Officer and Global Sales Leader.
Jim brings depth of experience and consistent results as a business and operational leader in the technology industry, successfully leading teams in sales, worldwide operations, manufacturing and development. Since joining Avaya in 2008, he has been instrumental in the development of the company’s industry-leading business model, including record EBITDA performance, gross margin expansion and best-in-class Net Promoter Score.
In his previous role as COO, Jim was responsible for Global Sales, Global Operations, Human Resources and Quality. Jim optimized Avaya’s global business processes, stabilized sales and has led the company’s effort for Chapter 11 Emergence. In addition, he drove cross-functional alignment of key initiatives, including integration of all acquisitions and enterprise restructuring efforts.
Jim joined Avaya in January 2008 from Seagate Technology, where he was Executive Vice President, Global Operations, Development and Manufacturing. At Seagate, he led a team of more than 50,000 employees located in 14 facilities worldwide, successfully driving step-function change in the operational effectiveness of the organization.
Jim began his career at IBM in 1980, progressing through line leadership and corporate assignment positions to become a Site General Manager and WW Manufacturing Leader. He received a B.S. in Marketing from Providence College in Rhode Island.
Nidal Abou-Ltaif
Nidal Abou-Ltaif is President for Avaya International, where he is responsible for a combined operational region that covers Europe, the Middle East and Africa, and the Asia-Pacific.
Nidal joined Avaya in 2003 as the sales leader for the Middle East, expanding his role into a variety of leadership positions. Prior to joining Avaya, he held leadership roles with NCR and ATT.
Nidal holds a Master of Business Administration from Washington International University.
David Austin
David Austin is Senior Vice President Corporate Development, Strategy and Alliances. David is responsible for developing the company’s overall strategy for business operations and manages multiple strategic functions including corporate development, technology innovation and business alliances along with serving as Chief of Staff to the CEO. David joined Avaya from Xeeva, Inc. a leader in cloud eProcurement, where he served as its Chief Operating Officer. Previously, David worked in the advisory practice at PwC and prior to that he was co-founder of Contextware, Inc. an award winning business process and knowledge management software company. He has held multiple management roles at Manugistics, Visteon and MCI Communications. David earned his Bachelor of Arts in International Relations and Masters in International Business and Transactions both from George Mason University.
Frank Ciccone
Frank Ciccone is Senior Vice President, North America Sales, and is responsible for sales and delivery of product and professional services across all customer segments, both direct and partner-led.
Frank joined Avaya in 2019 with more than 25 years of sales and engineering experience. Prior to joining Avaya Frank led the Advanced Solutions unit at Verizon Enterprise Solutions, a group inclusive of Verizon's global Collaboration, Customer Experience and Security practices. In his 16 years at Verizon and several years at ATT, Frank held various VP roles in strategy, business development and operations in the Enterprise space.
Frank holds a Bachelor of Electrical Engineering from Manhattan College and a Masters of Business Administration from Hofstra University.
Anna-Marie Crowley
Anna-Marie Crowley is the Chief Human Resources Officer. Anna is responsible for leading Avaya’s HR team, which includes strategic HR planning; mergers and acquisitions; international resource planning; new business; talent recruitment, engagement, development & DEIB. In her previous role at Avaya she served as Head of Talent Development, Recruitment and DEIB.
Anna joined Avaya from Sacramento Municipal Utility District, where she was HRBP to the CEO and the HR team responsible for HR strategy, Learning and Development, Process Excellence, and employee engagement. Prior to this Anna had transitioned to the US from Ireland when working as Global Vice President of Organization Capability and Effectiveness with Wyndham Exchange and Rentals for 10 years. Previous experience included working in a European start-up airline with BA and running an English Business school in Italy.
Anna grew up in the UK but has lived and worked in several countries including Italy, Germany, Ireland, and Canada after completing her postgraduate studies at Warwick University, UK.
Simon Harrison
Simon Harrison is Senior Vice President and Chief Marketing Officer, leading the global marketing function to engage new and existing customers and partners, drive adoption of the company’s software solutions and support Avaya as the leading player in a dynamic digital communications market.
Simon joined Avaya in 2020 from leading research and advisory firm, Gartner, where he was research director and lead analyst for the Unified Communications and Contact Center market. In a career spanning over 25 years he has been a thought leader, product strategist, marketer and consultant in the communications solutions industry. Prior to Gartner, he held leadership roles in Marketing, Sales, Product Marketing and Product Management for companies like Cirrus, Vocalcom, Siebel Systems and others.
Fred Hayes
Fred Hayes is Senior Vice President, Global Business Operations. He is responsible for functions including IT, Sales and Operations Planning, Manufacturing, Logistics, Worldwide Procurement, Supplier Quality, Order Management, Collections, and Real Estate.
Prior to joining Avaya, Fred was Vice President, Procure to Pay at Autodesk where he led a major transformation and significant improvement in cost savings and cash flow. He also spent ten years at Dell in multiple leadership roles, including Vice President, Global Materials responsible for the supply chain strategy, global inbound logistics and overall responsibility for continuity of worldwide supply. He previously held supply chain and operations positions at several high tech companies including HP, Compaq and Sun.
Fred holds a Bachelor of Science in Business Management from Northeastern University.
Galib Karim
Galib Karim is Vice President, Caribbean & Latin America Sales, and is responsible for a combined operational region that covers the Caribbean, Latin America, and Brazil.
Galib joined Avaya in 2010 as the managing director of Avaya Mexico after the Nortel acquisition. Since then, he’s expanded his role into a variety of leadership positions. Prior to joining Avaya, he held leadership roles at Nortel, Bay Networks and Intersys.
Galib holds a Bachelor’s degree in Computer Sciences and Management from Tecnológico de Monterrey and leadership certifications from London Business School and Carleton University.
Kieran McGrath
Kieran is Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer. His responsibilities include financial governance and management of Avaya's financial operations, including overall responsibility for the controller organization, financial planning, treasury, tax and investor relations.
Kieran joined Avaya in 2019 and brings thirty-plus years of technology industry financial, operational and transformational experience in software as a service, cloud computing, and technology services.
He most recently served as Executive Vice President and CFO at CA Technologies, and prior to that held several executive Finance roles at IBM.
Kieran holds a Bachelor of Science degree from St. John’s University.
Shefali Shah
Executive Vice President, Chief Administrative Officer and General Counsel
View Leader BioShefali Shah
Shefali Shah is Executive Vice President, Chief Administrative Officer and General Counsel. She is responsible for Avaya’s worldwide law department and global human resources organization.
Shefali joined Avaya from Era Group, one of the largest helicopter operators in the world, where she served as SVP, general counsel, and corporate secretary. Previously, Shefali held several senior management roles with Comverse Technology, Inc. She began her legal career at Weil, Gotshal & Manges LLP and Hutchins, Wheeler & Dittmar, P.C.
Shefali holds a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration from Boston University, and a Juris Doctorate in Law from Duke University Law School.
Stephen Spears
Stephen Spears is Executive Vice President and Chief Revenue Officer, delivering new levels of client success for customers and partners by overseeing the strategy, performance, and alignment of revenue operations for Avaya. Stephen has full ownership of the company’s revenue generating organizations, and customer lifecycle and go-to-client functions, including global sales and marketing, partner management and all channel related activities to help to accelerate execution on the company’s overall growth strategy, directly benefitting Avaya’s customers.
Stephen’s management career spans nearly three decades and includes extensive go-to-market experience as well as deep expertise in the SaaS and Cloud arena. He joined Avaya in 2020, and spent the previous 17 years in a variety of key senior leadership roles at SAP, most recently serving as Chief Revenue Officer of SAP SuccessFactors.
Stephen holds a Bachelor of Arts degree from Brigham Young University.
Todd Zerbe
Todd Zerbe is Senior Vice President, Engineering. Todd leads the company’s engineering functions, teams and programs globally, helping Avaya to innovate the best platform and applications meeting the needs of customers across multiple vertical markets and geographies. He brings more than twenty-five years of software development experience to Avaya. Most recently he served as Senior Vice President of Product Development at Blackboard, Inc., an educational technology company. Prior to that, he held senior-level positions with contact center solution providers including Genesys and Interactive Intelligence Group. At Genesys, Zerbe was Senior Vice President of Product Development for their CCaaS product. Throughout his career, he has successfully managed large teams and deployments of multiple product lines with a strong focus on contact center technologies.
Todd holds a Bachelor of Science in Electrical Engineering/Computer Engineering from Purdue University.
Our Culture
Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Belonging
Our people are the driving force behind our every success, and we pave the way for them to grow, develop, and win. We continue to build and celebrate the richness of ethnicities, perspectives, experiences, and skills that make up our global Avaya community.
