- Marc D. Graff named CFO effective 1 August 2025
- Graff brings nearly 30 years in tech finance
What happened: Ciena appoints seasoned finance leader to support AI and cloud growth
Ciena appointed Marc D. Graff as its Senior Vice President and Chief Financial Officer. The role takes effect on 1 August 2025. He will report to CEO Gary Smith and join the Executive Leadership Team. Graff brings almost 30 years of global finance and accounting experience. He worked in Asia and led FP&A, tax, trade and finance units at Intel and Altera.
At Intel he served as CFO and COO of its Data Center and AI division. He later became CFO at Altera and helped guide its sale to Intel. He holds a Bachelor’s in finance and economics and an MBA. He will take over from James Moylan Jr., who retires on 28 August 2025. Moylan will help with a smooth transition before his departure.
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Why it’s important
Ciena focuses on high-speed connectivity amid AI, cloud and data centre demand. Its networks span optical, metro and subsea infrastructure. The company needs strong financial leadership to manage growth and investment. Graff’s experience with data centre and AI finance aligns with Ciena’s business goals.
He may shape budgeting, investment and reporting under rising capital needs. His past work on mergers and operational finance may guide future deals or integrations. He joins at a time when Ciena seeks to scale services for communication and cloud providers. His leadership may support shareholder value as markets weigh AI and connectivity trends. The handover also signals continuity in Ciena’s financial plan.
