CenturyLink Adds Ex-Liberty Global Executive as CTO

CenturyLink (CTL) has added more than 20 years of telecommunications industry experience to its team.

The cloud communications giant last week appointed former Liberty Global (LBTYA) managing director and chief technology officer (CTO) for Europe Aamir Hussain as its CTO.

“Aamir is a seasoned leader who has been on the frontlines of the evolution of customer preferences and product demand brought about by technological innovation,” CenturyLink spokesperson Justin Lopinot told Talkin’ Cloud.

Hussain will be responsible for the design and delivery of CenturyLink’s products, services and technologies.

“We must continue our evolution to IP-enabled network services, cloud infrastructure and hosted IT solutions,” CenturyLink CEO Glen Post said in a prepared statement. “Aamir’s extensive knowledge of our industry, as well as his understanding of demand for solutions brought about by innovation, will help us continue to provide value to our customers, shareholders and employees.”

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Matt Beal, CenturyLink’s most recent CTO, left the company earlier this year to become Vodafone‘s (VOD’s) CTO.

Hussain in September announced he was leaving Liberty Global to lead CenturyLink’s product and technology team and said he expects to help CenturyLink further enhance its global reputation.

“I am excited to join CenturyLink’s management team and I’m looking forward to strengthening its position as a next-generation IT services and cloud infrastructure provider,” Hussain said.

What does Hussain offer CenturyLink and its customers?

CenturyLink’s core revenues rose 0.2 percent to $4.10 billion in the second quarter of 2014, and Hussain’s addition could help this cloud communications provider boost its profits.

In addition to his previous role at Liberty Global, Hussain brings more than two decades of telecommunications industry experience to CenturyLink and has worked with several telecom providers, including:

CenturyLink said it expects Hussain to help the company deliver a seamless customer experience and optimize its service delivery as well.

“Our industry continues to evolve, and we remain focused on investing accordingly to expand and grow our company to meet our customers’ needs,” Post added.

Lopinot pointed out he expects Hussain to play a major role in the development of CenturyLink’s Technology Center of Excellence that will include technology research and development labs, a network operations center and an office and meeting space. 

The CenturyLink Technology Center of Excellence is currently under construction in Monroe, Louisiana and is expected to open early next year.

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