AOI Adds Michael Ballard as Senior Director of Marketing in Broadband Access

AOI adds another seasoned leader to its Broadband Access team

SUGAR LAND, Texas, June 28, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Applied Optoelectronics, Inc. (Nasdaq: AAOI), a leading provider of fiber-optic access network products for the cable broadband, internet datacenter, telecom, and fiber-to-the-home (FTTH) markets, today announced the addition of Michael Ballard as Senior Director of Marketing in Broadband Access.

AOI continues to build its newly formed Broadband Access division. Today the Company added Michael Ballard as Sr. Director of Marketing, leading all Marketing activities for AOI’s Quantum Bandwidth line of broadband access products.

“Michael Ballard is a seasoned marketing professional with over 20 years of experience specializing in B2B marketing and brings a wealth of expertise in various marketing disciplines, making him a versatile and accomplished leader,” commented Todd McCrum, AOI’s SVP and GM of Broadband Access. “His experience driving marketing strategy and deep understanding of digital marketing, marketing technology, and analytics make him a great addition to our leadership team.”

Before joining AOI, Michael built and led high-performing marketing teams at companies such as Cisco Systems, Lenovo, and NEC. He has been recognized by the Business Marketing Association, the Interactive Advertising Bureau, and the Internet Marketing Association for his outstanding achievements. Michael's innovative use of marketing technology earned him and his team the coveted "Eloqua Markie" award. In addition, Michael has made significant contributions to the marketing industry through his advisory positions with LinkedIn and Demand Gen Report, as well as his role as a mentor with the American Marketing Association.

“AOI has a reputation with their partners for industry-leading engineering and manufacturing quality,” said Ballard. “I’m excited to join the leadership team as AOI expands their go-to-market strategy and begins sell directly to Cable Service providers.”

About Applied Optoelectronics

Applied Optoelectronics Inc. (AOI) is a leading developer and manufacturer of advanced optical products, including components, modules and equipment. AOI's products are the building blocks for broadband fiber access networks around the world, where they are used in the CATV broadband, internet datacenter, telecom and FTTH markets. AOI supplies optical networking lasers, components and equipment to tier-1 customers in all four of these markets. In addition to its corporate headquarters, wafer fab and advanced engineering and production facilities in Sugar Land, TX, AOI has engineering and manufacturing facilities in Taipei, Taiwan and Ningbo, China. For additional information, visit www.ao-inc.com. 

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