New and continuing leaders will guide OIF’s work advancing next-generation electrical and optical interoperability for the AI era

OIF, where the optical networking industry’s interoperability work gets done, today announced its 2026 Board of Directors and Officers. The updated leadership team will help steer OIF’s technical direction and industry collaboration as demand grows for higher-speed, lower-power interconnect solutions supporting AI, cloud and carrier networks. Terms run through Sept. 30, 2026.

2026 Leadership

Board of Directors

• Nathan Tracy, TE Connectivity, was re-elected to the Board and continues to serve as President
• Jeffery Maki, HPE, was elected to the Board and will serve as Vice President and continue as Physical Layer User Group Working Group Chair
• Mike Klempa, Alphawave Semi, was re-elected to the Board and will serve as Secretary/Treasurer and continue as Physical and Link Layer (PLL) Interoperability Working Group Chair
• Ian Betty, Ciena and Cathy Liu, Broadcom Inc., remain on the Board
• Steven Hand, Nokia and Yi Tang, Cisco, were appointed to the Board to fill open seats created during the 2025/2026 term. Tang will continue as PLL Working Group Electrical Vice Chair

Officers

• Karl Bois, Nvidia, was elected as Technical Committee Vice Chair
• Tom Issenhuth, Huawei Technologies, was re-elected as Market Awareness & Education Committee Co-Chair, PLL
• Sam Kocsis, Amphenol Corporation, was elected as Technical Committee Chair

“OIF’s board reflects the technical strength and broad industry engagement required as we move into the next phase of electrical and optical innovation,” said Nathan Tracy, President of OIF. “As with all OIF leadership roles, these positions are fully volunteer — a testament to the commitment our members bring to advancing interoperable solutions for the industry. Their expertise will help drive the interoperability work essential to supporting scale-up and scale-out AI architectures, next-generation cloud growth and the evolving needs of global network operators.”

For more information about OIF and its leadership, visit OIF’s website.

About OIF

OIF is where the optical networking industry’s interoperability work gets done. With more than 25 years of effecting forward change in the industry, OIF represents the dynamic ecosystem of 170+ industry leading network operators, system vendors, component vendors and test equipment vendors collaborating to develop interoperable electrical, optical and control solutions that directly impact the industry’s ecosystem and facilitate global connectivity in the open network world. Connect with OIF on LinkedIn, on X at @OIForum and http://www.oiforum.com.

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20260114747996/en/

“OIF’s board reflects the technical strength and broad industry engagement required as we move into the next phase of electrical and optical innovation,” said Nathan Tracy, President of OIF.