Keysight Technologies has made its choice for the new president of its Ixia Group, and interim group President Mark Pierpoint will officially take the role of president for the long term.
Pierpoint has been leading Ixia Group since former group president and ex-CEO Bethany Mayer left in early December 2017. He is a longtime Keysight veteran, having joined the company in 1987 when it was part of Hewlett-Packard. (Keysight was originally the test and measurement business of HP before being spun off with Agilent in 1999. Agilent then ultimately went on to spin off Keysight in late 2014.) Prior to his role as acting president of the Ixia Group, Pierpoint was vice president and general manager of Keysight’s internet infrastructure business, within the Communications Services Group. In that role, he was responsible for developing and delivering commercial communications network solutions. Before the role within Keysight’s CSG, he led its move into modular products and grew the business to more than $150 million in fiscal year 2015, the company said.
Keysight CEO and President Ron Nersesian said that in the role as acting president, “Mark has demonstrated leadership in successfully completing the system integration of Ixia into Keysight and delivering customer solutions to make networks and applications stronger.” He added, “I look forward to working with Mark to accelerate innovation to connect and secure the world.”
Errol Ginsberg, found of Ixia who serves as its chief innovation officer, said that he was “delighted to see Mark take over as president of this great business. His strong technical background, style and leadership are a great cultural fit to take Ixia solutions to the next level for customers’ network test, visibility, and security.”
Pierpoint holds a doctorate in microwave engineering and a bachelors degree in electrical and electronic engineering from the University of Leeds.
Ixia is Keysight’s largest acquisition since it became an independent company. It bought Ixia for $1.6 billion in the spring of 2017.
Mayer has since landed at a tech investment firm. She joined Siris Capital as of last month, where she is an executive partner and will be working to help the company identify and validate investment opportunities and oversee its portfolio companies.
