The six founding partners of Laurel Networks form a powerhouse of technical expertise and experience.
Although they are all 30-somethings, combined, they have more than a lifetime of coveted professional experience. Their expertise runs the gamut, from software to hardware to switching systems and routing technology, as well as the organizational and strategic savvy to get and keep a company on the move.
All worked for Pittsburgh’s most successful high-tech company to date, Fore Systems (now Marconi plc), most holding key positions in the development of major products and systems. Two are Carnegie Mellon alumni, and all have attended prestigious institutions of higher learning. Four of the six hold advanced degrees. Two worked for Transarc Corp., another successful Pittsburgh technology company.
Here are the founders of Laurel Networks at a glance:
Atul Bansal, president and CEO, has more than 14 years of experience in the data communications industry. His most recent position was product group director of Fore Systems’ multilayer ethernet switching product division, a unit with $100 million-plus in annual revenue. He’s also held numerous positions with Digital Equipment Corp.
Jeffrey Prem, director of system services hardware, has more than 12 years of experience as a software architect and developer. At Fore, he was principal software development engineer, leading the company’s software development for its entire line of asynchronous transfer mode switches.
Robert Rennison, director of signaling and routing software, has more than 14 years of experience in the data communications and networking industries. A six-year veteran at Fore Systems, Rennison led a team of engineers in the development of several key projects there.
Dimitris Varotsis, chief technology officer, is a Carnegie Mellon graduate and a former principle engineer with Fore Systems. With more than a decade of experience in data communications, including a stint with Transarc Corp., Varotsis is responsible for the overall software architecture of all Laurel Networks products.
Steve Vogelsang, vice president of marketing, was senior director of strategic and technical marketing at Fore Systems. As its senior director of strategic and technical marketing, he was responsible for defining and communicating Fore’s technology and solution strategy.
Robert Warden, director of hardware engineering, has eight years of experience in the design of high-speed switching systems. He was Fore Systems’ manager of ATM switching systems before breaking out as a co-founder of Laurel Networks.
