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Team

Directing Analyst

Andrew Schmitt

As the founder and directing analyst at Cignal AI, Andrew Schmitt draws upon more than two decades of comprehensive experience in the optical network industry, first as a talented engineer and manager in the field and then as an industry analyst. He uses this first-hand knowledge to bring a unique perspective to market research.

At Cignal AI, Andrew directs all research activity on the networking market’s entire supply chain – from carriers and equipment manufacturers to chips and components. He is quoted and consulted by industry publications such as Lightwave and Lightreading and participates in the OFC planning committee. He is invited to speak annually at events such as OFC, ECOC, FOE, and IIR conferences as well as private events. He is also a consultant to startups, carriers, vendors, and the investment community, where he provides insight on developing business opportunities and market strategy.

Prior to Cignal AI, Andrew was business unit director for Vitesse Semiconductor and was a principal analyst at Infonetics Research and then IHS/Markit. He holds multiple engineering patents and received his BS in Electrical Engineering at the University of California, Santa Barbara (UCSB). Andrew resides with his family in the New England area.

Lead Analyst, Networking Components

Scott Wilkinson

Scott Wilkinson has worked directly in the telecommunications industry for over 20 years, during which he accumulated extensive experience in fiber to the home, long haul optical hardware, carrier ethernet, MPLS, and SDN/NFV-enabled networks. As Lead Analyst at Cignal AI, he conducts quantitative and qualitative research on the optical and packet transport hardware market with a focus on carriers and equipment manufacturers.

Scott held senior positions in product management and systems engineering for Hitachi and was a marketing director at ECI Telecom, where he championed the company’s optical transport and packet switching solutions and oversaw its North American business development.

A noted speaker at telecom conferences and events such as NGON, OFC, and FTTH, Wilkinson is also a frequent contributor to trade publications such as Fibre Systems, Lightwave, Broadband Properties, and OSP. Wilkinson, who resides in Georgia, earned a Bachelor of Electrical Engineering degree and Ph.D. in Electrical Engineering from the Georgia Institute of Technology. Scott enjoys participating in community theatre and performs regularly in his hometown near Atlanta.

Lead Analyst, Optical and Packet Transport Hardware

Kyle Hollasch

Kyle Hollasch draws upon his engineering background to develop a comprehensive understanding of optical networks, which he blends with his creative communication style to deliver complex ideas in effective and engaging ways.

He has worked in systems engineering and product line management at Cisco and led the deployment of long-haul DWDM networks at Lucent Technologies. Most recently, Kyle was Director of Optical Portfolio Marketing at Nokia, where he was responsible for bringing the company’s Optical Networking solutions to a global market. Altogether, Kyle brings more than twenty years of first-hand experience in the optical networking industry into his work at Cignal AI.

Kyle is a regular speaker at industry events and webinars, and a frequent creator of blogs, articles, and videos covering optical networking technologies and products. Kyle holds a BS in Electrical Engineering from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute and a Master of Electrical Engineering from Cornell University. Kyle enjoys being a father – and when he gets a chance – cycling, landscaping, gardening, and home improvement. He and his family live in the greater Boston area.

Director of Sales & Marketing

Christine Schmitt

Christine Schmitt heads up Cignal AI’s sales and marketing. She has held positions in project management and development at Harvard Pilgrim Healthcare and Brigham and Women’s Hospital. She was also a consultant at market strategy firms InForm, Inc. and Strategic Pricing Group. Most recently, she spearheaded marketing and business development at Cambridge-based architectural firm Austin Architects.

Christine received her B.A. in English from the College of the Holy Cross and her M.B.A. from Boston College. She is—you guessed it—married to Andrew Schmitt, and enjoys rowing on the Charles River.