Kevin Kalkhoven Retires as JDS Uniphase CEO

NEPEAN, ONTARIO, and SAN JOSE, CA, May 18 -- JDS Uniphase Corporation, the largest component manufacturer for fiber-optic equipment, has announced the retirement of Kevin Kalkhoven as co-chairman and CEO.

Kalkhoven, 55, will be succeeded by Jozef Strauss, 53, who has been co-chairman, president, and chief operating officer since JDS Uniphase was formed on July 6, 1999, through the merger of JDS Fitel Inc. and Uniphase Corporation.

"Kevin has been a major force in our becoming what we are today, and our employees and stockholders owe him a real debt of gratitude," said Strauss. "His vision and energy have been instrumental in the development of JDS Uniphase into an industry leader. While we will miss having Kevin as our CEO, we are more excited than ever about our opportunities and we will continue to build on the forward-looking strategies that have served us so well."

Kalkhoven said that he is retiring due to exhaustion following several years of 100-hour weeks. He will remain with the company as an advisor on strategic matters through the end of fiscal 2001, and his future plans include starting a venture capital company.

"JDS Uniphase is in an outstanding position today from the perspective of our financial performance and strength, our market position, our products, and our strategy," said Kalkhoven. "The company is solidly on course, there is a very strong team to lead the company forward, and I feel confident in turning over responsibility for the company's future to others."

Kalkhoven joined Uniphase Corporation in 1992 as president and CEO, overseeing its transformation from a privately held manufacturer of industrial lasers into a publicly held, leading global supplier of components and modules for advanced fiber-optic telecommunications networks and a member of the NASDAQ 100. During Kalkhoven's term as CEO, the company's annual sales rates increased more than 67-fold from $23 million in fiscal 1991 to the $394 million reported for the quarter ended March 31, 2000. As CEO of Uniphase, Kalkhoven oversaw its merger with JDS Fitel and the emergence of the combined companies as a fiber-optics leader.

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