About Dino DiPerna

Dino DiPerna, Senior Vice President of Ciena’s Research and Development (R&D) organization, personifies the essence of true leadership. With a world-class team of more than 3,500 engineers and scientists, he is responsible for spearheading many technical breakthroughs and innovations in Ciena’s labs across the globe.

Before joining Ciena in 2010, Dino made significant strides that pushed the laws of physics during his career at Nortel/BNR. Dino led Nortel’s R&D teams responsible for pioneering the productization of industry-leading Coherent 40 Gb/s and 100 Gb/s DWDM optical transport technology. This technology later became the industry’s standard for transmitting data across the internet.

“I am deeply passionate about the technology sector and the power of connectivity,” Dino noted. “I’ve been fortunate to lead and collaborate with some of the brightest minds in the industry, pioneering innovative solutions and driving technological advancements.”

Dino’s career began with a solid foundation in education, earning a degree in Electrical Engineering from McGill University. His expertise and experience have not gone unnoticed, leading him to serve on the advisory board of the Communications Research Center of Canada. This role allowed him to further contribute to the field he is so passionate about, guiding R&D opportunities on a national level.

Dino is also an active supporter of Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) initiatives.  “I firmly believe in the power of STEM education. It’s not just about teaching kids science and math. It’s about preparing the next generation for a future that’s going to be filled with challenges and opportunities we can’t even imagine today,” he adds.

Beyond his professional commitments, Dino has a deep-rooted love for music. He enjoys an eclectic range of genres and styles and believes that music is a universal language that transcends boundaries and brings people together. Dino is also an avid sports fan, especially of college football, and often draws parallels between the strategic thinking, teamwork, and competitive spirit of the game and his professional life.