Airties names telecoms veterans to board & C-suite

Airties has appointed Stephen Howe to its Board of Directors and Michael Rezek as Chief Business Development Officer, adding two telecoms and technology executives to its leadership team.

Howe joins the board after more than 25 years in Canadian telecommunications. Most recently, he was chief technology and information officer and executive vice president at Bell Canada, where he led the network and technology services organisation overseeing network design, build and operations, as well as application development, infrastructure and cloud management.

At Bell Canada, Howe oversaw the rollout of the company's fibre network across seven provinces and the expansion of its national 5G and 5G+ networks. Earlier in his career, he was chief information officer and executive vice president of IT at TELUS Mobility.

Rezek joins the executive team with more than 25 years of experience in business development and partnerships across technology markets. He will report to chief executive officer and co-founder Metin Taskin.

Before joining Airties, Rezek was director of business development at Cisco, where he worked on cross-architecture solutions and business growth initiatives across service provider, enterprise and government markets. Earlier, he was vice president of business development and strategic partnerships at Accedian, where he built partnerships ahead of the company's acquisition by Cisco in 2023.

The appointments come as Airties works with broadband operators on software to manage and improve home and business connectivity. Its customers include service providers such as AT&T, Cox, Deutsche Telekom, Telia, Telstra, T-Mobile US and Vodafone.

Taskin said Airties was seeking leaders with experience working closely with large telecoms networks and strategic partnerships.

"We are privileged to welcome Stephen to our board of directors and Michael to our executive leadership team at this exciting juncture in the history of Airties," said Metin Taskin, chief executive officer and co-founder of Airties.

"Stephen brings a remarkable record of accomplishment and experience having led large-scale deployments and innovations for some of the world's leading telecom companies. We look forward to his insights and guidance on ways to further strengthen our efforts to meet the evolving connectivity needs of broadband operators."

On Rezek's appointment, Taskin added: "We're also delighted to have recruited Michael Rezek to join our senior management team as chief business development officer. Michael's deep industry expertise and success in building strategic partnerships will help Airties create new ways to deepen the value we deliver to customers and partners."

Howe said he sees Airties as well positioned in software for internet service providers.

"Airties has an impeccable reputation for helping ISPs improve connectivity experiences through their AI-driven software and actionable insights for Tier-1 operators across the globe," said Stephen Howe, board member at Airties.

"I am honored to serve on the board of a true industry leader at the forefront of helping ISPs combat churn, improve customer experiences, and drive value for their customers and stakeholders. I look forward to working with the rest of the board and Airties' leadership team to help operators unlock new opportunities for innovation and growth."

Rezek said he would focus on partnerships linked to the company's work with operators.

"Airties shapes how ISPs improve and manage connectivity experiences for millions of subscribers around the world, and it possesses some of the richest connected-home intelligence anywhere in the industry," said Michael Rezek, chief business development officer at Airties.

"I'm thrilled to join as the company helps define the next phase of intelligent connectivity. As the pace of AI and networking innovation accelerates, I look forward to forging partnerships that turn that intelligence into more personalized, reliable, and secure connectivity experiences across homes, MDUs, and small businesses."

Airties sells software that helps internet service providers monitor, diagnose and address connectivity issues across home networks and connected devices. Its platform is used by operators to manage performance, customer satisfaction and retention, and includes products such as Airties Home, Airties Pro and Airties Multi.

Howe holds a bachelor of engineering physics from McMaster University and an MBA from Cornell University. Rezek holds a bachelor of engineering from Youngstown State University and a master of science in electrical engineering from Georgia Institute of Technology.