McLean telecom CEO steps down

Richard D. Calder had been with GTT Communications Inc. since 2007.

Published June 2, 2020 by Sydney Lake

Richard D. Calder. Photo courtesy GTT Communications Inc.

Richard D. Calder, president and CEO of McLean-based telecommunications company GTT Communications Inc., left the company on Monday, June 1. He had been the president and CEO since 2007.

“We appreciate the many accomplishments Rick has achieved since joining GTT as CEO in May 2007 over 13 years ago,” H. Brian Thompson, GTT executive chairman, said in a statement. “We have initiated an executive search for a new CEO to lead GTT moving forward.”

GTT confirmed Tuesday that the company has not yet released a timeline for hiring a new CEO. GTT board of directors members including Thompson, Nick Adamo and Benjamin Stein will support the senior executive team during the company’s search.

The company also announced that Division President Ernie Ortega has been promoted to chief revenue officer. He joined the company one year ago, and was previously the CEO of Towerstream Corp., a telecommunications company based in Middletown, Rhode Island.

Founded in 1998, GTT specializes in Tier 1 internet network and cloud networking services. The company reported revenues of more than $1.72 billion in 2019.