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Mitel has appointed Jeroen de Witte Executive Vice President, Engineering and Support, adding him to the executive leadership team.
He succeeds Al Hurren, who is retiring after more than two decades with the business. De Witte will oversee the alignment of technology strategy with product delivery, operational execution, architecture and support across Mitel's unified communications portfolio.
The appointment promotes an executive who has been with Mitel since 2020. He most recently served as Group Vice President, Research and Development, after holding a series of broader research and development leadership roles at the company.
De Witte has been closely involved in the development of Workflow Studio and Mitel WX, two products the company has highlighted as part of its recent software work. His remit now expands from research and development into engineering and support, putting him in charge of functions central to how Mitel builds and maintains its communications products.
Hurren's departure closes a long tenure spent guiding Mitel's engineering and operations teams. De Witte now takes responsibility for continuity across development, engineering and support at a company that serves more than 70 million users in over 100 countries.
Internal succession
The promotion indicates Mitel chose an internal succession plan rather than an external hire for one of its senior technical posts. De Witte's experience within the company, particularly in research and development, gives him familiarity with both the product roadmap and the operational demands of a business communications provider with cloud, hybrid and on-premises offerings.
Before joining Mitel, de Witte held senior executive and technology leadership roles at Motorola Solutions, Airbus DS Communications and PlantCML. He graduated from the University of Ottawa and began his career as a hardware design engineer at Bell Northern Research and Nortel Networks.
Mike Robinson, Chief Executive Officer of Mitel, described the appointment as a continuation of de Witte's existing working relationship with Hurren.
"Jeroen is an accomplished technology executive with an attentive and collaborative approach to product development and strategic planning," said Mike Robinson, Chief Executive Officer, Mitel.
"Jeroen has worked closely with Al over the last six years, and this is a natural elevation of a proven leader that provides a seamless leadership transition for our engineering, support and development teams. This continuity is critical, and Jeroen will partner with our product, marketing and technology teams as we work hard to build the right products and services for our customers," Robinson said.
Broader remit
The expanded brief brings together several parts of Mitel's product organisation under one executive. Alongside engineering and support, the role covers operational execution and architecture, giving de Witte influence over both product design and the processes that take products into customer deployments.
That matters in the unified communications market, where suppliers are often required to manage a mix of legacy on-premises systems, hybrid environments and cloud-based services. Mitel has built much of its position around serving businesses and sectors that still need that breadth, including organisations with frontline and shift-based workers and industries where communications resilience is a central requirement.
De Witte said he sees the role as part of that longer tradition at the company.
"Mitel has a long and successful history of innovation, and I am incredibly grateful to have the opportunity to take on this important leadership role," said Jeroen de Witte, Executive Vice President, Engineering and Support, Mitel.
"Mitel solutions are purposely designed to solve complex business challenges in some of the most demanding environments, and our teams of engineers and developers take great pride in knowing workers, especially those on the frontlines, trust what we offer day in and day out. I look forward to continuing to work closely with all those within the Mitel ecosystem to tackle the challenges that matter most for our customers with ingenuity and purpose," de Witte said.
Retirement transition
Hurren's retirement removes a long-serving executive from Mitel's senior ranks. Robinson linked that tenure to the way the company has developed and delivered its products over the years.
"Al's dedication to Mitel over the past 20 years has helped position this company for continued growth today and into the future," Robinson said.
"Over that time, he has shaped how we build and deliver our solutions and been part of almost every major step in this company's strategy and success. We wish him a joyful retirement," Robinson said.
De Witte will remain based in Ottawa, giving Mitel continuity in one of its established North American leadership locations as the company reshapes responsibility for engineering and support.