Agilent Technologies has announced that Jay Alexander has been named Keysight Technologies’ chief technology officer. Agilent announced in September 2013 that it would separate into two publicly traded companies in 2014. Agilent’s Electronic Measurement Group is expected to begin operating as Keysight Technologies in August 2014. Alexander’s appointment is effective immediately.
In his new position, Alexander will lead Keysight’s technology development, drive its product roadmap, and manage the company’s resource allocation across divisions to transform Keysight’s portfolio to proactively meet customers’ needs.
“We looked inside and outside our company for someone who not only knows technology but has led a business organisation and therefore understands business issues as well,” said Keysight president and CEO Ron Nersesian. “This will help drive the right product strategy for Keysight. Jay has a strong R&D background, is highly respected in the industry, and has helped drive key growth and profit increases in the company.”
Alexander has held numerous leadership positions within Agilent’s Electronic Measurement Group, including his most recent role as vice president and general manager for the Oscilloscope and Protocol Division.
Alexander joined Hewlett-Packard in 1986 as a manufacturing and test engineer. Three years later he became test engineering manager for HP’s oscilloscopes and logic analysers at the company’s Colorado Springs Division. Alexander later moved to R&D as a software development engineer and subsequently served in various R&D management positions. He was also Agilent’s Design Verification Division product planning manager, the Network and Digital Solutions Business Unit marketing manager, and Agilent’s Electronic Measurement Architecture and Business Intelligence manager.
Alexander earned a bachelor’s degree in electrical engineering from Northwestern University and a master’s degree in computer science from the University of Colorado at Boulder. He is a licensed professional engineer and a Senior member of IEEE. He holds 24 U.S. patents.
