Digital Library

Speaker's Biography: Dr. Matthews is founder and Chairman of Newbridge Networks Corporation. Dr. Matthews formed Newbridge in 1986 and has provided the vision that has enabled the company to grow to its current worldwide leadership position in the provision of managed networks. Newbridge is named for the small town to the north of Newport, Wales, where Dr. Matthews grew up. Prior to his founding of Newbridge, Dr. Matthews was a co-founder of Mitel Corporation. In his first 10 years there, he directed the marketing, sales and product management activities, developing the company to become a world leader in the design and manufacture of telecommunications Integrated Circuit (IC) devices and electronic private switchboards. British Telecom bought controlling interest in Mitel in 1985, and in March 1986, Dr. Matthews left the company to found Newbridge.

Dr. Matthews began his career in telecommunications at the age of 16 at British Telecom Research Labs in his native Wales. While working there, he continued to study and received Higher National Certificates in Electrical and Mechanical Engineering. He also received an honors degree in Electronics from the University College of Wales, Swansea. Upon graduation, he left Wales for Canada, where he worked initially as an engineer at Microsystems International Ltd., a subsidiary of Northern Telecom, ultimately becoming Manager of Telecommunications Product Marketing.

Dr. Matthews is a Fellow of both the Institution of Electrical Engineers and the University of Wales. He has received a Doctor of Technology degree from the University of Glamorgan, Wales and a Doctor of Engineering degree from Carleton University, Ottawa, Canada. In May 1994, Dr. Matthews was appointed as an Officer of the Order of the British Empire. Dr. Matthews is also Chairman of a number of high technology companies including CrossKeys, West End Systems, TimeStep, Televitesse, Castleton Systems, StarVision Multimedia Corporation and Tundra Semiconductor. He is also Chairman of the UK company - Celtic Inns.

Newbridge Networks Corporation Newbridge Networks is a world leader in designing, manufacturing and servicing a comprehensive family of networking products and systems that deliver the power of multimedia communications to organizations in more than 75 countries throughout the world. Newbridge products are the choice of an expanding range of customers which includes virtually all of the world's 200 largest telecommunications service providers, as well as more than 10,000 public and private enterprises, government organizations and other institutions. Newbridge currently holds the number one position in the wide area Asynchronous Transfer Mode (ATM) and Time Division Multiplexer (TDM) switch markets, and the number two position for the number of ATM Local Area Network (LAN) units shipped. The company has facilities throughout Canada, the United States, Latin America, Europe, the Middle East, Asia and Australia.

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• Photographs from the Annual General Meeting.