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Ciena Executive Compensation (FY25)

CIEN · Hanover, MD · Executive and director compensation, fiscal 2022 to 2025
Data as of September 7, 2026Latest filing (8-K): March 31, 2026
300 figures on this page: 294 cited to the filing that reported them, 6 calculated from figures it prints. See the citations
Total compensation for Gary Smith, President and CEO, came to $18,530,396 in fiscal 2025, and Smith's total moved 31.6% higher from the $14,076,773 reported for fiscal 2024. For fiscal 2025, the company reported a chief executive pay ratio of 166:1, against median employee compensation of $111,613. Shareholders supported the say-on-pay proposal with 95.4% of votes cast including abstentions in favor at the meeting held March 26, 2026 for fiscal 2025. The disclosed peer group includes Akamai Technologies, Cadence Design Systems, Calix, Coherent Corp and CommScope, among others.
Chief executive, fiscal 2025
◇
Gary Smith
Median of the other named officers
$4,231,335
5 officers, excluding the chief executive
Latest say-on-pay support
=
March 26, 2026
Chief executive pay ratio
◇
To the median employee
What changed from fiscal 2024 to fiscal 2025
The figures that moved, and by how much. Analysis of these figures is part of the Velarion platform.
Chief executive total compensation — Gary Smith: $14,076,773 → $18,530,396 (31.6% higher)
Say-on-pay support: 94.5% → 95.4% (0.9 points higher)
CEO pay ratio: 141:1 → 166:1 (17.7% higher)

Frequently asked questions

Answers drawn from the data on this page.
Who is Ciena's chief executive and what were they paid?
Total compensation for Gary Smith, President and CEO, came to $18,530,396 in fiscal 2025. Smith's total moved 31.6% higher from the $14,076,773 reported for fiscal 2024.
What was Ciena's say-on-pay result?
Shareholders supported the say-on-pay proposal with 95.4% of votes cast including abstentions in favor at the meeting held March 26, 2026 for fiscal 2025.
Which companies are in Ciena's peer group?
The disclosed peer group includes Akamai Technologies, Cadence Design Systems, Calix, Coherent Corp and CommScope, among others.
What is Ciena's chief executive pay ratio?
For fiscal 2025, the company reported a chief executive pay ratio of 166:1, against median employee compensation of $111,613.

Executive compensation

Every element reported for each named executive officer, by fiscal year.
Fiscal 2022
OfficerSalaryBonusStock awardsOption awardsNon-equity incentivePension and deferred earningsAll other compensationTotal
Gary Smith
President and Chief Executive Officer
◇—◇—◇——◇
Andrew Petrov
Executive Vice President, Chief Revenue Officer
◇—◇—◇—◇◇
Rick Hamilton
Executive Vice President, Chief Information Officer and President, Blue Planet
◇—◇—◇—◇◇
Scott McFeely
Executive Vice President, Global Products and Services
◇—◇—◇——◇
James Moylan
Senior Vice President, Finance and Chief Financial Officer
◇—◇—◇——◇
Fiscal 2023
OfficerSalaryBonusStock awardsOption awardsNon-equity incentivePension and deferred earningsAll other compensationTotal
Gary Smith
President and CEO
◇—◇—◇—◇◇
James Moylan, Jr.
SVP and CFO
◇—◇—◇—◇◇
Scott McFeely
SVP, Global Products and Services
◇—◇—◇—◇◇
Jason Phipps
SVP, Global Customer Engagement
◇—◇—◇—◇◇
David Rothenstein
SVP, Chief Strategy Officer and Secretary
◇—◇—◇—◇◇
Fiscal 2024
OfficerSalaryBonusStock awardsOption awardsNon-equity incentivePension and deferred earningsAll other compensationTotal
Gary Smith
President and CEO
◇—◇—◇—◇◇
James Moylan, Jr.
SVP and CFO
◇—◇—◇—◇◇
Jason Phipps
SVP, Global Customer Engagement
◇—◇—◇—◇◇
David Rothenstein
SVP, Chief Strategy Officer and Secretary
◇—◇—◇—◇◇
Dino DiPerna
SVP, Global R&D
◇—◇—◇—◇◇
Fiscal 2025
OfficerSalaryBonusStock awardsOption awardsNon-equity incentivePension and deferred earningsAll other compensationTotal
Gary Smith
President and CEO
◇—◇—◇—◇◇
Marc Graff
SVP and CFO
◇◇◇—◇—◇◇
Jason Phipps
SVP, Global Customer Engagement
◇—◇—◇—◇◇
David Rothenstein
SVP, Chief Strategy Officer and Secretary
◇—◇—◇—◇◇
Dino DiPerna
SVP, Global R&D
◇—◇—◇—◇◇
James Moylan, Jr.
SVP and CFO (former)
Departed during or after this year
◇———◇—◇◇
A dash means the company reported no figure in that column. $0 is shown only where the filing prints a zero. A negative change in pension value is shown but, as the company reports it, not included in the total.

Equity awards granted

Individual awards as disclosed: type, date, unit counts at each level, and grant date value.
Fiscal 2025
OfficerAwardGrant dateThreshold unitsTarget unitsUnits grantedMaximum unitsExercise priceGrant date fair value
David M. RothensteinPSU◇◇◇—◇—◇
David M. RothensteinMSU◇◇◇—◇—◇
David M. RothensteinRSU◇——◇——◇
Dino DiPernaPSU◇◇◇—◇—◇
Dino DiPernaRSU◇——◇——◇
Dino DiPernaMSU◇◇◇—◇—◇
Gary B. SmithRSU◇——◇——◇
Gary B. SmithPSU◇◇◇—◇—◇
Gary B. SmithMSU◇◇◇—◇—◇
Jason M. PhippsMSU◇◇◇—◇—◇
Jason M. PhippsPSU◇◇◇—◇—◇
Jason M. PhippsRSU◇——◇——◇
Marc D. GraffRSU◇——◇——◇
Fiscal 2023, 2024 are included in the PDF.
A dash means the company reported no figure in that column. $0 is shown only where the filing prints a zero. Threshold, target and maximum apply only to performance awards and are never shown for time-based or option awards.

Outstanding awards

Awards still held at fiscal year end.
As disclosed at fiscal 2025 year end
OfficerAwardUnvested unitsMarket value of unvested unitsExercise priceExpires
David RothensteinRSU◇◇——
RSU◇◇——
RSU◇◇——
RSU◇◇——
RSU◇◇——
RSU◇◇——
RSU◇◇——
RSU◇◇——
RSU◇◇——
RSU◇◇——
Jason PhippsRSU◇◇——
RSU◇◇——
RSU◇◇——
RSU◇◇——
RSU◇◇——
RSU◇◇——
RSU◇◇——
RSU◇◇——
RSU◇◇——
Dino DiPernaRSU◇◇——
RSU◇◇——
RSU◇◇——
RSU◇◇——
RSU◇◇——
RSU◇◇——
RSU◇◇——
RSU◇◇——
RSU◇◇——
James MoylanRSU◇◇——
RSU◇◇——
RSU◇◇——
RSU◇◇——
RSU◇◇——
Gary SmithRSU◇◇——
RSU◇◇——
RSU◇◇——
RSU◇◇——
RSU◇◇——
RSU◇◇——
RSU◇◇——
RSU◇◇——
RSU◇◇——
Marc GraffRSU◇◇——
A dash means the company reported no figure in that column. $0 is shown only where the filing prints a zero.

Director compensation

What each non-employee director was paid.
Fiscal 2025
DirectorFees earned in cashStock awardsOption awardsNon-equity incentivePension and deferred earningsAll other compensationTotal
Lawton W. Fitt
Board chair
◇◇————◇
Devinder Kumar
◇◇————◇
Joanne B. Olsen
◇◇————◇
Bruce L. Claflin
◇◇————◇
Patrick T. Gallagher
◇◇————◇
Hassan M. Ahmed, Ph.D
◇◇————◇
Mary G. Puma
◇◇————◇
T. Michael Nevens
◇◇————◇
Patrick H. Nettles, Ph.D
—————◇◇
Gary B. Smith served on the board in fiscal 2025 and received no compensation for board service. Executive directors are typically paid through their executive roles, shown above.
Earlier years are included in the PDF.
A dash means the company reported no figure in that column. $0 is shown only where the filing prints a zero.

Director fee schedule

The standing retainers and premiums the board pays, as published.
Board cash retainer◇
Board equity retainer◇
Total board retainer◇
Lead independent director premium◇

Disclosed peer group

The companies this board named as its compensation comparison group. The list is disclosure; the comparison is analysis.
Fiscal 2025
  • Akamai Technologies AKAM
  • Cadence Design Systems CDNS
  • Calix CALX
  • Coherent Corp COHR
  • CommScope symbol not shown
  • Extreme Networks EXTR
  • F5 Networks FFIV
  • Juniper Networks JNPR
  • Keysight Technologies KEYS
  • Logitech LOGI
  • Lumentum LITE
  • Motorola Solutions MSI
  • NetApp NTAP
  • Nutanix NTNX
  • Sanmina SANM
  • Synopsys SNPS
  • ViaSat VSAT
  • Zebra Technologies ZBRA

Say-on-pay history

Shareholder support for the compensation program, by year.
YearMeetingSupportVotes forVotes againstAbstentions
2025March 26, 2026=◇◇◇
2024March 27, 2025=◇◇◇
2023March 21, 2024=◇◇◇
2022March 30, 2023=◇◇◇
2021March 31, 2022=◇◇◇
2020April 1, 2021=◇◇◇

Chief executive pay ratio

As calculated and reported by the company.
Ratio
◇
Median employee compensation
◇
Chief executive total compensation
◇
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What this page does not include

Everything above is a fact Ciena disclosed, and it is free. Everything below is our analysis of those facts, and it is not.
Peer benchmarking
Where Ciena sits against its disclosed peers — percentile position by role and by pay element, and the ranking behind it. The disclosed peer group is free; comparisons across it are part of the Velarion platform.
Executive Compensation Report — $1,500
Written compensation analysis
A read of the pay program as designed and as paid: incentive structure, goal rigor, the alignment between the committee's stated philosophy and what the numbers show.
Executive Compensation Report — $1,500
Board and governance analysis
Committee composition, independence, director pay positioning, and the governance provisions read together rather than listed.
Board Governance Report — $1,200
Realizable pay
What the awards above are actually worth today against what they were valued at on grant, and what the gap says about the pay-for-performance link.
Velarion Intelligence
Adviser switching and vote outcomes
Two datasets covering compensation-adviser changes and what followed a contested vote. Both are part of the Velarion platform.
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Citations

Every figure on this page is cited to the document that reported it. Select any figure to see its citation.
300 figures on this page: 294 cited to the filing that reported them, 6 calculated from figures it prints.
294 cited to the filing
6 calculated from the filing

Documents cited

  1. 0001628280-26-022342
    Item 5.07 Submission of Matters to a Vote of Security Holders
  2. 0001193125-26-047977
    CEO Pay Ratio · Director compensation · Fiscal 2025 Director Compensation Table · Fiscal 2025 Grants of Plan-Based Awards · and 3 more sections
  3. 0000936395-25-000015
    Item 5.07 Submission of Matters to a Vote of Security Holders
  4. 0000950170-25-019400
    Fiscal 2024 Summary Compensation Table
  5. 0000936395-24-000012
    Item 5.07 Submission of Matters to a Vote of Security Holders
  6. 0001193125-24-027738
    Fiscal 2023 Summary Compensation Table
  7. 0000936395-23-000018
    Item 5.07 Submission of Matters to a Vote of Security Holders
  8. 0001193125-23-040833
    Summary Compensation Table
  9. 0000936395-22-000035
  10. 0000936395-21-000015
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This page is free to cite. Attribution we ask for:
Velarion, “Ciena executive compensation, FY2022–FY2025.” https://intel.velarion.ai/comp/CIEN (accessed 2026).
Short form: data: Velarion
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Tech — Hardware rankings

Chief executive pay — Tech — HardwareCEO pay ratio — Tech — HardwareSay-on-pay support — Tech — Hardware

Peers Ciena discloses

The companies named in CIEN's own disclosed peer group.

Cadence Design SystemsCoherent CorpLogitechLumentumMotorola SolutionsNetAppNutanixSanminaSynopsys

Terms on this page

Say-on-Pay VoteCEO Pay RatioMedian Employee CompensationAll companies
Cite this data
APA
Velarion Company Intelligence. (2026). Velarion database: executive and board compensation data (Version 2026Q3) [Data set]. Zenodo. https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.22283854
BibTeX
@misc{velarionData2026,
  author = {{Velarion Company Intelligence}},
  title = {Velarion database: executive and board compensation data},
  year = {2026},
  version = {2026Q3},
  doi = {10.5281/zenodo.22283854},
  publisher = {Zenodo},
  url = {https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.22283854}
}
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