Kelly Ahuja
About Kulvinder (Kelly) Ahuja
Kulvinder (Kelly) Ahuja, age 58, is an independent director of Celestica (CLS) since 2024 and resides in Los Gatos, California . He is CEO of Versa Networks (since 2016), and previously spent 18 years at Cisco in senior roles including SVP of Service Provider Business, Chief Architect for the Service Provider business, and GM roles; earlier roles include BlueLeaf Networks and StrataCom, with early-career network deployment for AT&T Canada, Bank of Canada, and Telesat Canada . He holds a B.Sc. in Electrical, Electronics & Communications Engineering from the University of Calgary .
Past Roles
| Organization | Role | Tenure | Committees/Impact |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cisco Systems, Inc. | SVP, Service Provider Business, Products & Solutions; SVP & GM Mobility; Chief Architect, Service Provider; SVP & GM Service Provider Routing | 18 years (prior to 2016) | Led service provider segment strategy and portfolio |
| BlueLeaf Networks | VP of Marketing | — | Early-stage optical networking; product marketing leadership |
| StrataCom | Product Management Leader | — | Product management for networking solutions |
| AT&T Canada; Bank of Canada; Telesat Canada | Network design/deployment | — | Managed design and deployment of data/voice networks |
External Roles
| Organization | Role | Tenure | Public Company? |
|---|---|---|---|
| Versa Networks | Chief Executive Officer | 2016–present | Private company |
| — | — | — | No current other public company boards for Ahuja |
Board Governance
- Committee assignments: Audit; Human Resources & Compensation Committee (HRCC); Nominating & Corporate Governance Committee (NCGC) .
- Committee chair roles: None. Current chairs are Dr. Luis A. Müller (Audit), Robert A. Cascella (HRCC), and Françoise Colpron (NCGC) .
- Independence: Board determined all directors other than the CEO are independent; committees are fully independent; Ahuja is independent .
- Attendance and engagement: 100% attendance at Board and committee meetings in 2024; received 99.19% support in 2024 director election (signal of shareholder confidence) .
- Board leadership: Independent Chair (Michael M. Wilson) .
- Interlocks: No committee interlocks in 2024; no HRCC member was a current/former officer; no Item 404 relationships; no interlocking relationships under Item 407(e) .
- Overboarding/interlocks across boards: Company notes no directors sit together on another public company board .
Fixed Compensation (Director)
| Year | Fees Earned or Paid in Cash ($) | Election Mix (Cash/DSUs/RSUs) | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | 131,923 | 50% / 50% / — | Annual Board, committee chair retainer and travel fees credited quarterly in arrears; Ahuja elected 50% cash, 50% DSUs |
Celestica’s director fee framework allows 0%, 25% or 50% cash with balance in DSUs until ownership guideline is met; thereafter equity can be DSUs or RSUs .
Performance Compensation (Director Equity)
Directors do not receive performance-vesting awards; equity is granted quarterly as DSUs (and RSUs only after meeting ownership guideline). Ahuja elected DSUs only in 2024 .
| Metric | Q1 2024 | Q2 2024 | Q3 2024 | Q4 2024 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| DSUs Granted (#) | 557 | 621 | 696 | 385 |
| Grant Date Fair Value ($) | 25,048 | 35,625 | 35,625 | 35,625 |
| Stock Awards Total 2024 ($) | 131,923 (sum) |
Key terms:
- DSUs vest and settle upon retirement from the Board; settlement in shares or cash at company discretion .
- RSUs (if used) vest one-third annually over 3 years; unvested RSUs accelerate at retirement; Ahuja had no RSUs in 2024 .
Other Directorships & Interlocks
| Company | Type | Role | Committee Roles | Overlap/Interlock |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| — | Public | — | — | None; Ahuja lists no other public company boards . Company states no directors serve together on other public boards . |
Expertise & Qualifications
- Executive leadership; networking and telecommunications; IT and cybersecurity expertise identified in skills matrix/profile .
- Financial literacy affirmed for Board/committee membership; Audit Committee members are financially literate .
- Education: B.Sc. Electrical/Electronics & Communications Engineering, University of Calgary .
Equity Ownership
| As of Date | Common Shares Beneficially Owned | DSUs (Unvested) | RSUs (Unvested) | Market Value Reference | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Apr 22, 2025 | 0 | — | — | — | Beneficial ownership table (Common Shares) |
| Dec 31, 2024 | — | 2,259 | — | Valued at $208,506 using $92.30 NYSE close | Director share ownership table |
Ownership alignment and guidelines:
- Director Share Ownership Guideline: 150% of annual retainer; target value $412,500; Ahuja value $208,506 as of Dec 31, 2024; status N/A (has 5 years from Jan 29, 2024 appointment to comply) .
Insider filings/transactions:
| Filing Date | Form | Security | Amount/Description |
|---|---|---|---|
| Dec 19, 2024 | Form 3 | Deferred Share Units (derivative) | 1,874 DSUs reported; each DSU represents right to one common share or cash upon leaving Board |
Governance Assessment
-
Strengths and signals supporting investor confidence:
- Fully independent status and service on all three key Board committees (Audit, HRCC, NCGC) with 100% attendance in 2024 .
- Strong shareholder support in election (99.19%) .
- No related-party transactions since Jan 1, 2024; no committee interlocks; committees meet without management; independent compensation advisor retained by HRCC .
- Equity alignment via DSUs (50% of 2024 fees in DSUs) .
-
Watch items / potential red flags:
- Ownership guideline not yet met (expected for a new 2024 appointee); $208,506 vs $412,500 target as of Dec 31, 2024; five-year compliance window remains .
- External role as CEO of Versa Networks (private). Board affirms independence and discloses no related-party transactions, but continued monitoring is prudent for any commercial intersections; none disclosed to date .
-
Overall: Ahuja brings deep networking/cyber/telecom expertise and executive leadership, adds breadth to risk/technology oversight, and demonstrates strong engagement. Compensation structure emphasizes equity alignment via DSUs; absence of interlocks/related-party transactions and high election support are positive governance indicators .