Plantronics' New President And CEO Joe Burton Takes Charge On Oct. 2

(RTTNews) - Plantronics, Inc. (PLT), a provider of audio communications for businesses and consumers, announced Monday that Joe Burton, the company's former Chief Commercial Officer, officially transitioned into the role of President and Chief Executive Officer effective October 2. Burton was also appointed to the company's board of directors.

Burton succeeds former President and CEO, Ken Kannappan, who decided to resign from the board of directors effective October 2. Kannappan will remain employed as Executive Vice Chairman reporting to Burton for one year and will thereafter serve as a consultant for an additional 18 months.

The company previously announced Kannappan's plans to retire along with its intention that Burton assume the helm on August 2.

Burton joined Plantronics in 2011 as Senior Vice President and Chief Technology Officer, and subsequently was appointed as Executive Vice President and Chief Commercial Officer. He worked closely with Kannappan to develop and execute the company's strategic direction, including driving the firm's ongoing growth in Unified Communications.

Prior to Plantronics, Burton was with Polycom, where he was executive vice president, chief strategy officer, chief technology officer and general manager of its service provider business. Prior to that, Burton spent 10 years at Cisco Systems.

Burton said, "I'm looking forward to leading Plantronics as we continue to create purposeful, innovative solutions that will improve people's lives and fundamentally transform how they engage with each other and the world around them. Software and analytics, coupled with intelligent devices sit at the core of a new, emerging communications paradigm and Plantronics is uniquely qualified to seize that opportunity and deliver on it."