RESEARCH TRIANGLE PARK, NC — George Riedel, an executive with telecom gear firm Juniper Networks, is moving to

Nortel

, taking over as the firm's chief strategy officer.

Riedel will report directly to Mike Zafirovski, Nortel's chief executive officer. He will focus on corporate strategy and business development as well as mergers and acquisitions.

Riedel is the latest in a series of new executive moves since Zafirovski took over as CEO last November. He will join the company as of Feb. 28 and will be based in Toronto.

"This appointment marks my commitment to maintaining Nortel's technology and innovation leadership," said Zafirovski. "George's extensive knowledge of telecom and technology combined with his business acumen, strategic orientation and M&A experience will complement our strong leadership team and position the company for a successful future as we simplify our business, develop next-generation products and solutions, and focus on long-term, profitable growth."

Riedel was vice president for strategy and corporate development at Juniper, which he joined in 2003. He worked previously at McKinsey and Company for 15 years. A graduate of the University of Virginia, he earned his MBA at Harvard Business School.