OREANDA-NEWS. Level 3 Communications (NYSE: LVLT) named Andrew Dugan Chief Technology Officer (CTO), and Atilla Tinic Chief Information Officer, effective immediately.

Dugan has been with Level 3 since 1998 and has served as interim lead for the Global Technology and IT Organization since June 2016.

Tinic joined Level 3 in 2014 as part of the tw telecom acquisition and had been with the company since 2004. His former role was Senior Vice President of IT.

"As a company, we are grateful for our bench of talented leaders," said Jeff Storey, president and CEO of Level 3. "Andrew and Atilla are accomplished professionals with a clear passion for our company and our customers. Their leadership in these critical roles will help us to further our efforts to achieve optimal organizational efficiency, improve customer satisfaction and deliver innovative solutions for our customers now and into the future."

As CTO, Dugan will continue to lead Level 3's Global Technology Organization, with a focus on global network technology, architecture, engineering, network systems and security. He has more than 30 years of experience in building telecommunications networks, switching platforms and services platforms.

"I take great pride in having been part of the Level 3 team since the near inception of the company and in having had a hand in building our global network," Dugan said. "As CTO, I'm looking forward to continuing to evolve our global strategy to deliver solutions our customers need while providing an exceptional customer experience."

Before joining Level 3, Dugan designed and built transport network support systems, enhanced voice services platforms and next generation voice switching networks for MCI Worldcom. He also worked for AT&T Bell Laboratories. Dugan holds a B.S. degree in Computer Science and Electrical Engineering from the University of Colorado and an M.S. degree in Computer Engineering from the University of Michigan.

Tinic has responsibility for the global IT organization and, in collaboration with marketing and network technology, its critical role in innovating services for our customers. He has more than 20 years of experience in IT architecture, system engineering and data management.

"I believe technology can be a powerful enabler of transformative innovation," Tinic said. "In this ever increasing interconnected world, IT plays a major role in everything from customer service to the efficient delivery of services. I look forward to continuing what I see as our legacy of driving technology to deliver exceptional solutions."

Prior to joining Level 3, Tinic served in leadership roles with tw telecom, American Management Systems, Saville Systems, Bell Canada and Bell Sygma. He holds a B.A. degree in Economics and Psychology from the University of Western Ontario and an M.A.S. degree in Information and Communication Technology from the University of Denver.