ADTRAN Holdings appoints Christian H. Terlinde director
His career includes more than two decades of senior financial leadership at multinational manufacturers, with experience in European and North American markets.
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Rhea-AI Filing Summary
ADTRAN Holdings, Inc. expanded its board from seven to eight directors and elected Dr. Christian H. Terlinde as a director effective October 27, 2026. The board determined that he qualifies as an independent director under Nasdaq listing standards. Terlinde will receive compensation under the company’s standard arrangements for non-employee directors, as described in its 2025 director compensation disclosure and as adjusted by the board from time to time. The company stated that no arrangements or understandings led to his selection and that no related-person transactions exist between him and the company.
Terlinde currently serves as Group Chief Financial Officer of Flender International GmbH and previously held senior finance roles at JOST Werke SE, Benteler Automotive GmbH, MAHLE GmbH and ista North America, Inc. His career includes more than two decades of senior financial leadership at multinational manufacturers, with operating experience in European and North American markets.
8-K Event Classification
Key Figures
Key Terms
independent director regulatory
non-employee directors financial
German GAAP financial
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UNITED STATES
SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
WASHINGTON, D.C. 20549
FORM 8-K
CURRENT REPORT
Pursuant to Section 13 or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934
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Indicate by check mark whether the registrant is an emerging growth company as defined in Rule 405 of the Securities Act of 1933 (§ 230.405 of this chapter) or Rule 12b-2 of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 (§ 240.12b-2 of this chapter).
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Item 5.02 Departure of Directors or Certain Officers; Election of Directors; Appointment of Certain Officers; Compensatory Arrangements of Certain Officers.
On October 27, 2026, the Board of Directors (the “Board”) of ADTRAN Holdings, Inc. (the “Company”), upon the recommendation of the Board’s Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee, voted unanimously to increase the size of the Board from seven (7) to eight (8) directors and to elect Christian Terlinde as a director, effective as of October 27, 2026 (the “Effective Date”). The Board has determined that Dr. Terlinde qualifies as an “independent director” under Nasdaq listing standards.
There are no arrangements or understandings between Dr. Terlinde and any other person pursuant to which Dr. Terlinde was selected as a director of the Company. There are no related person transactions (within the meaning of Item 404(a) of Regulation S-K promulgated by the Securities and Exchange Commission) between Dr. Terlinde and the Company. Dr. Terlinde will receive compensation for his Board service in accordance with the Company’s standard compensation arrangements for non-employee directors, which are described under the caption “2025 Director Compensation” in the Company’s definitive proxy statement on Schedule 14A filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on March 27, 2026, as adjusted by the Board from time to time.
Item 8.01 Other Events.
On October 29, 2026, the Company issued a press release announcing the appointment of Dr. Terlinde to the Board, which press release contains additional biographical information about Dr. Terlinde. A copy of this press release is attached hereto as Exhibit 99.1.
Item 9.01 Financial Statements and Exhibits.
(d) Exhibits
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99.1
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Press Release dated October 29, 2026 |
104
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SIGNATURES
Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, the registrant has duly caused this report to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned hereunto duly authorized.
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ADTRAN Holdings, Inc. |
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October 29, 2026 |
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/s/ Timothy Santo |
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Timothy Santo |
Exhibit 99.1
ADTRAN Holdings, Inc. Appoints Dr. Christian H. Terlinde to Board of Directors
Huntsville, Alabama, USA. — October 29, 2026 — ADTRAN Holdings, Inc. (NASDAQ: ADTN and FSE: QH9) (“ADTRAN Holdings” or the “Company”), a leading global provider of networking and communications solutions, today announced the appointment of Dr. Christian H. Terlinde as an independent member of its Board of Directors effective October 27, 2026.
Dr. Terlinde brings more than two decades of senior financial leadership experience at large, multinational manufacturing companies, with operating experience spanning both European and North American markets. Having lived and worked in both the United States and Germany, he brings a firsthand international perspective to the Board that reflects the global nature of Adtran’s business and its customer base.
Dr. Terlinde currently serves as Group Chief Financial Officer of Flender International GmbH, a multinational manufacturer of industrial and wind gearboxes. Prior to joining Flender, he served as Group Chief Financial Officer of JOST Werke SE (ETR: JST), a publicly traded German manufacturer of components for commercial and agricultural vehicles, where he held responsibility for finance, investor relations, legal, and compliance. Earlier in his career, he served as Chief Financial Officer at Benteler Automotive GmbH and MAHLE GmbH, both tier-1 suppliers to the global automotive industry, and as Chief Financial Officer of ista North America, Inc., a company serving multi-family homeowners and utilities in the United States.
“We are pleased to welcome Christian to the Adtran Board," said Tom Stanton, Chief Executive Officer of Adtran Holdings, Inc. "His financial and international expertise, including serving as CFO of a publicly listed German company, adds further depth to a Board that already brings a strong mix of experience and perspectives. Christian's hands-on knowledge of both the U.S. and German markets fits naturally with our global business.”
Dr. Terlinde holds a doctorate in business administration, earned magna cum laude, a graduate degree, and an undergraduate degree, all from the University of Duisburg-Essen in Germany. He has also completed an executive education program at the University of St. Gallen in Switzerland and has taught U.S. GAAP, IFRS, and German GAAP accounting at the university level. Dr. Terlinde serves on the examination board for German Certified Public Accountants.
About Adtran
ADTRAN Holdings, Inc. (NASDAQ: ADTN and FSE: QH9) is the parent company of Adtran, Inc., a leading global provider of open, disaggregated networking and communications solutions that enable voice, data, video and internet communications across any network infrastructure. From the cloud edge to the subscriber edge, Adtran empowers communications service providers around the world to manage and scale services that connect people, places and things. Adtran solutions are used by service providers, private enterprises, government organizations and millions of individual users worldwide. ADTRAN Holdings, Inc. is also the majority shareholder of Adtran Networks SE, formerly ADVA Optical Networking SE. Find more at Adtran.com, LinkedIn and X.
Published by
ADTRAN Holdings, Inc.
www.adtran.com
For media
Gareth Spence
+44 1904 699 358
public.relations@adtran.com
For investors
Rob Fink
investor.relations@adtran.com