In fiber, we often measure impact by the numbers — homes passed, customers turned up. But there's another, less tangible metric: how we help people connect. We are in the business of connection, after all. It matters deeply to many of us, from our homes to the boardroom to the jobsite. Everyone has a story. Here’s mine.
Growing up in Tunisia, it was easy to stay connected. The North African country where I was born and raised is a giant in terms of its rich history and vibrant culture. But it’s not a particularly large nation. So, gathering with family for meals and celebrations – or even taking trips together across the Mediterranean to Europe – was no huge feat.
But in those days before high-speed fiber, any time you would travel far, that connection was lost. My father, for example, flew across the Atlantic in the late ’50s to become the first Ph.D. from Tunisia to graduate from an American university. Several decades later, he became a visiting professor at the University of Minnesota during the summer sessions. Our family would make an effort to send letters, then patiently looked forward to responses and care packages of brownies and other treats from my stepmother in the States. But nothing beat hearing her voice or the summers when I visited her in Minneapolis.
In 1993, I moved to the U.S. to study mechanical engineering at the University of Minnesota. Summers spent there with family helped me adjust culturally — though even after living in the North Star State for three decades, I still don’t understand the appeal of hotdish or ice fishing. I misjudged Minnesota’s winters, too. The stylish leather jacket that sufficed on the Mediterranean was quickly joined by a much more substantial coat.
Before graduating in 1998, I interned at ADC Telecommunications, which was how I got started in this business. I fell in love with the technology and innovation. After starting my career on the broadcast side of ADC in engineering, I moved into product management and market development. Over time, I worked with a variety of technologies and markets including Telecom networks, cable MSO and wireless.
My passion is to solve customer challenges and bring innovative solutions in the form of new product development. To this day, the thrill of creating solutions alongside brilliant people has never gone away.
When I joined Amphenol in 2012, my objective was to help the company transition from a connector and component manufacturer to delivering full system solutions. I became involved in market development, sales, and business development over my decade at the company.
I then spent three years in the aerospace and defense market at Carlisle Interconnect Technologies as Global Director of Sales, managing teams in the Americas, Asia and Europe and commuting to the U.S. headquarters in St. Augustine, Florida. While I’d racked up enough Delta SkyMiles to earn Diamond Medallion status, I knew very little about the airplanes until I went deep into the belly of the aircraft. It was humbling, in a way, to see all the wiring it takes to make these things fly. It’s so easy to overlook all the small things that are so important.
When Carlisle was acquired by Amphenol, it was a great time for me to go back home. I wanted to ground myself. I wanted to be in Minnesota with my wife and our two young kids. And I wanted to work in fiber again.
Clearfield offered that — and more. Just a short drive away, it gave me the chance to join a leader I’d long admired, even as a competitor. At trade shows and other events, I had great conversations with people like COO Johnny Hill, CEO Cheri Beranek, and others at Clearfield, whom I’ve long respected. The timing was perfect, and the organization boasts a long-standing culture of innovation.
Our motto — “enabling the lifestyle that better broadband provides” — feels like the best way to summarize my nearly three decades in the industry. These technologies I’ve spent the bulk of my career developing, maintaining and promoting truly help people connect.
Today, things are different. Unlike my childhood, my kids don’t wait for postcards or care packages. They FaceTime their grandfather who is now back in Tunisia. They play games in real time with cousins, on my wife’s side, in Morocco. We, at Clearfield, enable that to become a reality. Fiber keeps my family connected to what matters most — and that, to me, is the best measure of success.
Ready to build a more connected world? Clearfield is here to help.
Clearfield’s Chief Marketing Officer, Anis Khemakhem, is deeply passionate about technology, particularly in advancing fiber optics and telecommunications solutions. Throughout his career, he has consistently focused on leveraging cutting-edge technology to improve connectivity and enhance digital access across various sectors. His executive experience - including leadership positions at Clearfield, Amphenol and Carlisle Interconnect Technologies - demonstrates his executive engagement capabilities and capacity to handle complex, multi-stakeholder projects.