On any given day at Extreme Networks’ Markham office, you might find Cristian Mircea and his colleagues doing something a little unconventional in today’s remote work world—holding meetings on foot.
“We have a great space, but meeting inside is not always optimal, so we do lunch walks,” says Mircea. “There are great walking paths near the office, and it’s a chance to get outside, talk through ideas, and reconnect.”
That blend of innovation and connection runs deep through Extreme Networks’ Canadian operations. As Chief Development Officer, Mircea leads global product engineering for a company that touches nearly every part of modern connectivity, from enterprise switching and wireless infrastructure to AI-powered cloud platforms and network security.
It’s a global company with customers in over 100 countries—but its Canadian R&D presence has deep roots in Markham.
“We opened the Markham office in 2008,” Mircea explains. “We renovated the space, built our lab, and created a home base for our wireless engineering team.”
That lab is growing again. Extreme Networks is expanding the facility to meet the demands of new AI, cloud, and network security projects.
“It’s something we’ve wanted to do for a while,” he adds. “We’re excited to see it taking shape.”
Many original team members are still part of the Markham office, a point of pride that speaks volumes in an industry known for turnover. Mircea says that longevity comes down to culture and opportunity.
There is a variety of work available across Extreme’s tech stack, with projects spanning wired and wireless networking, AI, security, and cloud networking. Team members can shift between disciplines and take on new challenges without ever needing to change companies.
"If you ask anyone in our team, they’ll tell you it’s a great opportunity. You can work on something for six or nine months, then move to something else. It’s part of how we grow careers here,” says Mircea.
Extreme Networks’ Markham team is vital in developing the company’s award-winning cloud platform, which connects over three million devices globally.
“We’ve built what we call a cloud continuum,” says Mircea. “It’s the same technology whether running in Azure, AWS, or a customer's on-premise server. They can start with one and later on say, ‘I want to move to another one.’ There is no difference. It’s transparent to them.”
Beyond the technology, Mircea emphasizes the importance of connection in the office and the community. The company partners with post-secondary institutions like the University of Waterloo for its co-op program, often welcoming students for multiple terms and hiring them after graduation.
“I realized that they are so good that they could get a job and work beside the seasoned engineers, super fast,” says Mircea. “They ramp up very fast. So we’re very happy with that.”
Extreme also gives back through its annual “Day of Giving,” when employees are encouraged to spend the day volunteering with causes close to their hearts.
“We support local charities, we run a food drive, and most importantly, we let our team choose how and where they want to give.”
Whether mentoring new talent, launching new products, or expanding its footprint in Markham, Extreme Networks continues to build more than networks. It’s building the future of work and innovation.
