Nokia (NYSE:NOK) is reshuffling its organizational chart for the second time in seven months, promising that its new streamlined management structure will help spur execution and innovation. The changes come less than a week after Nokia CEO Olli-Pekka Kallasvuo sought to calm nervous investors about the company's smartphone strategy.
The management shakeup has left Nokia with three main business units for its core devices and services business: Mobile Solutions, Mobile Phones and Markets. Mobile Solutions will focus on Nokia's high-end smartphone strategy, including the MeeGo and Symbian platforms. Mobile Phones will be geared toward lower-end devices, and Markets will focus on sales, marketing and management of Nokia's global supply chain.
The company said Assni Vanjoki, currently Nokia's sales chief, will run the Mobile Solutions unit. Alberto Torres will run the MeeGo operations, Jo Harlow will run the Symbian unit and Tero Ojanpera will manage the Services component, which will continue to focus on Nokia's Ovi services. Additionally, Nokia has appointed Sun Microsystems veteran Rich Green as its CTO.
Other major changes include moving Mary McDowell, who had headed up corporate development, to run the Mobile Phones unit. Niklas Savander, Nokia's former services chief, will now run the Markets unit. Kai Oistamo, who ran Nokia's devices division, will replace McDowell. Rick Simonson, Nokia's former CFO who had been running the Mobile Phones unit, will retire from the company. All of the changes will take place July 1.
The changes are more sweeping than the reorganization the company undertook in October following a disappointing third quarter. Despite continuing to lead the global smartphone market, Nokia has come under pressure to deliver compelling smartphone products to counter the likes of Apple (NASDAQ:AAPL) and Research In Motion (NASDAQ:RIMM).
For more:
- see this release
- see this Bloomberg article
- see this Reuters article
- see this Dow Jones Newswires article (sub. req.)
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