Nokia veteran Jorg Erlemeier is to leave the company after it abolished his role of Chief Operating Officer.
German-native Erlemeier has spent more than two decades at the Finnish mobile firm, holding various positions at both Nokia and the Nokia Siemens Networks (NSN) joint-venture.
As COO he was responsible for Nokia’s global operations, overseeing its operating model, the implementation of cost savings and transformation activities. He will departure on January 1 2020, with his functions distributed to other members of the Nokia leadership team.
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Nokia COO departs
“After 25 years at Nokia, I am ready to take on new challenges,” said Erlemeier. “While the company is in the midst of a transition, I leave firm in my belief that the right plan is in place to improve future performance. I wish the company and all my colleagues the very best.”
“Joerg has been a long-time, trusted colleague,” said Nokia President and Chief Executive Officer Rajeev Suri. “He leaves the company with my thanks and deep appreciation for his many important contributions.”
Nokia is competing with the likes of Ericsson and Huawei for 5G market share, believing its ability to offer end-to-end networking capabilities is a key differentiator. It claims to have agreed 48 commercial 5G deals and 15 live networks. However forecasts for 2019 and 2020 has been reduced.
However the pursuit of this market has increased costs. Despite meeting Q3 expectations, Nokia recently reduced its forecasts for 2019 and 2020 and suspended dividend payments. By doing so, it hopes to increase investments in 5G and in other areas of the business and strengthen the firm’s cash position.
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