Apple Hires Shiva Rajaraman to Boost its Video and Music Strategy
Shiva Rajaraman
In a bid to boost its video and music strategy, Apple has hired former YouTube and Spotify executive, Shiva Rajaraman. Rajaraman spent 8 years at YouTube, working to secure licensed content from companies like Disney for streaming. After his tenure at YouTube, Rajaraman spent two years at Spotify working on its video and podcasting efforts, licensing content from Time Warner, Disney and NBC.
Comcast Cable COO Promoted as CEO
Comcast announced that after seven years as CEO of its Cable division, Neil Smit is changing roles beginning April 1. Smit will become the vice chairman of Comcast with plans to focus on developing future technology oriented business opportunities by working part-time with other company leaders. The current COO of Comcast Cable, Dave Watson, will take over as CEO. Smit will spend several months working with Watson to ensure a smooth transition.
Cisco Systems Appoints Allergan CEO to its Board
Cisco appointed Brenton L. Saunders, 46, Chairman, CEO and President of Allergan, to its Board of Directors. He has significant healthcare industry expertise and led various business transformations and integrations. He has an extensive experience negotiating and implementing corporate integrity agreements with state and federal agencies.
Qualcomm Appoints EVP, Engineering as CTO 
Dr. James H. Thompson
Qualcomm announced that Dr. James H. Thompson, EVP of engineering, has been appointed to the additional position of CTO. Matt Grob, EVP, Qualcomm Technologies and CTO, will transition to the role of EVP of technology, Qualcomm Technologies. In addition to leading QCT engineering, as CTO, Thompson will align the companywide technical and product roadmaps across all business areas.
Nokia Changes Organizational Structure; Brings Changes to Group Leadership Team
Nokia announced changes in its organizational structure and Group Leadership Team (GLT). The organizational changes include the separation of Nokia's current Mobile Networks business group into two distinct, but closely linked organizations: one focused on products and solutions, called Mobile Networks, and the other on services, called Global Services.
The company also announced that Marc Rouanne, currently Chief Innovation and Operating Officer, will become President of the Mobile Networks business group, responsible for mobile products and solutions, including 4G, 5G, cloud core, small cells and other advanced mobile solutions. Rouanne will remain on the GLT.
Igor Leprince, currently EVP of Global Services, will take the role of President of Global Services, a new business group comprised of the Services organization that currently resides within the existing Mobile Networks business group, including company-wide managed services. Leprince will join the GLT as a new member.
Monika Maurer, currently COO of Fixed Networks, will assume the position of Group COO, responsible for Nokia's operating model, Global Operations (manufacturing and supply chain), procurement, implementation of cost saving and ongoing transformation activities, information technology, real estate, and quality. Maurer will join the GLT as a new member.
Marcus Weldon, currently President of Nokia Bell Labs and CTO, will retain those responsibilities and join the GLT as a new member.
Kathrin Buvac, Chief Strategy Officer, will assume additional responsibilities for incubation of select new business opportunities, and Barry French, Chief Marketing Officer, will assume additional responsibilities for Health, Safety, Security and Environment. They will both remain on the GLT.
With the integration of Alcatel-Lucent largely complete, Samih Elhage has decided to leave Nokia to pursue new opportunities.
Ericsson Simplifies Organizational Structure; Witnesses Leadership Shuffles
In line with the business strategy, Ericsson is simplifying its organizational structure by removing the two-tiered leadership structure, Executive Leadership Team and Global Leadership Team, and forming a single Executive Team. In addition, the geographical setup with ten regions will become five market areas, and the business areas are re-defined and reduced to three.
Per Borgklint, Anders Lindblad, Jean-Philippe Poirault and Charlotta Sund will leave the executive leadership team.
Ericsson appointed Nunzio Mirtillo as head of market area South East Asia, Oceania and India.
Rafiah Ibrahim named as President and Head of the newly created Market Area Middle East and Africa. The appointment follows a review of the Ericsson's business strategy and changes to the Executive team. Ibrahim, who has led Region Middle East since July 2014, stepped into the role from April 2017 as a new member of Ericsson's Executive Team. The newly-created Market Area was formed by merging the Middle East, and Sub-Saharan Africa regions, in a move to revitalize technology and market leadership and enable customer success.
Motorola Solutions Appoints Skype Exec as Head of Software
Motorola Solutions announced the leader of the company’s new software organization. Andrew Sinclair, previously of the Skype division of Microsoft, joins Motorola Solutions as the company’s first-ever head of software. Sinclair will lead the company’s software organization. As head of software, Sinclair will lead an integrated team focused on development, sales and delivery of software that provides critical intelligence to public safety and commercial users.
Motorola Solutions has appointed Sirio Magliocca as General Manager and President for the Italian market. Sirio, who has been with the Motorola Solutions since 1986, leads the company's channel business in Italy, Greece, Cyprus and Malta, responsible for reseller networks, marketing and sales activity. In his role as General Manager, he will lead the development and implementation of business strategies in Italy for both government and commercial sectors.
Juniper Networks Announces Management Changes
Networking products giant Juniper Networks announced that Kevin Hutchins, the company’s SVP, Strategy and Business Development, has been appointed to serve in a newly created position as the company’s SVP, Strategy and Product Line Management, and Andy Athreya, the company’s SVP, Engineering, has been appointed as the company’s SVP, Chief Development Officer.
Jonathan Davidson, EVP and General Manager, Juniper Development and Innovation, notified the Company of his intention to resign from the Company.
ZTE EVP Resigns
Chinese multinational telecommunications equipment company ZTE Corporation received a resignation report in writing from Zeng Xuezhong, an EVP of the company. Due to his personal reasons, Zeng Xuezhong has tendered his resignation from the position of the EVP of the company.
F5 Networks Appoints SVP, Sales, Asia Pacific
F5 Networks appointed Adam Judd to the company's leadership team as SVP, Sales, Asia Pacific. Based in Singapore, Judd is responsible for charting F5's strategic business growth across 14 countries in the Asia Pacific region. He was most recently VP, APAC at Brocade Communications.
InterDigital Announces Board Changes
InterDigital, the company that designs and develops technologies for wireless communications, appointed Joan Gillman to the company's Board of Directors. Gillman was EVP of Time Warner Cable and President and COO of Time Warner Cable Media from 2006 until shortly after Time Warner’s acquisition by Charter Communications in May 2016.
The company also announced that longtime director Robert S. Roath will retire from the Board of Directors at the end of his current term.
Cheetah Mobile Announces CFO Departure
Cheetah Mobile announced that Ka Wai Andy Yeung has resigned as CFO, to pursue other opportunities. Pending the appointment of Yeung's successor, the Company's Board of Directors has appointed Yuk Keung Francis Ng, a director and the CFO of Kingsoft, as the interim CFO of the Company. Yeung will remain as an external advisor to the Company to facilitate a smooth transition.
Mitel Appoints Director with Proven Track Record in Managing Innovation Transitions; Names New Senior Leaders
Martha Bejar
Mitel announced the appointment of Martha Bejar to the company's Board of Directors. Bejar brings to Mitel broad corporate board experience in the information, communication, technology (ICT) sector, and has also held senior leadership positions with some of the world's leading global technology companies including: CEO and Director of Flow Mobile; Chairperson/CEO of Wipro Infocrossing Cloud Computing Services; Corporate VP for Communications at Microsoft; and a series of executive positions at Nortel Networks including President of the Caribbean and Latin America (CALA) region.
Graham Bevington, the company's current EVP and Chief Sales Officer and a named executive officer of the company, will become the EVP of Business Development of the Company.
Mitel appointed Todd Abbott, a seasoned executive and industry leader with over 30 years of technology and business communications experience, to oversee the global sales operations at Mitel as EVP of Global Sales. Abbott joins Mitel following a career spanning senior sales positions at Cisco, Symbol Technologies, Seagate Technologies, Avaya and Sonus Networks.
Date Range: March 7th - April 6th