HMD, the entity created to bring Nokia-branded Android phones, tablets and feature phones to market already had two ex-Nokia veterans as its CEO and President. Now a third ex-Nokia veteran joins the HMD management team.
Meet Pekka Rantala, who worked at Nokia for 17 years, before leading Rovio (Angry Birds) as CEO. He will join HMD Global as the CMO. He was SVP of Global Marketing at Nokia when he left the company.
Rantala spent seventeen years in Nokia’s mobile phone business. A marketing specialist he has served across sales, marketing and operations roles, latterly as Senior Vice President for Global Marketing. He then spent several years in the fast moving consumer goods industry, before becoming CEO of Rovio Entertainment, best known as the creator of “Angry Birds”.
Arto Nummela, CEO of HMD global, said:
“Pekka has an important mission to rejuvenate the Nokia brand in mobile phones. He is an experienced consumer marketer who knows how to run global operations and teams, and is passionate about the Nokia brand. Branding has become a critical differentiator in mobile phones, and 96% of global mobile phone users are familiar with the Nokia brand, our unique asset. We know people around the world are excited about a new wave of Nokia phones, and we are working hard to create a beautiful range of Nokia-branded devices that people will love.“
Pekka Rantala said:
“There are very few opportunities like this, to work with a global brand with the power to touch hundreds of millions of people every day. It is a privilege to work with this unique brand, to engage with the millions of dedicated Nokia phone fans around the world and create a generation of new ones. We are going to bring together a new team of talented people who can build something incredible.“
HMD has also confirmed that it will soon begin its operations by selling “existing range of Nokia Feature Phones”. Coming to smartphones, HMD confirmed again “developing a new smartphone portfolio” and we have exclusively shared about two of the upcoming Nokia Android Nougat Smartphones.
Thanks to many of you who tipped us about this!!
