Sony Ericsson picks veteran Ericsson exec as new CEO :: Editor's Blog at WRAL Tech Wire

Updated Aug. 17, 2009 at 2:13 p.m.

Sony Ericsson picks veteran Ericsson exec as new CEO

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RESEARCH TRIANGLE PARK, N.C. – Struggling mobile phone maker Sony Ericsson, which has laid off most of its staff at its North American headquarters in the Triangle, is getting a new chief executive officer.

Bert Nordberg, a 14-year Ericsson executive, will replace Hideki “Dick” Komiyama, an executive from Sony, as of Oct. 15. Komiyama is retiring, Sony Ericsson said. He had led the company for nearly two years.

Sony Ericsson also is getting a new chairman. Howard Stringer, chairman and chief executive at Sony, will take over the Sony Ericsson board from Ericsson chief executive Carl-Hendric Svanberg

Sony Ericsson is a joint venture between the two electronic media giants.

In April, Anderson Teixeria took over ashead of Sony Ericsson North America. The group has fewer than 400 employees in the Triangle after slashing hundreds of jobs last fall.

Najmi Jarwala, who led the Sony Ericsson North American unit for four years, left earlier this year.

“We are delighted that Bert Nordberg is joining the company as a strong and worthy successor to Dick,” Stringer said in a statement. “Bert brings tremendous experience and enthusiasm to his new role, and with his strong telecommunications background he will lead Sony Ericsson into a very bright future.”

Nordberg most recently led Sony Ericsson research and design efforts in Silicon Valley. In an interview with The New York Times, Nordberg promised changes.

“We need to improve the product design and development processes and we need a different product portfolio to reflect what customers are asking for,” he said. “And we definitely need to strengthen our offering in the mobile Internet segment.”

Sony Ericsson has suffered growing financial losses and at the same time lost global market share.

“Since I've been living in Silicon Valley, I've seen our competitors attack this market from the I.T. and from the applications side,” Nordberg told the Times. “We need to do more of that.”

Stringer picked him to run Sony Ericsson, Nordberg told the newspaper.

Nordberg also is executive vice president of the Ericsson Group.

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