India-Born Rajeev Suri steps down as Nokia President & CEO

Nokia’s President & CEO, Rajeev Suri will leave his current position on August 31, 2020; however plans to serve as an advisor to the Nokia Board until January 1, 2021. Rajeev long back indicated the board that he was considering stepping down from his role at some point in the future, which provided a robust succession plan in place. Finally on March 2, 2020, Nokia’s Board of Directors shouldered by Rajeev locked their decision to appoint Pekka Lundmark to walk in Rajeev’s shoes to take-over the global role.
“After 25 years at Nokia, I have wanted to do something different” says Rajeev. “Nokia will always be part of me, and I want to thank everyone that I have worked with over the years for helping make Nokia a better place and me a better leader. I leave the company with a belief that a return to better performance is on the horizon and with pride for what we have accomplished over time. Pekka is an excellent choice for Nokia. I look forward to working with him on a smooth transition”.
Over a decade back when Rajeev was appointed as the chief executive, Nokia breathed a significant consolidation of the telecommunications infrastructure sector and experienced a massive growth in Nokia’s highly profitable patent licensing business. The most significant was the integration of Alcatel-Lucent and successful diversification into new software and enterprise markets. Under his leadership, Nokia rolled up straight at the forth position in the telecommunications business, upholding the company among the top players of Telecommunications infrastructure.
“On behalf of the entire Board of Directors, I would like to thank Rajeev for his many contributions to Nokia, where he has served with both honor and distinction,” says Risto Siilasmaa, Chair of the Board Directors, Nokia.

After 25 years at Nokia, I have wanted to do something different

“Rajeev’s loyalty, commitment, and deep personal integrity have served as an example to all of Nokia. I know that Rajeev will, like myself, always have Nokia blue running through his veins”.
Assessing the current projections, telecom analysts says that living at aground situation where 5G communication is gradually ramping up delayed Nokia’s growth as they struggled to transition to a cost-competitive 5G hardware design. Being Nokia’s CEO since 2014, 52 years old Rajeev is repeatedly asking the shareholders to hold their patience till the 5G strategy to pay off. Investors await another six months for turn of events, before new management is in place.
Rajeev is one of the very few veterans, who do not flaunt a management degree from any pedigreed MBA institute. Completing his graduation as electronics and telecommunications engineer from Mangalore University, he started his professional life as a production at Calcom Electronics. Spending five years in ICL India and Churchgate Group, Nigeria, he joined as a system marketing manager at Nokia Siemens Networks (NSN), India.
Born in 1967 in India, Rajeev is one of the top bosses in the business world who doesn’t boast of a management degree from a pedigreed MBA institute. Graduated as electronics and telecommunications engineer from Mangalore University, India, in 1989, he started his professional life as a production engineer at Calcom Electronics. After spending five years in ICL India and Churchgate Group, Nigeria, he moved to NSN India as system marketing manager in 1995. It only took a decade for him to be ranked as senior vice president of Nokia Networks Asia Pacifics. Bagging few more years of international experience, Rajeev was named among the most powerful people in US’ wireless and wireline industry which were apparently dominated by Europeans.