Ericsson adapts organization to secure operational excellence

"The new group function for sales and marketing will be established to secure profitable growth and further develop the professional sales culture," said Carl-Henric Svanberg, President and CEO of Ericsson. "The split of Systems reflects differences in customer needs and in the processes that are needed for different parts of the infrastructure business."

Access will handle the production of radio base products, which are more standardized and of higher volume. The responsibility for customized projects and end-to-end offerings will remain within business unit Systems. This unit will include core network, fixed line products, service layer and broadband access.

Kurt Jofs has been recruited externally to head Access and will join the Group Management Team. Bert Nordberg, today head of Systems, will take up the new position as head of group function Sales & Marketing. Björn Olsson, currently head of IS/IT, will take over as head of Systems. Per Tjernberg, today head of Sourcing is appointed head of group function IS/IT & Sourcing.

Kurt Jofs is an industrial advisor and holds various board positions. He has considerable experience of supply chain management. 1983-1988 Jofs held different positions as production manager within Ericsson. He has been the president and CEO of various companies, including Swedish transport company Linjebuss and ABB Ventilation Products. Born in 1958, Kurt Jofs holds a Master of Science from the Royal Institute of Technology in Stockholm.

The changes will be effective as of January 1, 2004.

Ericsson is shaping the future of Mobile and Broadband Internet communications through its continuous technology leadership. Providing innovative solutions in more than 140 countries, Ericsson is helping to create the most powerful communication companies in the world.