Nokia appoints global marketing chief in rejig

Nokia has handed its top global marketing role to customer and market operations boss Pekka Rantala as part of a huge restructure at the world’s biggest handset manufacturer.

Rantala, who is currently senior vice-president for customer and market operations at Nokia Europe, will become senior vice-president of marketing for the Finnish company’s Markets division at the start of next year. The new unit will oversee Nokia’s overall marketing strategy.

Nokia has also promoted its strategic marketing chief Keith Pardy, who joined the company from Coca-Cola in 2004, as senior vice-president of marketing services for the Markets division. It is thought he will report to Rantala. The Markets unit will be run by Anssi Vanjoki, who currently heads the multi-media business group.

Nokia will be restructured into three new divisions from the start of next year: Devices, Services and Software and Markets. The Devices unit will focus on making handsets, Services and Software will develop consumer internet products and services, and Markets will handle supply chain, sales and marketing.

It is not clear what role Nokia’s top handset marketer Jo Harlow will be given in the new structure but she denies speculation that she is leaving the company.

She says: “I have nothing specific I can tell you about my future role at Nokia but the rumours I am leaving are not true.”

Harlow has just completed Nokia’s global advertising review, whereby Wieden & Kennedy was appointed to handle the £175m account.

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