Ericsson's CTO to spearhead rapidly growing IP business

Ericsson's (NASDAQ:ERIC) in-coming President and CEO has appointed its CTO Håkan Eriksson to head Ericsson in Silicon Valley, the center of the company's important IP business. Håkan Eriksson will lead the work to further enhance Ericsson's global position when fixed, mobile and internet converge.

Over the past few years Ericsson has further strengthened its position in IP and broadband by acquiring leading IP companies, headquartered in Silicon Valley. Håkan Eriksson will succeed Bert Nordberg, newly appointed President of Sony Ericsson, who has headed the successful integration of these companies.

Hans Vestberg, in-coming President and CEO says: "Håkan Eriksson is the telecom industry's leading CTO and his experience as well as managerial skills will secure our continued transformation to an IP-based company."
Eriksson will keep his current role as CTO (Chief Technology Officer) and head of Group Function Technology & Portfolio Management and will remain as member of the Group Management Team. Eriksson will be based in San Jose, California, in the US and takes on the new position as of January 1, 2010.

Håkan Eriksson says: "We will continue to drive the convergence of fixed, mobile and internet from Silicon Valley and to focus on strengthened partnerships in the areas of both hardware and software, internet applications as well as in the PC industry. "

Håkan Eriksson was born in Mjölby, Sweden, in 1961. He graduated with a Master of Science degree in Electrical Engineering from Linköping Institute of Technology, Sweden, in 1985. Eriksson has an Honorary Ph.D. from Linköping Institute of Technology. He is married and has three children.

Eriksson was appointed Senior Vice President and CTO in 2003 and was responsible for development activities carried out in Ericsson's Core Network Development, Radio Network Development and Service Network and Applications, as well as for Ericsson Research. Prior to this, he served for five years as head of Ericsson Research.

Eriksson joined Ericsson in 1986, representing the company as a technical expert in GSM standardization work and he has held a number of senior positions in the research and development field for Ericsson in Sweden and internationally.