HMD Global Appoints Pekka Rantala as Chief Marketing Officer to Re-Launch Nokia-Branded Mobile Phones

Helsinki, Finland (ots/PRNewswire) -

HMD global Oy ("HMD"), the exclusive global licensee of the Nokia
brand for mobile phones and tablets, has appointed Pekka Rantala as
Chief Marketing Officer, effective immediately. Rantala is the former
CEO of Rovio Entertainment (the creator of "Angry Birds"), and SVP of
Global Marketing at Nokia.

HMD is a new company that has been founded to create a full range
of Nokia-branded smart phones, feature phones and tablets, and
Rantala will lead their return to the global consumer market. His
first priority is to recruit a world class team of marketers, brand
specialists, and communicators to engage global mobile phone users.

Arto Nummela, CEO of HMD global, said:

"Pekka has an important mission to rejuvenate the Nokia brand in
mobile phones. He is an experienced consumer marketer who knows how
to run global operations and teams, and is passionate about the Nokia
brand. Branding has become a critical differentiator in mobile
phones, and 96% of global mobile phone users are familiar with the
Nokia brand, our unique asset. We know people around the world are
excited about a new wave of Nokia phones, and we are working hard to
create a beautiful range of Nokia-branded devices that people will
love."

Pekka Rantala said:

"There are very few opportunities like this, to work with a global
brand with the power to touch hundreds of millions of people every
day. It is a privilege to work with this unique brand, to engage with
the millions of dedicated Nokia phone fans around the world and
create a generation of new ones. We are going to bring together a new
team of talented people who can build something incredible."

Rantala spent seventeen years in Nokia's mobile phone business. A
marketing specialist he has served across sales, marketing and
operations roles, latterly as Senior Vice President for Global
Marketing. He then spent several years in the fast moving consumer
goods industry, before becoming CEO of Rovio Entertainment, best
known as the creator of "Angry Birds". He has most recently served as
Chairman of Jot Automation, a supplier of services to the global
electronics industry.

Notes to Editors

HMD has sole use of the Nokia brand on mobile phones (smartphones
and feature phones) and tablets worldwide for the next decade. HMD's
Nokia-branded smartphones and tablets will run on the Android
operating system, uniting one of the world's iconic mobile brands
with the leading mobile software and app development community.

HMD intends to leverage and grow Nokia's global brand reach,
delivering beautifully designed, high quality products to people all
over the world in line with Nokia's brand promise. HMD intends to
invest over USD 500 million over the next three years to support the
global marketing of Nokia-branded mobile phones and tablets.

HMD's Nokia-branded devices will be manufactured and distributed
worldwide by FIH Mobile, a subsidiary of Foxconn. HMD has full
operational control over sales, marketing and distribution of its
Nokia-branded devices, with exclusive access to the pre-eminent
global sales and distribution network being acquired by FIH from
Microsoft. HMD will make further announcements about its plans and
product roadmaps in due course.

About HMD global

Registered and headquartered in Helsinki, Finland, HMD is a new
private venture founded to create a new generation of Nokia-branded
mobile devices. HMD will be run by a group of experienced industry
leaders, including CEO-designate Arto Nummela, who previously held
senior roles at Nokia and is currently the head of Microsoft's Mobile
Devices business for Greater Asia, Middle East and Africa as well as
Microsoft's global Feature Phones business, and president-designate
Florian Seiche, who is currently Senior Vice President for Europe
Sales and Marketing at Microsoft Mobile, and previously held key
roles at Nokia, HTC and other global brands. http://www.hmdglobal.com

ots Originaltext: HMD global
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