Ericsson, phone-switch-maker to the stars, has “no plans to abandon its joint venture Sony Ericsson” said an Ericsson spokesperson, thereby ensuring that shiz is going to hit the fan sooner than later. As we pointed out before, S-E isn’t doing too hot and they just lost their North American President, Najmi Jarwala, who was probably ousted for not selling Sony Ericsson phones in the US.
Not to be a naysayer or a nationalist, but the US market for S-E is quite limited – I’d say it’s been squelched over the years and now it’s catching up – and this does not bode well for the company. While S-E works in Europe, it’s definitely not a US play and the US is a fairly big market. No one wants to step into the breech right now and not many people are bullish enough even to take the job of S-E president let alone buy their phones.
Sony Ericsson announces management change in North America
London, UK – Sony Ericsson Mobile Communications (“Sony Ericsson”) today announced that Najmi Jarwala, President of Sony Ericsson USA and Head of Region North America (comprising the US and Canada markets), has chosen to leave the company at the end of March to pursue other career opportunities.
Commenting on today’s announcement, Dick Komiyama, President of Sony Ericsson, said, “Under Najmi’s leadership we have redefined our North American strategy, built operational excellence and strengthened our total presence considerably in this very important market. We are sad to see him leave Sony Ericsson after more than three successful years, but at the same time we wish him all the best for his future.”
“It has been an incredibly rewarding time for me and we have achieved a lot together in North America,” said Najmi Jarwala. “We have introduced an increasing number of new products, grown market share, built operator relationships and, perhaps most importantly, have laid the foundation for North America to play a key role in the long term growth and success of Sony Ericsson. I have been privileged to have led a team of passionate, creative and innovative people at Sony Ericsson and I wish them every success,” he added.
A separate announcement regarding Najmi’s successor in his dual role will be made in due course. In the interim, and effective April 1st, Anders Runevad, Executive Vice President of Sony Ericsson and Head of Global Sales & Marketing, will take on the added responsibilities of President of Sony Ericsson USA and Head of Region North America.