Philips Consumer Communications announced Osmo Hautanen, president of the Americas region, will leave the company March 15.
Michael Lang, vice president of marketing for the Americas, immediately will assume operational responsibilities for the North American organization on an interim basis. Lang, who has been with the company since November, will report to Mike McTighe, chief executive officer.
Hautanen joined Philips in 1996 after spending 18 years with Nokia Mobile Phones America Inc. At Philips, Hautanen oversaw the company’s launch of telecommunications devices, including cellular and wireline phones, answering machines and pagers throughout the Americas.
Philips for the last year has focused on establishing the Philips brand name in the Americas and becoming a leading global handset manufacturer.
In June, Philips and Lucent Technologies Inc. announced a joint venture agreement to combine their consumer phone equipment operations. The deal was thought to give Lucent muscle with Philips’ proven consumer products line, while giving Philips a stronger presence in the United States and access to Bell Labs and the infrastructure business of Lucent.
In July, Philips transferred retail sales responsibility for its line of telephony and paging products to Lucent’s Consumer Products sales force.
