Nokia reworks North American sales and marketing efforts

Nokia Corp. named Mark Louison to lead its device business in North America, replacing Tim Eckersley, currently in that position. Louison has also been appointed president of Nokia Inc., the North American arm of the global handset vendor.
Louison currently heads Nokia’s networks business in North America. Eckersley’s future plans with the company will be provided “at a later date,” the company announced. The executive transition is effective July 1, while other changes are currently underway and expected to be completed by June, the company said.
The appointment is part of an effort to realign the Finnish company’s sales and marketing efforts in the United States, Canada and Mexico, which includes moving support functions from Irving, Texas to existing corporate facilities in White Plains, N.Y., according to the company.
The changes may be the most significant organizational changes in Nokia’s approach to the U.S. market since the company closed its CDMA research facility in San Diego last year. The move coincided with Nokia’s retreat from the global CDMA phone business.
The Finnish company’s fortunes in the United States have languished for years despite official declarations of the market’s importance.
Analysts have offered myriad reasons for Nokia’s approach to the United States, which represents less than 10 percent of the vendor’s global handset unit shipments. Speculation has run the gamut, from the company’s possible resistance to the carrier-controlled market here to the difficulties of competing with Motorola Inc. on the latter’s home turf to a long-term plan to re-energize its efforts when next-generation networks are built out.
Nokia’s effort at realignment comes at a time when arch-rival Motorola has been humbled by low profits and negative press on its prospects for a rapid turnaround.