Erik Ekudden. Credit: Ericsson
Ericsson’s new CTO is charting a course for the company that will focus on the distributed cloud and evolution of mobile systems.
Erik Ekudden, whose appointment was announced Tuesday, will take the reins on July 1 as CTO and Head of Technology and Architecture based in Stockholm, Sweden. In his new role, Ekudden will lead the company’s technology strategy with a focus on driving the evolution of the network as the platform to secure the success of Ericsson’s service provider customers. Plucked from a position with Ericsson in Silicon Valley, Ekudden will also be responsible for building on Ericsson’s strength in technology to support new and existing customers, focusing on innovation to transform the networks for the future.
“Erik has broad experience from the technology area, most recently from seven years in Silicon Valley,” Ericsson CEO Borje Ekholm said. “He is uniquely qualified to support customers and partners, prepare for the opportunities and challenges of the next wave of technology shifts around 5G, IoT, and digitalization.”
Ekudden has been based in Silicon Valley for the past seven years, where he has been responsible for Ericsson’s technology strategies. There he reportedly deepened Ericsson’s engagement with strategic customers and partners, and drove a forward-looking research agenda. Ekudden has been with Ericsson since 1993, holding various positions within research and development in his nearly 25 years with the company.
Ekudden said his new mission as CTO will be to “define the technology direction of Ericsson and to work closely with customers to design and operate those technologies in the most effective and efficient way.” That will include “a particular focus on the distributed cloud and evolution of mobile systems globally,” he said.
The appointment follows the promotion of former CTO Ulf Ewaldsson to SVP and Head of Digital Services at the start of April. It also comes shortly after the departure of Ericsson’s Head of the North America Region Rima Qureshi earlier this month. More on that here.
Filed Under: IoT • IIoT • Internet of things • Industry 4.0, Infrastructure