Nokia “replaces” CTO Richard Green for medical reasons

Nokia “replaces” CTO Richard Green for medical reasons

Finland-based telecom equipment maker Nokia Thursday said Chief Technology Officer Richard Green was taking a medical leave of absence, to be replaced by Henry Tirri, head of Nokia Research Center. The news follows a ratings downgrade Tuesday and a profit warning last week that saw Nokia’s shares slump to a 13 year low, as the world’s largest handset maker warned it may not make a profit in the second quarter.
“Rich Green is taking a medical leave for absence. During this time Henry Tirri, head of Nokia Research Center, will be the acting CTO,” Nokia spokesman Tomi Kuuppelomaki said in an email.

“We can confirm that Rich Green has taken leave to attend to a personal matter. We have not provided a specific timetable for his return,” Kuuppelomaki added, responding to a report from Finnish newspaper Helsingin Sanomat that Green is unlikely to return due differences of opinion over the company’s strategy.

Green, 55, was not immediately available to comment.

Nokia’s failure to keep pace in the high-end handset market with nimbler rivals including Apple Inc. and the growing number of devices based on Google Inc’s Android, saw it abandon its Symbian platform for smartphones in February in favor of a partnership with Microsoft Corp. and its Windows Phone software as it strived to regain lost market share.